5 ms·

aside from hangovers, I don't remember the last time I've gotten a headache since starting to drink more water. this year i pretty much stopped drinking and tha

aside from hangovers, I don't remember the last time I've gotten a headache since starting to drink more water. this year i pretty much stopped drinking and that rules out hangovers now too. I think a lot of people could benefit immensely from drinking a lot more water. for reference I drink 2-3L a day minimum and don't consume caffeine, but have excellent sleep and energy throughout the entire day

nightski 5y ago
Of course it's not a cure all as there are other causes, but adequate hydration and electrolyte balance can help a lot! My experience is the same, if I have a headache it is almost always dehydration or lack of electrolytes.
- eru 5y ago
  Lack of sleep can also be pretty brutal.
Darmody 5y ago
I remember I used to have headaches on holidays. It was frustrating. I was ok at work but not when I had free time. Then I realized I drank a lot of water at work but not enough at home. The relief was pretty quick after drinking. Now I always have a 2l refillable bottle by my desk. Also leaving caffeine made me more energetic through the day. I don't need that sip of coffee to be able to function and if I'm tired for whatever reason, if I drink a coffe now I really feel the effects and keeps me awake and alert.
- eru 5y ago
  Caffeine is a drug that builds a tolerance very quickly. So if you only have it every once in a while, you are going to get more out of any single dose.
- silicon2401 5y ago
  It's nice to see others who feel the same. I use a 1L bottle but same deal; whenever I feel a bit off, chugging some water is usually enough to feel normal again. And if I'm consistent with my water, I usually don't feel off to begin with. Same about caffeine! I think a lot of people are addicted to caffeine and think withdrawal is what normal energy level is like, and caffeine boosts you. For me it's been the complete opposite. Now that I don't drink coffee I always feel energy, without the psychological effect of thinking that I'm tired if I'm not drinking coffee.
  - Darmody 5y ago
    Yeah, I think the psychological effect it produces is so strong it influences us without even knowing it's psychological. We've all heard people say "don't even talk to me until I have my coffee". It's not that you need that coffee 2 minutes after you wake up but you think you need it or you can't do anything without being an ass.
maskedinvader 5y ago
Id caution against the myth of water drinking for all cures As long as you listen to your body and hydrate when thirsty, a lot of our water requirements are satisfied with our food intake and our body is quite good at regulating water and electrolyte levels. See https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myth https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myt...
- tiahura 5y ago
  See e.g. dolphins, whales and other marine mammals that thrive without a single glass of fresh water.
  - CryptoBanker 5y ago
    Marine mammals obtain fresh water through their diet. Suggesting they survive without any fresh water is just plain wrong
    - eru 5y ago
      Humans also obtain (some) fresh water through their diet and metabolism. To explain the latter: when you combine a carbohydrate with oxygen, you mostly get CO2 and H2O. (No opinion implied on whether humans should drink more water.)
    - tiahura 5y ago
      I was suggesting that diet can be sufficient. That said, I can’t fathom how many shrimp you have to eat to quench your thirst.
- FrenchDevRemote 5y ago
  nobody is saying it's a cure for everything but a lot of people are basically constantly semi-dehydrated
  - slfnflctd 5y ago
    Even slightly processed food has way more salt than we need, while caffeine & alcohol (the two most widely used drugs) have diuretic effects. Unless you prepare your food from scratch and keep the drugs to a minimum, you need additional water intake to counteract those things. I have often woken up in the middle of the night dehydrated and felt horrible-- half a bottle/glass of water later and I'm usually able to sleep through at least one more full REM cycle.
01100011 5y ago
I can't say it's a cure all, but for me, hydration was key to avoiding migraines in my 20s-30s. Not just "drink until satisfied", but 1L by noon or a headache by 3-4pm. Losing weight helped reduce this, but still, hydration is a factor in 90% of my headaches.
thadk 5y ago
Try to hydrate with electrolytes to taste. Magnesium salts, potassium salts and NaCl need a balance with water intake. Some diets need less, others more. Some sources of sea salt have a good balance and you don't need artificial supplements at all. Also a tiny bit of sugar opens up your stomach to hydration (see ORS). For me, a bit of sea salt electrolyte supplementation allows me to reduce the severity of my dust allergies as my body can clear from exposures better.

nightski 5y ago

Of course it's not a cure all as there are other causes, but adequate hydration and electrolyte balance can help a lot! My experience is the same, if I have a headache it is almost always dehydration or lack of electrolytes.

eru 5y ago
Lack of sleep can also be pretty brutal.

