Drinking water regularly can reduce the severity of headaches and migraines, a new study has claimed.
Scientists from the University of Maastricht, Netherlands, observed that drinking around seven glasses of water a day was enough to ease pain and improve the quality of life in patients who regularly suffer headaches.
Lead researcher Dr Mark Spigt and his team recruited more than 100 patients who frequently suffered from severe or mild headaches, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.
The team instructed them on how to ease their discomfort, including reducing stress, improving sleep and avoiding caffeine.
Half the patients were also told to drink 1.5 litres of water a day for three months, on top of their normal liquid intake.
At the end of the study, patients filled out a questionnaire called the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life index to say how they felt.
The results, published in journal Family Practice, showed those drinking extra water showed significant relief from headache.
“We suspect that some headache patients may benefit from drinking more water and it seems reasonable to recommend they try drinking more for a short period of time to see if they experience an improvement,” the researchers said.
Dr Fayyaz Ahmed, of the Migraine Trust, said the benefits of drinking water could be due to the placebo effect.
“However, regular intake of water and adequately hydrating is healthy, and a lot of people feel better.” he added.