Headache is a very common condition of pain. Discomfort in any part of the head can cause a lot of stress and can be a nuisance. It can be mild, severe or may occur with other symptoms. Instead of opting for over-the-counter painkillers, there are several other natural treatments and home remedies for the headache that can calm your mind and ease the pain.
In this blog, we have discussed some of the most practiced and fruitful home remedies for headaches and migraine problems.
Home Remedies for Headache relief
1. Drink Water: Consume Coconut or Mineral water
Being dehydrated may lead you to develop a headache, impair concentration and cause irritability. Ensure your body consumes an adequate amount of water daily. Coconut or mineral water are natural sources of electrolytes with no sugar or artificial sweeteners. These are exceptionally natural cures for dehydration which is a major cause for headaches. Consumption of foods items that are high in liquid, such as fruits, smoothies, or soups, may also recover hydration. One can also practice water therapy to relax or ease the pain.
Read More: Reasons You Need To Try A Hydrotherapy Bath
2. Take Some Magnesium
People suffering from frequent migraine headaches symptoms are known to have a deficiency in magnesium. Magnesium is one of the essential minerals for the body as they keep your blood sugar in control and are good for nerve transmission. Studies also reveal consumption of magnesium with a smaller dose when treating headache symptoms can help reduce both the regularity and severity of migraine headaches.
3. Keep a check on what you eat or drink
Limit the use of caffeine. Avoid or simply say ‘No’ to Alcohol & Cigarettes. Most of you might think about how alcohol leads to headaches? Well! Alcohol causes the body to lose fluid and electrolytes through frequent urination leading to dehydration. Dehydration is one of the common causes of headaches. Furthermore, never skip meals, particularly breakfast. Also, avoid foods (may vary from person to person) that trigger a headache.
4. Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep deprivation may even cause headaches. Getting too much or too little sleep may trigger headache problems. So, One must take seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Read More: Discover the Healing Power of Sleep
5. Cold Compress
A cold compress decreases nerve conduction and compresses blood vessels which help reduce headache pain. It is one of the easiest home remedies of headache as one needs to fill a waterproof bag with ice and wrap it in a soft towel. Apply the pack or cold compress on the back of the neck or head area to reduce migraine pain and decrease inflammation.
6. Use Essential Oils
Peppermint/Rosemary/Lavender/Chamomile/Eucalyptus essential oils are beneficial for headaches depending on their cause. They can be diluted with a carrier oil (coconut) and applied directly or can be inhaled with steam, directly out of a bottle or using a diffuser or humidifier.
Alert– The use of essential oils helps relieve headaches but Chamomile essential oil should not be used by pregnant women as it carries a risk of miscarriage.
7. Practice Yoga
Breathing techniques (Pranayama) and asanas along with rolling and stretching the neck are helpful for headaches. Meditate, deep breath and visualize images that make you feel relaxed or comfortable. To ease tension headaches, apply a heating pad or ice pack on your neck depending on what suits and eases your tension.
8. Try an Elimination Diet
Food intolerances can trigger headaches in most people. To identify which food is causing such symptoms, doctors recommend practicing an elimination diet. Elimination Diet or Fasting Therapy in Naturopathy helps remove foods most commonly associated with headache symptoms or causing intolerance. This form of diet reintroduces food to your body one at a time while monitoring for the sign of cause.
9. Take a hot shower
Taking a hot bath or shower helps relax the tense muscles.
10. Massage
Rubbing around the temples, shoulders, neck and head improves blood circulation as well as relieves the tense muscles which cause a headache. This can be done on your own or with the help of a massage therapist.
11. Minimize stress
Take a break & stay away from all daily chores & responsibilities for some time (till you feel comfortable). Stress will never let your potential shine.
Apart from these Home Remedies, several naturopathic medicine are safe and one of the effective ways to reduce headaches. Some of the additional essential natural elements or therapies that can benefit from reducing the headache symptoms and pain include:
- Butterbur
- Coenzyme Q10(CoQ10)
- Vitamin B
- Acupuncture
Headaches are not always as simple as they sound. Behind a headache, there may be a serious underlying issue that needs to be taken care of. Thus consult a doctor in time
What Type of Headache is it?
It is better to know your type of form of a headache to apply a suitable natural remedy instead of the consumption of alternative medicines. There are many different types of headache such as:
- Tension headaches. If you are overstressed or feel the muscles have tensed you are surely diagnosed with this common headache syndrome. You might feel an excessive amount of pain in the middle and top of the head, like a tight rubber band wrapped around your head.
- Sinus headaches. Generally, one might feel pain behind the eyes and nose. One may also notice a congested feeling in the head. This type of headache is quite similar to a hangover.
- Cluster headaches. This type of headache causes sharp pain in one spot of your head leading to a constant stabbing.
- Migraines. Migraines usually cause moderate to severe pain. It leads to a throbbing pain at the back of the eyes that grow and throbs throughout the head area.
Symptoms associated with Headache
- Pounding/throbbing pain
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Sensitivity to light, noise or odors
- Feeling of heaviness in the head
- Sensations of being very warm or cold
- Bright flashing dots or lights, blind spots, wavy or jagged lines (aura)
- Blurred vision
Causes for a Headache
Lack of sleep, Dehydration, Skipping Certain foods and meals, Stress or emotional distress, incorrect eyeglass prescription, tight headwear, Poor posture, Genetics issue, Pollution, Strong smell, Loud noise exposure, constant exposure to Lighting, Weather changes, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Dental Problems, etc are some of the common causes of Headache.
Try out some of the listed home remedies to lessen the pain and symptoms of headache and migraine problems. For major cases, we recommend visiting a nearby doctor.