Dehydration headaches a fluid situation

Anyone who takes his or her exercise seriously will have experienced throbbing-head syndrome at some point.

It is an excruciating pain that causes a person to clutch at one or both sides of the head. That it occurs after a match or workout could even deter people from exerting themselves again.

Worsening the discomfort is that dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, reduced blood pressure and nausea occur simultaneously.

In one of the sporting world’s most famous cases, Australian cricketer Dean Jones was so severely dehydrated during his innings of 210 in Chennai, India that he was not even able to keep fluids down.

There are also instances where dehydration is even more severe. People may find themselves struggling to breathe or experiencing a faster heartbeat.

The biggest indicator of a lack of fluids is the dehydration headache.

This occurs when the body suffers reduced levels of hydration, causing the cells of the brain to reduce in size.

“The shrinking of the brain via its cells creates a pulling sensation on the meninges and the nerves begin sending pain signals” explains Third Space Sports Medicine physiotherapist Michael Ngan Kee.

“Alternatively, an electrolyte imbalance can lead to vasoconstriction of the blood vessels, triggering pain signals.”

He says the headaches can vary from mild to severe based on the level of dehydration, which affects how much pulling is placed on the meninges or how much vasoconstriction there is.

Though the primary cause of these headaches is a lack of hydration through drinking fluids and eating food, the risk is heightened when the body is losing fluids at a higher rate, as in the case of physical activity leading to sweating or increased urination.

According to Michael, there is no doubt that sportspeople are more prone to these headaches.

Female athletes are at even higher risk due to the presence of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone which can affect their fluid balance.

Increasing one’s fluid intake is by far the best management practice, though Michael recommends this is done in small to moderate amounts, as opposed to a large quantity all at once.

Some therapists recommend drinking between one and three cups of water in the hours preceding the exercise session. It also goes without saying that a bottle of water should be close at hand during a workout.

A cup or two of water post-session will not go amiss either.

Michael adds that rest and pain medication can also help with symptom management.

While energy drinks can assist in restoring electrolytes, the danger is that these contain higher quantities of sugar. This may result in the opposite effect of intensifying dehydration.

A popular alternative in this regard is unsweetened coconut water.

#DehydrationHeadache #StayHydrated #HealthTips #SportsRecovery #HeadacheRelief #HydrationMatters #Wellness #Physiotherapy #UltraSportsClinic #London #Physio #SportsInjury #HydrationTips #MigrainePrevention #FitnessRecovery