A natural stimulant contained in coffee but also in tea, caffeine can interact with certain diseases or health problems. Depending on the symptoms, it is recommended to reduce consumption or even stop it.
Difficult for coffee lovers to limit themselves to two or three cups a day, or even completely stop drinking it. However, depending on the health problems you have, it is advisable to reduce your consumption or even stop it. Here are the situations for which the consumption of coffee (and more generally caffeine) can be problematic.
Headaches in the morning
Headaches occurring mainly in the morning and located mainly in the back of the neck, at the level of the temples can be a sign of a hypertension. Even more, if they are associated with the sensation of sometimes pulsating auditory whistling (tinnitus), vision problems (flies in front of the eyes), dizziness and/or increased heart rate (tachycardia, palpitations). The problem with blood pressure is that it can increase due to caffeine. Caffeine being a stimulating the nervous system, its consumption excessive in case of heart disease such as hypertension can temporarily increase blood pressure (increase in approximately 10 mm Hg). It is especially the case among occasional coffee drinkers. At the regular consumers of coffee, this phenomenon does not occur since the regular intake of caffeine associated with a tolerance effect makes it possible to avoid these variations in blood pressure.
Heartburn and/or reflux
Coffee stimulates gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid, very acidic compound whose role is to participate in the digestion of food in the stomach. Coffee consumption can increase acid reflux and heartburn, so it is not recommended in cases of gastroesophageal reflux.
Daily difficulties getting to sleep
Consumption of coffee, tea (or caffeinated beverages) is not not recommended in the evening because of their exciting effect on the nervous system (it is generally said to be avoided after 5 p.m.). This can compromise the ability to fall asleep or the quality of sleep and make it more difficult to wake up. Likewise, it can alter the effectiveness and effects of sedatives and tranquilizers by acting against the latter (antagonistic effect).
Too fast a transit
Coffee, regardless of the presence of caffeine, has the natural effect of stimulate contraction of intestinal muscles and thus speed up transit. Due to this effect laxativecoffee consumption may not be recommended in case of diarrhea or transit disorders, potentially creating intestinal discomfort.
In conclusion, normal consumption (i.e. 4 to 6 cups per day) of coffee is rarely prohibited. However, if you suffer from these symptoms, coffee is not recommended and may even need to be stopped. It’s important to contact your doctor or his pharmacist in order to not unbalance a treatment already established and know what action to take. Finally, we must be vigilant with the association of products containing caffeine, in particular certain medications (such as caffeinated Claradol or food supplements) with other sources of caffeine (coffee, tea), which can cause side effects linked to caffeine, unbalance current drug treatment or even accentuate the symptoms of an illness already present.