Study Says Teens Should Avoid Alcohol, Smoking to Prevent Headaches

Teens who drank a lot of alcoholic beverages and coffee, smoked, and got little exercise were more likely to suffer from migrane and tension headaches, according to German researchers.

EScienceNews reported June 6 that headaches are among the most common health problem reported by teens, and researcher Astrid Milde-Busch, M.D., and colleagues found a significant association between lifestyle factors and headache prevalence.

“Our study confirms [that] adolescents with any type of headache might benefit from regular physical activity and low consumption of alcoholic drinks,” said Milde-Busch, of Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. “In teens suffering from migraine, a low coffee consumption should also be suggested.”

The study was published online in the journal Headache.