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Can Dehydration Cause Migraines?
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Updated: February 23, 2023 October 18, 2022
When you have a migraine, the only thing you want to do is get rid of it. But sometimes, that’s easier said than done — especially if you don’t know what caused the pain in the first place.
The good news is that there might be a simple way to help avoid migraines, and it comes down to turning on the faucet. That’s right: Drinking water can sometimes help stop a migraine attack.
To better understand this connection, let’s take a look at how hydration impacts overall health, dehydration’s effects on your body and why water may be the best medicine.
If you’ve never had a migraine, it might be tempting to think of this condition as just a really bad headache. This misconception is further supported by the term “migraine headache,” which makes it sound like the ailments are one and the same.
However, there’s a big difference between a migraine and a headache — and it’s important to understand this difference before you can appreciate the impact of dehydration on head pain.
Here’s a breakdown of each condition:
Headache
Almost everyone has experienced a headache. That’s because headaches have a wide range of causes, from hunger and stress to sinus congestion and physical exertion. A headache can be acute or chronic and is characterized by pain in different parts of the head. However, head pain is usually the only significant symptom — which is what makes migraines different.
Migraine
Hheadache is just one one migraine symptom. This neurological disease can actually have four phases, and different people experience different symptoms in each phase:
A migraine is one of the 10 most disabling medical illnesses, according to the American Migraine Foundation, affecting more than 37 million Americans and roughly 3 million Canadians. However, many people experience this condition without ever getting a migraine diagnosis, perhaps because they mistake the attack for a severe headache.
Many things can act as migraine triggers, from emotional stress and hormonal changes to flashing lights and chemical preservatives in food. However, about one-third of migraine sufferers say dehydration is also one of their triggers.
Why is this? How can something as simple as insufficient water intake lead to debilitating head pain and other migraine symptoms?
The truth is that scientists and researchers still haven’t uncovered the exact connection. Sure, we know that dehydration can produce all kinds of negative effects, from confusion and dizziness to potential urinary and kidney problems – or, in cases of severe dehydration, even seizures. However, that doesn’t necessarily explain why you might get a dehydration headache or migraine, because the brain itself doesn’t have pain receptors.
One current theory is that dehydration headaches and migraines occur when fluid flows out of the brain. This could stimulate pain receptors in the brain’s lining, called meninges, causing a migraine. Another possibility is that patients may have underlying conditions that depend on proper fluid balance, and dehydration worsens these conditionsand causes symptoms like headaches or a migraine.
It’s also important to understand that dehydration may not always be one of your primary migraine triggers. You may already be experiencing a migraine and become dehydrated because your nausea leads to decreased fluid intake. Unfortunately, this dehydration can make you more sensitive to pain, which means existing migraine symptoms can be exacerbated.
Regardless of why dehydration causes a migraine, it’s clear that there’s a significant connection between the two. That means you may be able to reduce the severity of a migraine attack or possibly even avoid it just by drinking enough water.
Brush up on these simple tips for avoiding dehydration and the headache or migraine that could follow:
Keep in mind that dehydration may not be the main or only trigger of your migraines, and if attacks persist, you may need to talk to your doctor about additional ways to mitigate attacks.
You’ve learned that dehydration can create all kinds of havoc in your body — like causing a dehydration headache or prompting a full-blown migraine attack. That’s why it’s important to make sure your water intake is always at a healthy level, even if you’re not a migraine sufferer.
Are you ready to say goodbye to dehydration? The first step is to improve your home’s water quality. Get started today by scheduling your free water test and consultation.
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