How to hydrate more to get less headaches

Kaufman Chiropractic in Loveland, Ohio

If you suffer from headaches, you've probably been given lots of advice, and one of those pieces of advice has probably been pretty consistent, which is you need to hydrate more. So, what does that mean, to hydrate? When should you hydrate? How much should you drink, and what should you be drinking in order to do that? That's what we're going to tackle today.

You might have heard some figures like you should be drinking eight ounces of water eight times a day, or eight glasses of water with 10 ounces in each, but the reality is the only true sign of hydration versus dehydration is your thirst level. So, if you're thirsty, that means you're dehydrated. Ideally, we're drinking enough throughout the day in order to prevent the feeling of thirst throughout the entire day. Next, what counts is hydration? Caffeine and alcohol are both considered diuretics. Diuretics are things that make you pee. So, the more that you're taking fluid from your body and urinating it out, that means you have less body fluid left, so you're therefore dehydrating yourself with those.

Most other fluids count towards your hydration for the day. Water is obviously the best choice. Only if you're exercising for two or three hours with some vigorous intensity, that's when you need a sports drink, an electrolyte replacement drink in order to replace some of the electrolytes that you've sweat out of your body. Otherwise, water throughout your day is by far the best choice.

Lastly, when should we be drinking water in order to prevent headaches? The prevention part is the key there. First thing in the morning is the ideal time to start drinking water. So, if you can drink a small glass of water, first thing that gets you started for the day. And again, we want to prevent thirst. We want to prevent that feeling of thirst because that means by the time you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. If we're starting first thing in the morning, we can prevent dehydration throughout the day.

If you would like to learn some more proven ways to prevent headaches, download our free guide 4 Steps to Headache Relief.

4 Steps to Headache Relief