The symptoms of migraine are well-known to those who have it, but the most common is a disabling headache that is not relieved by typical headache remedies. Prescription medications help many as well as understanding specific triggers for migraine, but there is some evidence that relief might be as simple as drinking enough water.
The Ordinary Headache Often Occurs with Dehydration
The causes of headaches are complex. Some people rarely have any kind of headache while others have them frequently. The can be symptoms of disease or reactions to stress or due to food allergies. Headaches are frequently associated with fatigue — especially late in the work day. This is a time when many people have reached a state of low hydration, or low water levels in the blood.
Curiously, as important as water is to proper functioning of the body, people tend not to drink water until they are thirsty, and thirst is a warning that the body is already low on water. Mild thirst is often ignored and can lead to headaches.
The headache that comes with a hangover is thought to be due to the dehydrating effects of alcohol. The water a sufferer drinks to swallow aspirin or Tylenol may be more important in relieving the headache than the medication!
To draw a connection between migraine and dehydration is premature. A recent study by reported by Mukamai, Wellenius, Suh, and Mittleman has been cited as evidence that dehydration may cause migraine, but the study does not draw that conclusion, although it did indicate that dehydration contributes to more typical headaches as well as migraine. Migraine sufferers were no more affected by dehydration than people without migraine.
Although the connection between water intake and migraine is unclear, migraine sufferers can add an extra glass or two to their daily intake to see if it helps.
Headaches and Summertime
For people inclined to have typical headaches, summer can be a painful season. Keeping the body properly hydrated is more difficult in hot weather. Drinking water simply to avoid dehydration is often not something people do unless they are involved in vigorous activity.
Not everyone needs the oft-cited eight glasses daily — water intake depends on largely on activity. Indeed, people involved in outdoor work or sports in the summer might need several quarts of water to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
For those involved in more sedentary activities, it is easy to ignore thirst and invite an afternoon headache. This is one reason why children commonly develop headaches at school. They have little time during the day to get water, and as the day wears on concentration can become impaired and a headache can develop. Allowing students to have water bottles in class is a good practice.
Beware the Rebound Headache
There are cases in which people who frequently use over-the-counter headache remedies experience headaches with increasing regularity. The headaches increase as the use of medication increases. This could be a condition known as rebound headache.
The body gets accustomed to the presence of the medication and reacts with a withdrawal headache when the sufferer suddenly stops. Rebound headaches are more likely to occur when people use medication habitually. It is hard to understand that the medication may be the cause. A doctor can help a sufferer get over this condition.
Dehydration appears to be a contributing agent to ordinary headaches. It is easy to find out by simply drinking more water. The connection between migraine syndrome and headache is less clear. Dehydration headaches are more common in the summer or late in the day when the body might be slightly dehydrated. Only one or two percent dehydration can lead to headache.
Sources:
“Weather and air pollution as triggers of severe headaches,” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. “Accessed: August 20, 2016”
"Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice."
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