{"id":62336,"date":"2024-01-02T09:30:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T14:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=62336"},"modified":"2026-05-28T12:18:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:18:47","slug":"dehydration-headache","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/dehydration-headache\/","title":{"rendered":"How to recognize and treat a dehydration headache"},"content":{"rendered":"

From stress and caffeine withdrawal to genetic predisposition, there are loads of reasons why you might get a headache on a regular basis. But one often overlooked, but common cause is dehydration, even mild dehydration can cause headache pain. Here, learn how to determine if dehydration is contributing to your pain, plus steps you can take to manage symptoms and prevent them from recurring in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a dehydration headache?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are many levels of <\/span>dehydration<\/span>, which is defined simply as your body not having as much water or fluid as it needs. These levels range from mild dehydration, which can cause feelings of thirst from not drinking enough fluids or sweating a lot, to severe dehydration, which can cause dizziness or a rapid heartbeat and even be life-threatening.<\/span><\/p>\n

Headaches<\/span><\/a> typically occur in the mild to moderate stages of dehydration. \u201cDehydration can cause headaches through various mechanisms,\u201d explains <\/span>Adam Siwek, DO<\/span>, an interventional pain specialist at The Pain Center of Arizona in Phoenix. \u201cWhen the body lacks an adequate amount of water, the blood volume decreases, leading to reduced blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This, in turn, can trigger a headache.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to reducing blood flow, dehydration can also cause narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain, adds Dr. Siwek<\/a>, which further contributes to headache pain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does a dehydration headache feel like?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cDehydration headache most often has the appearance of a tension-type headache,\u201d says <\/span>Eric Baron, DO<\/span><\/a>, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration \u2013 Headache and Chronic Pain Medicine, in Cleveland. \u201cThis type of headache is usually described as an aching dull pressure throughout the head, or like a headband sensation around the head. For others, dehydration is a very common trigger for <\/span>migraine headaches<\/span><\/a>, which are one-sided, severe, throbbing headaches with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, according to a review in <\/span>Current Pain and Headache Reports<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>dehydration headaches are what\u2019s known as secondary headaches. That means they are not characterized as a \u201cheadache syndrome,\u201d like migraines or tension headaches, but that dehydration can contribute to or worsen symptoms in people with other types of headaches. For this reason, and because there are different levels of dehydration, there is not much data on the frequency of dehydration headaches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One thing that is clear: Dehydration makes headaches worse. In a study of more than 250 women with migraine, published in the <\/span>Journal of Clinical Neuroscience<\/span><\/i><\/a>, those who drank more water and had a higher total fluid intake had reduced severity, duration, and frequency of migraine attacks compared to those who drank less.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the headache, someone with a headache from dehydration would likely experience other symptoms of dehydration or signs that your body is lacking in or conserving water, says Dr. Siwek. These might include:<\/span><\/p>\n