How Much Liquid Do I Need?
Unless you have heart disease, kidney disease, or other serious illnesses, you should consume an amount of liquid each day (measured in ounces) equal to one half of your weight (in pounds). For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you need to consume 60 ounces of liquid daily. Drink more if the weather is hot or if you are physically active.
Medications May Cause Dehydration
You may need more liquids if you take medications that dry out your body’s tissues, such as:
- Antihistamine allergy and cold medications
- Some medications used to treat high blood pressure and relieve swelling
- Anxiety medications
If you believe a medication may be causing you to become dehydrated, or if you are experiencing and increase in migraines since using a particular drug, discuss your concerns with your doctor or pharmacist.
Correcting Dehydration
Usually the simplest way to prevent and relieve dehydration and resulting migraines is to simply consume enough water. If you have an underlying medical condition contributing to dehydration and migraines, proper diagnosis and treatment is needed.
In the event that you are severely dehydrated and ill, you may need intravenous fluids if you are unable to take fluids orally.
Stay Hydrated to Prevent Migraines
Researchers conducted studies to determine whether or not increasing water intake has any impact on migraines.
In one study, researchers concluded that drinking 1.5 liters of water daily resulted in fewer hours of headaches and decreased headache intensity when they evaluated migraine sufferers over a two-week period.
In the second study, the researchers determined that participants who consumed at least 2.5 liters of water daily reported fewer headaches than those who drank less water.
Almost twice as many of the participants who consumed the larger amount of water reported improvement when compared with the group who consumed less water. Forty-seven percent of the participants in the increased water drinking group reported improvement.
However, the researchers did not find the number of days headaches were experienced decreased. They concluded that encouraging headache sufferers to consume water is a safe, effective, and low-cost option for headache prevention.
Migraine Dehydration: The Bottom Line
Dehydration may cause an increase in headaches for some migraine sufferers, so it is important to stay hydrated. Drinking adequate amounts of fluids may help to prevent and relieve suffering due to migraines.
