Telltale Signs You Drink Too Much Coffee

Are you finding your health suffering due to your excessive consumption of coffee? If so, you may need to start limiting yourself or avoid the drink altogether. To help you figure out whether or not you drink too much coffee, below are a few common signs that your excessive habit is becoming a serious hazard to your health.

1. Anxious Behavior

If you’re stressed, it’s not uncommon you’ll grab a cup of coffee to try and calm your nerves. However, the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that people who feel anxious should avoid caffeine altogether. This is because caffeine can increase your anxiety and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, which will only worsen your health. Instead, you should try meditating or breathing exercises if you feel anxious.

2. Stomach Pains

If you experience chronic stomach pains in the morning, it could be from drinking too much coffee. According to WebMD, European researchers found that coffee can cause excessive stomach acid, which can cause you stomach aches. However, if you take an over-the-counter medication, such as Tums, you can ease your stomach pains. But, we suggest limiting your coffee consumption to prevent further health conditions.

3. Chronic Headaches

Sure, caffeine can help relieve your headache for a little while, but pain-relievers work much better. This is actually why caffeine is a listed ingredient in most over-the-counter- headache medication. However, if you end up drinking too much caffeine, and then abstain, you could suffer from a caffeine withdrawal. According to John Hopkins researchers, this withdrawal can lead to even further headaches and fatigue, only making your problems even worse. Instead, you should look to your diet to solve chronic headaches or take proper headache medication, instead of coffee or other energy drinks.

4. Excessive Trips to the Bathroom

Needing to hit the bathroom a few too many times? This may be due to over drinking coffee. Believe it or not, caffeine can act as a diuretic and cause excessive urination. So, do yourself a favor and drink less coffee throughout the day, unless you want to be stuck on the toilet.

5. High Blood Pressure

If you feel that your heart is beating too fast or have chest pains, you may have high blood pressure because of drinking too much coffee, alcohol, or nicotine, according to WebMD. However, this can also occasionally lead to fainting spells, dizziness, and disorientation. One of the easiest ways to lower your blood pressure is to limit your coffee or caffeine consumption.

6. Jitters

Though coffee can make you feel more alert, this can turn into a bad thing. When you drink coffee, you may begin to experience jitters. This is because the caffeine causes your central nervous system to speed up which makes you feel jittery and jumpy. To prevent this, simply drink fewer cups every day.

7. Heartburn

Coffee is very acidic, so it can cause acid reflux and heartburn in a lot of people. The acid levels are usually because of the caffeine and other compounds in this morning beverage. If you experience heartburn after drinking coffee, only drink one three to four-ounce cups a day. This will reduce your symptoms.

8. Diarrhea

Thanks to its diuretic properties, coffee can help keep you regular. However, this is the same thing that can cause you to experience diarrhea if you drink too much coffee. For most people, this can occur after drinking more than two or three cups every day. If these issues turn into an unmanageable problem, gradually reduce your daily caffeine intake.

9. Trouble Sleeping

One of the most common signs of drinking too much caffeine is insomnia. Caffeine has an effect on everyone’s body, even if they claim it doesn’t. In fact, coffee can remain in your system for up to 14 hours after drinking it. This can increase the number of times you wake up in the night and reduce the amount of sleep you get overall. If you are experiencing insomnia, don’t drink any coffee afternoon.

About The Author

Kayla Soders is a Digital Marketing Strategist with a passion for food, fun and fitness. When she isn’t getting fit or eating, she can be found managing popular health sites (such as defendyourhealthcare.us), laughing at memes, or rolling her eyes at minor annoyances.