# Headaches and saliva viscosity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122 "2002-03-13T21:18:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122/1 "2002-03-13T21:18:59Z")

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Question that has been bothering me for the last few months: When I get a headache, why does my spit get thicker and more stringy? I have never noticed the condition when I have not had a headache. What is the cause of this?

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**Author:** ![Dilbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58f4c7/32.png) [@Dilbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dilbert)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122/2 "2002-03-13T21:40:44Z")

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I’m guessing you’re getting your headache because you’re dehydrated.

Either that, your you’re more senstive to things when you have a headache, but I’m betting on the first one.

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**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122/3 "2002-03-13T22:33:10Z")

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Ditto. Killer headaches are a genuine symptom of dehydration.

(OTOH, I’ve never noticed my saliva getting viscous. Sometimes my lips get gooey. I’ll keep my eyes open for a correlation to headaches.)

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**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headaches-and-saliva-viscosity/98122/4 "2002-03-13T22:52:40Z")

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That could be it. To be honest though I have never noticed dehydration as a cause.

Thanks for the replies.