After two weeks of suffering with a headache, it finally evolved into a full blown migraine. Whilst I have been prone to migraines in the past, especially in my teenage years due to a hormone imbalance and blood disorder, migraines are something I thought I had left behind me in the last decade. There were a few reasons why my headaches could have become so severe once more and I considered these very seriously. I had a new pair of glasses, and usually it takes me a few days to become accutomed to them... taking medication to deal with the pain, and resting as much as possible, I allowed my eyes to adjust. After 10 days I decided it needed to be something other then my glasses causing the headaches. Another cause for my headaches is my workaholic drive, and again I took a few days to rest in between work sessions, with little respite.
When my headaches evolve into migraines, the added complication of an upset stomach and severe nausea, leaves me unable to eat, and then I don’t even take medication. It was only when I was reading my email, and the following article in the Revival Nook News caught my eye, that I realised how little liquid and water I had been drinking. Drinking water is something I do on a regular basis and yet for some reason, I just hadn’t felt inclined to do so. Heading straight to the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of water and sipped it slowly. Within half an hour my migraine had began to ease. In the last couple of days, I have reinforced my water drinking habits and the severeness of my migraine and nausea has eased enough for me to once again start eating and return to my normal working habits. Whilst I still have a dull headache, it is lifting and given a little time, rest and relaxation, plus long hours slumbering in a salt bath, I know my body once fully hydrated will return to normal health. I found the following article interesting, and realised how important water is to the human body and emotional balance.
Hydration Therapy
by Dr. John Veltheim
During the past few months I have been treating patients on a regular basis for the first time in ten years and I have been able to observe many of the trends that have been occurring with the average patient. One thing that has become very obvious to me is the fact that a large number of patients are ill, or not responding to treatment from any practitioner, largely because of cellular dehydration.
I feel prompted to write this because of the tremendous lack of understanding there appears to be in the health professions about the nature of dehydration and its effects.
Water therapy is often talked about but little understood. We always give lip service to the importance of water intake and most people think that means fluid intake based on the supposition that all fluid contains water and therefore helps to supply the water needs of the body. The fact is that coffee, tea, herb teas, or sodas all contain caffeine or caffeine like substances. Caffeine is a dehydrating agent that increases the function of the kidneys causing dehydration. Therefore, the drinking of these beverages without supplementary pure water has the final effect of dehydrating the tissues and cells. The water must be taken into the body in its natural form. This can include spring water, and clean tap water. Distilled water is controversial because there is an argument that it is 'empty' and will tend to be corrosive to the body in its efforts to dissolve things in itself and leach the body of certain minerals.
Many people seem to think of water as merely a solvent, a packaging material, and means for transportation of other substances in the body. Most emphasis is placed on proteins, minerals and vitamins. The fact is that water is vital in energy production in the cells, metabolism, and in neurotransmission.
Hydrolysis is the splitting of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. Whenever this occurs, energy is released. The energy produced by water helps to produce ATP - a major source of energy stored in the body.
Many parts of the brain draw much of their energy from water. The brain is 85% water if fully hydrated.
Neurotransmission is heavily dependent upon water. The transmission of a nerve occurs via charged minerals called cations. Cation exchange gets its energy from water. Another benefit of water in nerve transmission is the existence of small waterways or micro-streams along the full length of nerves. These float the brain products along microtubules to the nerve ending. When the body is dehydrated, nerve transmission is compromised and brain function is strongly diminished. Chronic nerve pain is often simply the end result of chronic dehydration. I have seen pain in chronic arthritis reduced by 80% after patient rehydration.
Dehydration is the greatest producer of free radicals in the body and effective hydration removes free radicals faster than any other therapy. Taking supplements to reduce free radicals is silly when the body is dehydrated because they cannot work effectively. Further anti oxidant supplements are a waste of money in a fully hydrated body because they are unnecessary!
Lung dehydration is considered a significant factor in respiratory diseases and sometimes the most dramatic results can be obtained in asthma with rehydration.
Dehydration is a major producer of stress in the body and it alters the balance of amino acids. This will allow DNA errors during cell division that can lead to many diseases such as cancer and other cell mutation problem. Emotions are synthesized and harmonized by water. Dehydration is a major precursor to emotional and mental disorders. I have yet to test a bipolar (manic-depressive) patient who is not dehydrated. Children, in particular, are very prone to dehydration these days because they simply are not drinking plain water.
Another important consideration is that water actually holds the cells of the body together. Water keeps the cell membrane together by forming 'hydronium' ions (H3O2+) which makes the water 'sticky' and helps bond the cell. This gives the cell a lower viscosity that helps the efficiency of proteins and enzymes. In a dehydrated cell, the metabolism is greatly impaired. This involves all metabolic problems in the body. It has particular dramatic effect on sugar metabolism, the immune system and detoxification.
Hyperactive children are invariably dehydrated and tend to only want to drink water in the form of sodas, etc.
Dehydration is by far the most important factor in ageing. Just look at the skin of the older person. It is simply dehydrated!
Alcohol dehydrates the body. The morning after headache and aches and pain can be attributed to the side effects of dehydration. In fact most headaches, including migraine, respond well to rehydration.
Copyright notice
Articles from the Revival Nook Centre of Natural Health newsletter may be freely copied and distributed as long as the following conditions are adhered to and honoured:
- Full reference to this web-site ( www.revivalnook.co.za ) is included.
- All references in the material, including links to authors and web-sites, are included in the copied material.
- The copied information is not charged for in any manner.
- The material is not used as a substitute for medical advice.
- This complete copyright notice is included in all copies of the material.