• Question: What gives people headaches? (I heard something about our brains pulling away from our skull when we are dehydrated?)

    Asked by lisaloo to Claire, Kate, Matt, Rob, Sam on 24 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      That’s one reason. Stress (from working too hard or being worried about things) can also cause headaches. There are two ideas for why this happens – one is that teeth-clenching from being stressed can pull muscles in the head. Another is that it’s a psychological effect of stress, that the brain misinterprets being worried as being hurt. Headaches can also be caused by other parts of the head being hurt, or medical problems with the head. If you have serious problems with headaches or they don’t go away, see your doctor!

    • Photo: Claire Lee

      Claire Lee answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      There are different types of headaches!

      I got migraines when I was pregnant, due to the extra blood I had going through my brain! (blood volume increases with pregnancy to get more oxygen around to the baby and mother).

      Stress and/or tension in the back or neck can also cause headaches.

      But yes, also the dehydration thing. In fact, if I first feel a headache coming on, the first thing I do is drink a glass of water (or energade) and often this makes it go away. What I think happens here is that you are dehydrated, so the membrane that surrounds your brain shrinks a bit and squeezes your brain.

      It’s also why alcohol gives people hangovers – alcohol dehydrates you, causing the headache. I think it’s also worse for people who drink sugary drinks, because the excess sugar makes you dehydrate faster.

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