Recognising dehydration headaches

A headache is something most of us will endure at varying moments in our lives. In fact, nine out of ten adults will record suffering from headaches at some point, each experiencing their own range of causes, symptoms and remedies available to help mitigate their discomfort.

Dehydration headaches are often mistaken for other types of common headaches, such as tension headaches or migraines, but they can prove a frequent and distressing problem for many adults and children who regularly fail to drink enough water. In this article, the zazen Water Team explore whether dehydration does cause headaches, as well as strategies for treatment.

What is a dehydration headache?

Throughout the day, our bodies lose a significant portion of water in the normal functions of our organs and systems, via urination, sweat, blood flow and even through moisture in our breath. For this reason, it is recommended we each drink enough fluid every single day to replace the amounts that were lost.  This is especially important if we have put our bodies through strenuous exercise, the weather is excessively hot and humid, or if we are unwell and losing greater amounts of water than normal through vomiting and diarrhea.

What’s more, our brains consist of approximately 77-78% water that requires constant replenishment. Should we fail to appropriately replace the water our bodies have lost (and now craves), mechanisms within our body will restrict the supply of fluid and prioritise its use for crucial functions which can have the consequence of, impacting our cognitive performance.

Dehydration alone has been proven to not only cause headaches, but even exacerbate other disorders you may be experiencing. In fact, headaches are one of the earliest symptoms of dehydration setting in.  Other symptoms of dehydration include:

• Extreme thirst
• Less frequent urination
• Dark-colored urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion

Dehydration and Allergies

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj (Author of 'Your Body's Many Cries for Water'), dehydration is the main reason for histamine release. Histamine is a neurotransmitter - If you experience chronic dehydration from drinking insufficient water, or from drinking hydration-depleting drinks (coffee, alcohol or sugary drinks) — your body tries to prevent water loss by producing histamines. The more dehydrated we are, the more histamine our body produces. Higher levels of histamine drives allergies and allergy symptoms like hayfever, asthma.  When you get dehydrated, you run the risk of making your allergy symptoms worse.

What does a dehydration headache feel like?

Depending on your level of dehydration, headaches and the associated pain will vary in intensity from mild and short-lasting, to severe and spanning several hours (or longer without intervention). Most describe the pain to be similar to a dull throbbing sensation, with the occasional sharp pain when they move their head. With that said, every individual is different and may experience a more constant, pounding sensation.

Dehydration headache area

You may notice a dehydration headache formulating all around your head – localising in the front, back, down one side, or simultaneously all over, making it very debilitating. You may also notice that as you bend down or move side-to-side the pressure inside begins to worsen.

How common are dehydration headaches?

Firm statistics surrounding dehydration headaches and the number of people suffering from them each year aren’t readily available. With that said, a recent report stated that 82% of Australians fail to meet the adequate intake of water and are chronically dehydrated, and so it is believed dehydration headaches are quite common, especially during the summer months when people are more likely to perspire and become dehydrated. For this reason, it is important to also carefully monitor the early signs of dehydration in children and in babies, newborns and infants.  Which can include the following:

• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• No wet diapers for three hours
• Sunken eyes, cheeks
• Sunken soft spot-on top of skull
• Listlessness or irritability

Symptoms of dehydration headaches

Dehydration headaches will likely feel similar to other headaches. The most common symptom of a dehydration headache is a throbbing or pounding sensation in the head. Other symptoms may include:

• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Nausea
• Muscle weakness
• Light-headedness

A study published in the medical journal known as Headache found that respondents noted pain when they walked around, bent down, or even simply moved their heads, experiencing a greater build-up of pressure.

There are a few signs that can help you determine if your headaches are due to dehydration:

• Thirst: One of the earliest signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty. If you’re experiencing a headache and also feel a strong desire to drink fluids, dehydration is likely the cause.
• Dark-coloured urine: Another sign of dehydration is dark-coloured urine. This occurs when your body is not able to produce enough urine, or when the urine produced is very concentrated.
• Dry mouth: A dry mouth can also be a sign of dehydration. If you’re experiencing a headache and have a dry mouth, it’s likely that you need to drink more fluids.
• Fatigue: Fatigue is another of the common symptoms of dehydration. If you’re feeling tired in addition to having a headache, it may be due to dehydration.
• Dizziness: If you’re feeling lightheaded or unsteady on your feet, it’s likely that you’re not properly hydrated.

Dehydration headaches are usually mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids. However, severe dehydration can cause more serious problems, so it's important to stay hydrated and seek medical help if you're experiencing more intense symptoms.

What causes dehydration headaches?

As mentioned above, dehydration and headaches are caused by a lack of fluids in the body. This is essentially caused by more water leaving the body than there is coming in, either from:

• Not drinking enough water: This is the most common cause of dehydration. If you are not drinking enough fluids, your body will not have enough to function properly.
• Excessive sweating: If you are sweating a lot, your body can lose a significant amount of fluids in a short period of time. This is especially common when you are in hot and humid environments, or you are performing some high intensity exercise (or both).
• Diarrhea or vomiting: Should you be suffering from an illness that prompts diarrhea or vomiting, your body can lose significant volumes of fluids very quickly.
• Fever: A fever can also cause your body to lose fluids through sweating as your internal systems ramp up into overdrive to combat foreign infections.

There are other contributing factors to bring on the symptoms of a dehydration headache. For example, as a result of an acute migraine attack, dehydration can quickly emerge, and in turn, cause symptoms such as nausea and headaches.

Are dehydration headaches dangerous?

Generally, dehydration headaches in isolation are not considered dangerous. Should your dehydration persist, however, and escalate into a more severe form of inadequate fluid replacement, then a range of adverse conditions and abnormalities between your electrolytes and fluids can arise.  At the extreme, these include hypokalaemia, uraemia, and metabolic acidosis or alkalosis.

How to reduce and prevent dehydration headaches?

Drink Clean Water

It's important to drink plenty of fluids if you're experiencing the symptoms of dehydration headaches. You want to ensure the water you consume contains the necessary minerals and essential electrolytes required for optimal cellular hydration.

With the zazen Alkaline Water System, you will benefit from a 10-stage filtration and remineralisation process designed to improve the quality of the water you drink. Removing potential contaminants and toxins like arsenic, heavy metals and chlorine, as well as the reintroduction of the essential alkaline minerals and electrolytes, allows you to enjoy structured water the way Mother Nature intended.

Consume Drinks with Electrolytes

Electrolytes are crucial to help power the electrical neutrality in cells, circulating them through nerves and muscles. As dehydration is a common cause of headaches, it’s also important to replace any lost electrolytes. This can be done by drinking fluids that contain electrolyte minerals, such as alkaline mineral water, sports drinks or coconut water.

Pain Relieving Medication

If you're suffering from a headache, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin can help. Just be sure to stay hydrated while taking them and review the ingredients, as many over-the-counter medications contain caffeine, which can worsen symptoms of dehydration symptoms.

Cold Compresses

Applying a cold compress or gel ice pack to your forehead can also help relieve headache pain. Wrap it in a damp towel so you don't get too much direct skin contact with the cold surface and then take some time to rest.

Treating severe dehydration

Dehydration can be viewed on a varying scale of intensity, with the symptoms ranging from inconvenient to debilitating. Should you be unable to rehydrate, such as when you are suffering from an illness and experiencing ongoing diarrhea and vomiting, you may not have the ability to solve the issue at home and lapse into more severe dehydration.

If this is the case, medical care will be needed, primarily to rapidly replace fluids and salt levels possibly through an intravenous line.