10 Home Remedies for Headache
Headaches are a very common condition that most people experience throughout their lives to some degree. There are many possible reasons why we experience this throbbing type of discomfort. Like most pain we experience, it’s our body’s way of telling us that there is something not quite right with our body.
There are many ways to treat headaches, but it’s also a good idea to diagnose why you might be suffering from them. For most people, headaches are a rare occurrence and isn’t something to be worried about. But for those who suffer from headaches regularly, there is usually some underlying cause or condition that should be diagnosed in order to treat it properly.
Most common reasons for headaches:
- Your body reacting to medication
- Using too many painkillers
- Bad diet/not eating enough/eating too much/not eating regularly
- Dehydration
- Problems with your eyesight
- Improper posture
- Too much stress
- Not enough sleep/poor quality sleep
- Women having their period
- Menopause
- Too much alcohol/too many cigarettes
- Suffering from a cold/flu
When to see a doctor?
- When you’re experiencing a stronger headache than you usually do, especially if you feel it’s the worst headache you’ve had
- If your headache lasts more than 72 hours
- If you’re vomiting as a result of the headache
- If your vision is affected
- If you lose consciousness due to the headache
- If you have a fever over 39’C (102’F)
- If you have a stiff neck
- If you’re having a hard time speaking
- If you’re having a hard time walking/keeping your balance
- If your headache is keeping you from functioning normally/keeping you from doing your daily tasks, such as working
There are many pharmaceutical options when it comes to dealing with headaches, they’re quick, cheap and effective. If you’re suffering from strong headaches then it may be a good idea to take medication, but it’s also a good idea to look into the reasons why you’re suffering from headaches, and try to stop them from occurring in the first place.
As mentioned above, a headache (especially a regularly occurring one) is your body’s way of telling you that something with your body isn’t quite right, and it needs to be fixed. Here are 10 home remedies for headache:
10 Home Remedies for Headache
#1 – Relax One of the most common causes for headaches is too much stress. It’s not something easy to deal with for the majority of us, but we need to remember that the amount of stress we have in our lives, is only what we ourselves allow in. Two people can experience the same situation, and react in two opposite ways.
Stress is usually responsible for tension-type headaches and migraines, and the more stress, the stronger the headache. There are many ways of relieving stress from your life, you can try taking more time off, meditation, more hobby time, and more exercise.
#2 – Regular exercise While exercise can cause headaches for people who aren’t fit or in good shape, keeping regularly active is a good way to reduce stress, and keep your body in a much healthier state. Exercise may be the last thing that you want to do if you’re suffering from a headache, and it’s not recommended by any means.
But if you want to get your body functioning better, reduce long term and regular stress, you should look into starting a regular exercise regimen. Some light cardio and body weight exercises are a great way to improve the way you feel, your overall health, and reduce or eliminate headaches from occurring in the future.
#3 – Drink water One of the reasons you may be suffering from a headache, is a lack of proper hydration. A few glasses of water may be all it takes to get rid of a headache, if your headache is induced by dehydration. If this is the case, you can expect your headache to start going away within 30 minutes of drinking a few glasses of water.
It’s also important to remember that the daily minimum recommended amount of water for men is 3.7 litres, and 2.7 litres for women.
#4 – Magnesium supplements Magnesium is a very important mineral for many of your body’s functions, and it’s also been shown to be an effective and safe method for treating headaches. A deficiency in magnesium is actually very common, especially in people who suffer regularly from headaches and migraines.
It’s recommended to take 600 mg of magnesium daily if you’re suffering from headaches, and if you want to check if you have a magnesium deficiency, all you have to do is visit your doctor and get some blood work done.
#5 – Stay away from alcohol This may seem like a no-brainer, but alcohol is a toxic substance that does a lot of bad things to our bodies. It’s quite obvious that the after-effects of alcohol (hangover) are often accompanied by a bad headache, but even if you haven’t drunk that night before, your headaches could be a result of the damage done by previous and regular alcohol consumption.
Another way that alcohol can cause headaches is because it dehydrates your body, this dehydration may last up to a week after your last session of drinking. The best advice for those who suffer from headaches, is just to stop drinking alcohol.
10 Home Remedies for Headache
#6 – Peppermint and lavender essential oils Both of these oils can be helpful when it comes to treating headaches, applying peppermint oil to your temples is great at reducing tension headaches. Using lavender oil in aromatherapy is very effective as well.
Lavender and peppermint essential oils can be found in most health food stores and herbal pharmacies. If you don’t have one of those in your area, you can order them online.
#7 – Cold compress Using a cold compress is an old remedy for relieving headaches, it decreases inflammation, slows down the conduction of the nerves and helps constrict blood vessels. This helps many people relieve headaches quickly, and without having to resort to painkillers.
Soak a clean cloth in cold water, right it out and apply over your forehead and temples. Keep it on for ten minutes at a time, and repeat as many times as necessary.
#8 – Elimination diet This may not help when it comes to relieving a headache that you might be suffering from, but it may help reduce the chances of suffering from a headache in the future. For many people, certain foods can cause a headache, so it’s a good idea to take a look at what you eat, and try eliminating any possible suspects from your diet. A good rule of thumb is to avoid processed foods. Other common headache trigger foods to avoid are:
- Mouldy cheeses
- Citrus
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Processed meats
- MSG’s
- Aspartame
- Fatty and salty foods
- Red wine
#9 – Acupuncture Acupuncture is a centuries-old, traditional Chinese medicine. It stimulates certain pressure points in your body, and can help with a myriad of health conditions. The good news is, that it’s also known to help relieve headaches both long and short term.
There are studies that show that it can help with headaches and migraines, and is quite an effective treatment, as effective as common pharmaceutical treatments.
#10 – Yoga Yoga is a great way to relax, reduce stress, increase your overall level of fitness, and reduce pain. Like exercise, it can also reduce the likelihood of suffering from headaches in the future, if you practice yoga on a regular basis.
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Headache References and Headache Information
- NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/headaches/
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tension-headache/in-depth/headaches/art-20046707#:~:text=No%20wonder%20you%20have%20a,headaches%20or%20make%20them%20worse.
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942090/
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
- Springer Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00702-012-0790-2
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4821937/
- Springer Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00482-016-0109-6
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3727573/
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4227630/
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099267/
- US National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4097897/
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