headache treatment

Is Dehydration To Blame For Your Headaches?

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

dehydration headacheHeadaches comes in a variety of forms for a number of different reasons. One such common cause of chronic headaches is due to dehydration. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why dehydration can cause headaches to develop, and the best ways to prevent these types of headaches.

Your body operates optimally when it has the correct level of fluids in it. Your body does a pretty good job of getting rid of excess fluid through sweat and urination, but it can’t force you to consume more liquids. The thirst sensation is the best your body can do to help tell your brain that you’d benefit from hydrating. But why exactly is a dehydrated body more prone to headaches?

Why Dehydration Causes Headaches

If you are running low on fluids and electrolytes, it can cause a physical reaction in the brain. Being dehydrated can cause the brain to temporarily contract due to fluid loss. When this happens, the brain pulls away from the skull, which can trigger a pain sensation that manifests in the form of a headache. Once your body is rehydrated, the brain can return to its normal state, relieving tension and helping to control headache symptoms.

Symptoms a dehydration-based headache include but are not limited to:

  • Pain in the forehead region
  • A throbbing sensation
  • Lowered blood pressure
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Sensitivity to light

Your body will send some passive signals to tell you to increase your fluid intake, like by creating the thirst sensation or with dark colored urine. This is a sign that all bodily functions would operate better if you increased your fluid intake.

Preventing and Treating Dehydration Headaches

If you’re suffering from headaches, one of the simplest ways to see if they respond to conservative care is to really work to increase your fluid intake and stay hydrated. Your headaches may not stem from a major neurological issue, you could just be dehydrated. This is a good thing, because it’s easily fixable. Some ways to remain hydrated throughout the day include:

Drinking More Water – Strive to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to help stay hydrated. Better yet, invest in a large water bottle or canister that makes it clear how much water it can hold. Make it a goal to finish a certain amount of refills every day.

Eating Fiber-Rich Foods – Fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, especially things like cucumbers and watermelon, have very high water content. You can stay hydrated through your food choices so reach for fiber and limit salt intake.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol – While on the surface it may appear that these beverages are helping to increase your fluid intake, they actually promote urine output, which can put you at risk of becoming dehydrated.

Be Mindful of Fluid Output – If you’re sweating a lot during a workout or losing fluids because you are in the bathroom frequently with a stomach bug, know that you need to replenish these fluids. Monitor your fluid loss and really work to increase your intake if you’re losing more than normal.

If you can do all these things, you just may find it a little easier to get control over your chronic headaches. However, if they don’t address the discomfort, there may be more going on than meets the eye, and you may benefit from a consultation with a pain management and headache specialist like Dr. Cohn. For more information or to set up an appointment, call his office today at (952) 738-4580.

An Update On Daith Piercings

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

daith migraineI wrote my first article on Daith piercings about a year and a half ago. As many know, this has been advocated for the treatment of headaches. The questions I have been asked since that time have been numerous but the most common question is, “Will it work for me?” I obviously cannot tell if it work for anyone in particular. I have heard from many that it has helped them manage their migraine headaches. Most interesting to me was some of my regular patients have tried it successfully.

Daith Piercing Information

Daith piercings are a specific type of ear piercing. The ear cartilage midline toward the front of the ear is pierced. This type of ear piercing has been around for 3,000 years, but the name “Daith piercing” was probably started in the 1990’s. The placement of the piercing is at the entrance to the ear canal and has symbolic meaning as the “Guardian to the Gate.” This piercing can be quite painful, and since it is through bony cartilage, care must be given to keep the site clean and to prevent infection.

There are many types of headaches, and only certain types of headaches will respond to Daith piercings. Those most likely to improve are migraines that are sensitive to ear stimulation, and likely to be one sided in nature. Daily headaches may be caused be a variety of factors – most common are muscle tension and stress headaches. Muscle tension headaches are caused by neck muscles tightening up, often associated with the position one has while working on a computer. Stress type headaches are caused by psychological factors that make a person anxious.  The most common headache in my practice are those associated with neck problems; either from nerve and disc problems or from the joints in the neck causing pain. These types of headaches are best treated successfully by managing the underlying causes.

Managing Headaches

The headaches that have been managed by Daith piercings are those that are migraine headaches. If you have been diagnosed by a neurologist with definite migraine headache (not self diagnosed), Daith piercings may be a treatment option. Over the last 18 months of studying this subject, an interesting correlation occurred to me that this treatment was similar to acupuncture and vagal nerve stimulation. All these treatments seem to affect the vagal nerve via a branch near the ear, which sends signals back to the brain that may affect various neurotransmitters and hormones that lead to vascular headaches.

Unfortunately, the true scientific proof and medical evidence with regards to Daith piercings is not present. All the results when one researches the topic seem to be stories that it worked for them. There is some basis as noted above why it may work. For those who are interested, a few cautions should be remembered. First, this is specifically going to work best for migraine headaches. If you have frequent and sometimes severe headaches, and they are not easily managed, first see a medical doctor and possibly a neurologist and get a good diagnosis made, and try conventional treatment. The cause should be treated first and may be straight forward to manage. If the headaches are migraines, and they are not responding to management, Daith piercing may be reasonable. Physicians normally do not perform this procedure, so do not ask them to do it. Only get this done by someone who does body piercings and is familiar with this particular one. It is extremely important that meticulous care is performed before and afterwards to keep the area clean and free from infection. Since this is through ear cartilage, near the brain, an infection in the area can be very dangerous and should be treated aggressively by a doctor.

If you want to run a test before piercing, first try massaging the area of the ear when you have a headache and see if that makes a difference. Another possibility is to try acupuncture to see if that works. Most acupuncturists will report what they do is different than the piercing and this is not going to be equal to the piercing, but it may be safer and easier for a test. If you go ahead with a piercing, make sure you try to prevent an infection in the area of the piercing.