Darmody 5y ago

I remember I used to have headaches on holidays. It was frustrating. I was ok at work but not when I had free time. Then I realized I drank a lot of water at work but not enough at home. The relief was pretty quick after drinking. Now I always have a 2l refillable bottle by my desk. Also leaving caffeine made me more energetic through the day. I don't need that sip of coffee to be able to function and if I'm tired for whatever reason, if I drink a coffe now I really feel the effects and keeps me awake and alert.

eru 5y ago
Caffeine is a drug that builds a tolerance very quickly. So if you only have it every once in a while, you are going to get more out of any single dose.
silicon2401 5y ago
It's nice to see others who feel the same. I use a 1L bottle but same deal; whenever I feel a bit off, chugging some water is usually enough to feel normal again. And if I'm consistent with my water, I usually don't feel off to begin with. Same about caffeine! I think a lot of people are addicted to caffeine and think withdrawal is what normal energy level is like, and caffeine boosts you. For me it's been the complete opposite. Now that I don't drink coffee I always feel energy, without the psychological effect of thinking that I'm tired if I'm not drinking coffee.
- Darmody 5y ago
  Yeah, I think the psychological effect it produces is so strong it influences us without even knowing it's psychological. We've all heard people say "don't even talk to me until I have my coffee". It's not that you need that coffee 2 minutes after you wake up but you think you need it or you can't do anything without being an ass.

maskedinvader 5y ago

Id caution against the myth of water drinking for all cures As long as you listen to your body and hydrate when thirsty, a lot of our water requirements are satisfied with our food intake and our body is quite good at regulating water and electrolyte levels. See https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myth https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myt...

tiahura 5y ago
See e.g. dolphins, whales and other marine mammals that thrive without a single glass of fresh water.
- CryptoBanker 5y ago
  Marine mammals obtain fresh water through their diet. Suggesting they survive without any fresh water is just plain wrong
  - eru 5y ago
    Humans also obtain (some) fresh water through their diet and metabolism. To explain the latter: when you combine a carbohydrate with oxygen, you mostly get CO2 and H2O. (No opinion implied on whether humans should drink more water.)
  - tiahura 5y ago
    I was suggesting that diet can be sufficient. That said, I can’t fathom how many shrimp you have to eat to quench your thirst.
FrenchDevRemote 5y ago
nobody is saying it's a cure for everything but a lot of people are basically constantly semi-dehydrated
- slfnflctd 5y ago
  Even slightly processed food has way more salt than we need, while caffeine & alcohol (the two most widely used drugs) have diuretic effects. Unless you prepare your food from scratch and keep the drugs to a minimum, you need additional water intake to counteract those things. I have often woken up in the middle of the night dehydrated and felt horrible-- half a bottle/glass of water later and I'm usually able to sleep through at least one more full REM cycle.

01100011 5y ago

I can't say it's a cure all, but for me, hydration was key to avoiding migraines in my 20s-30s. Not just "drink until satisfied", but 1L by noon or a headache by 3-4pm. Losing weight helped reduce this, but still, hydration is a factor in 90% of my headaches.

thadk 5y ago

Try to hydrate with electrolytes to taste. Magnesium salts, potassium salts and NaCl need a balance with water intake. Some diets need less, others more. Some sources of sea salt have a good balance and you don't need artificial supplements at all. Also a tiny bit of sugar opens up your stomach to hydration (see ORS). For me, a bit of sea salt electrolyte supplementation allows me to reduce the severity of my dust allergies as my body can clear from exposures better.