The Tradesman Who Treated His Afternoon Headaches With Paracetamol for Years

Dan is a plasterer. Dusty environments, early starts, physical work. Afternoon headaches were an occupational hazard. Or so he thought — until he started tracking what he actually drank across a full working day.

Dan has been plastering for eleven years. He starts most days at 7am and works physically demanding hours in environments that are warm, dusty, and often poorly ventilated. He has had afternoon headaches — typically starting between 2pm and 3pm — for as long as he can remember in the job. He carries paracetamol in his work bag as a matter of routine.

He had attributed the headaches to the environment: plaster dust, dry air, the concentration required for detailed finish work. His colleagues had the same experience. It was just part of the job.

When he did his first perpHect check-in — 83kg, six hours of sleep, moderate stress, physically demanding day planned — the target that came back was 3,200ml. He told his partner it must be wrong.

He tracked his intake for one full working day out of curiosity. Two mugs of tea before leaving the house. A coffee from a van at 9am. One bottle of water — 500ml — which he nursed through the morning. A cup of tea from a flask at lunch. Another coffee at 2pm when the headache started. Total fluid intake: approximately 1,100ml by 3pm.

Physical labour produces significant sweat loss. A warm, enclosed environment increases that loss further. Inadequate fluid intake reduces blood volume. As blood volume drops, blood flow to the brain decreases slightly. The cranial pressure changes associated with this reduced flow are believed to cause tension headaches. The response to "drink more water" is, for this type of headache, often as effective as paracetamol.

Dan started carrying a two-litre bottle and tracking his intake throughout the day. Within two weeks, the daily paracetamol had stopped. Not reduced — stopped. He described it as "one of those things where you feel a bit stupid in hindsight, but also annoyed that nobody ever just told you."