Water and Headaches

When one starts to get the tightening sensation in the head, it's so, so easy to reach for a bottle of pain medication. But, many over the counter drugs have side effects that could even be worse than the headache itself! One of the major causes for headaches is dehydration.

To treat your headache naturally with water, it is a good idea to first find out what type of headache you have. First, there are chronic tension headaches that can result from stress overload, fatigue and even from physical problems, psychological and emotional issues and depression. Then, there are cluster headaches, which are categorized by coming in groups of one to four a day in a set cluster periods that could be days or months. Hormonal headaches are similar to migraines in that they affect only one side of the head, and they are also frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and/or noise. Finally, there are sinus headaches, which can be experienced after a cold or other medical condition.

Water can aid as a treatment to all of these headaches. In tension headaches, it was noted above that a cause can be fatigue. Fatigue is a side effect of dehydration. So, if dehydration is the cause of the fatigue and fatigue is the cause of the headache- start by treating the fatigue and get hydrated. Tension headaches could also be a symptom of other problems, so if they persist it is a good idea to seek help from a medical professional.

Cluster headaches are also known to be cured by drinking water. A woman by the name of Margi contributed a piece of advice at clusterheadaches.com, reporting that her husband's headaches have not come back since he started drinking a glass of water at least every hour. Additionally, the hot water from a nice, warm shower or bath can help relax those tightened muscles.

As far as preventing headaches, staying hydrated can help. In fact, a very common form of headache can come in the form of caffeine withdraw. Of course, having a coffee or soda can give the body what it wants and help ease the headache pain, but it could also begin a vicious cycle. Since caffeine dehydrates, the headache prone may be better off avoiding it and instead drink more water, juices and decaf teas, coffees and sodas.

In essence, when dealing with headaches the pain can be relieved from water on the inside and out.