How many headaches are caused by dehydration

These respondents described the headache as an aching that got worse when they moved their heads, bent down, or walked around. Most of these survey respondents felt complete relief 30 minutes to 3 hours after drinking water. Another small study of people with chronic migraines, also published in Headache , found that 34 out of 95 people considered dehydration a migraine trigger. The symptoms of migraine vary widely, but may include:.

Sometimes you may just forget to drink enough water. Most of the time, though, dehydration happens when you exercise vigorously and fail to replenish the water lost through sweat. Dehydration is also a common side effect of many prescription and over-the-counter OTC medications. The human body relies on water to perform its most critical functions, so having too little of it can be very dangerous. Severe dehydration is more common in:. First, get a drink of water as soon as possible.

Most dehydration headaches resolve within three hours of drinking. You could even suck on a few ice cubes. While plain water should do the trick, drinks like Pedialyte and Powerade give an extra boost with electrolytes. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

List of Partners vendors. Dehydration can sneak up on you quite quickly. In fact, by the time you're thirsty, you may already be dehydrated, which can lead to a host of ailments, including headaches. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water through processes like sweat or urine than it takes in. Technically speaking, dehydration occurs from water loss alone whereas hypovolemia occurs with any loss in blood volume in the body, either through water loss alone or through salt and water loss for example, vomiting or diarrhea.

Regardless, dehydration or hypovolemia is more likely to occur in warmer climates, at higher altitudes, with increased physical activity, and when someone has a fever. While dehydration can be mild, it can also be severe, leading to serious effects like unconsciousness and death in extreme cases. Some migraines are preceded by a neurological disturbance, called an aura. Ensuring that your body gets enough fluids is the best way to avoid a dehydration headache.

Some useful tips include:. Lastly, it's important to note that increasing your overall water intake throughout the day has not been found to reduce the total number of headaches a person experiences in general. Even so, drinking water regularly may help you feel better and stave off head pain when it comes to your headache and migraine health. It's worth a try, especially since it costs nothing and is non-invasive and simple. To treat headaches triggered by dehydration, the body needs to become hydrated again.

Drinking water should make you feel better within a half hour or so. Seek medical attention right away if you experience extreme thirst, feeling unusually tired lethargic or confused, have a not passed urine for eight hours, have a rapid heartbeat, or experience dizziness when you stand up that doesn't go away after a few seconds. The key to avoiding a dehydration headache is by staying hydrated. Most people need 4 to 6 cups of water per day, though some may need to drink more or less.

During exercise or exposure to hot weather, you will need to drink more fluids to replace the water lost through sweat. You can also help maintain an adequate fluid intake by eating foods that are naturally high in water content, such as vegetables and fruits.

Coffee and alcohol are bad choices since both act as diuretics. These types of beverages promote urination and fluid loss, and can cause or exacerbate dehydration and headaches.

If someone is chronically dehydrated, they may not always feel thirsty before becoming dehydrated. That's why it's important to listen to the body in other ways and look for dry skin, dark urine, dry eyes, and other signs. If you experience a dehydration headache, increase your fluid intake, replace lost electrolytes with a sports drink, decrease your physical activity and avoid heat to reduce sweating.

There are many different kinds of headaches. At least 9 out of 10 adults will experience one at some point in their life. Some headaches can be easy to treat and avoid.

One of those types is a dehydration headache. This article explores what a dehydration headache is, the signs that indicate a person may have one, and how they might treat or prevent it. A dehydration headache can happen when the body does not get enough fluid. Dehydration headaches can be relatively mild or as severe as a migraine headache.

The body requires a balance of fluid and electrolytes to function properly. Electrolytes are minerals such as potassium or sodium that help regulate different bodily functions. Every day, the body loses water through activities such as sweating and urinating. When this happens, the body also loses electrolytes. Most of the time, the amount of fluid lost is easily balanced through drinking or eating fluid-rich foods.

However, sometimes the body loses water faster than a person can restore the balance. During these times, the body can become dehydrated. This can lead to complications, including dehydration headaches. When the body is dehydrated, the brain can temporarily contract from fluid loss.

This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a dehydration headache. A dehydration headache can feel like a dull headache or an intense migraine headache.