"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston S. Churchill

Wednesday. The number of U.S. students graduating with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting dropped by 7.4% in the 2021–22 academic year, marking the most significant one-year decline since the mid-90s. Apparently, the decline is due to stagnant pay and the fact that (check notes) accounting is brutally boring. You know what isn’t boring? Learning how to effectively deal with a dehydration headache when it hits. Let’s dive in.

Dehydration Headache Be Gone!

You might think that drinking a bunch of water is the immediate cure when a dehydration headache strikes. But before you start chugging out of your 40oz Stanley, know that the symptoms of dehydration are more complicated than they look.

Believe it or not, too much water can cause headaches, too. Imagine you’re an endurance athlete, gulping water mile after mile. You might end up with a condition called exercise-associated hyponatremia, where your blood sodium levels drop dangerously low. Not ideal.

To strike the right balance, electrolytes are key. Think drinks like Gatorade but without all the added, unnecessary sugar. Mixing sodium into your water can keep your body’s hydration in harmony, whether you’re dehydrated or overhydrated.

But let’s not oversimplify headaches; they’re tricky. First, how do you even know you’re dehydrated? Signs like dark urine, fatigue, and dry lips are your body’s SOS. But these indicators might differ for seniors, who are often dehydrated due to medications or reduced mobility, making it harder to always have a glass of water in reach.

But the list of headache triggers doesn’t end at dehydration. Stress, lack of sleep, certain medications, and low blood sugar, to name just a few, can all cause headaches. The point is we need to play detective with our symptoms first to identify a headache as a dehydration headache.

Now, let’s say you’ve gone through the process of elimination, and you are confident dehydration is the culprit. How should you tackle it? The answer is not to mindlessly start chugging water because you don’t want to dilute your blood sodium levels too much. Instead, listen to your body’s natural alert system: thirst. When you’re thirsty, your body is telling you it’s time to hydrate.

By the same logic, be generous with the salt shaker. Our sodium needs are higher than what’s usually recommended. And if you’re someone who eats a clean diet of whole foods, you’re probably not getting enough sodium. The diet culture often demonizes salt, but it’s a critical electrolyte for body function. Aim for 4-6 grams of sodium a day, a figure supported by research showing the lowest risk of heart problems.

Your sodium needs are even higher if you’re watching your carbs or are on a keto diet. That’s because carb restriction leads to a drop in insulin levels, which results in more sodium being flushed out in your urine. You may have heard of the “keto flu,” which often is nothing more than sodium deficiency.

The key takeaway? If you’re trying to dodge that dreaded dehydration headache, remember this golden rule: “Drink electrolyte water to thirst.” And remember, just because we are done with the summer months does not mean you don’t have to worry about dehydration. We are constantly losing liquids, regardless of the temperature. So hydrate responsibility and make those dehydration headaches a thing of the past.

Together with Native Path

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