Dehydration HeadachesOne of the factors in Chronic Headaches and Migraine Headaches is proper hydration. How do you know if you are properly hydrated? What are some of the signs of being dehydrated? How can drinking enough water help decrease the incidence of Headaches and Migraines? Signs of Dehydration: *Dry Mouth *Thirst *Muscle Cramps *Dark Yellow Urine *Dry Skin *Foggy thinking The Hypothalamus in the brain controls the hydration levels in your body. When it senses that you are dehydrated, it sends a message to the body to make sure that the essential organs stay hydrated first. Connective tissue, fascia, and muscles are last on the list of priorities. These will be the first to dehydrate. This means an increase in overall tension in the body because the tissues are drying up and shrinking. Headaches can be a result of this dehydration because the increase in overall tension in the body and the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord constrict and put pressure on your nervous system. What can YOU do? *Drink 2-3 liters of water per day OR 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water per day. *Don't wait until the end of the day to get your water in. Start your day with a big 16oz glass of water first thing in the morning. *Space your water intake through out the day. Try for 16oz of water every 2 hours.  One of the many benefits of staying well hydrated is that you will be flushing toxins out of your body like excess lactic acid and uric acid that can build up in the muscle fibers and contribute to muscle stiffness and lack of mobility. Being well hydrated can increase the mobility in your muscles and help them relax. Happy Hydrating!
Return to Herndon Headache Page |
