Best Natural Remedies for Headaches!

Headaches may be the most commonly experienced pain in the majority of the human population. It is also the most ignored and given the least importance to. Whenever we get a headache, what is the first thing we do? We complain, moan, press our temples, blame it on many things and many people, and finally pop a pill.

It is time for us to give our headaches more thought and more care in a natural way. There are numerous natural remedies for headaches which could be your diet, lifestyle changes, and external treatments.

Of course, the cure depends on the cause. So, it is important to analyze the reason for your headache and take the appropriate headache remedies. Even if you are not sure of the reason, trying these natural remedies for headaches will definitely bring down their occurrences.

Reason For Headaches

When listing down the reason for headaches, the count is endless. Some of the common and most recurring reasons are as follows:

• The strain of eyes and neck
• Inadequate sleep
• Oversleeping
• Excessive smoking and drinking
• Use many painkillers
• Genetic causes
• Stress and anxiety
• Too much of Teeth grinding
• Medical conditions relating to the brain

Types Of Headaches

A headache may be a common word but there are many types of headaches. It depends on the frequency, intensity, time of occurrence etc. Let us look at some of the types of headaches.

1. Tension Headaches

This headache is a slow starter, usually in the mid-day. You will feel as if you have a rope tightened to your head and feel a dull ache which is constant. It spreads to your neck and stays for a few hours.

2. Migraines

It is a throbbing pain on one side of your head. You might experience a blurred vision or nausea. It is very common and can affect a person’s day to day life.

3. A rebound Headache

This occurs due to the excessive use of pain medication. When the medicine is administered, the pain subsides but eventually gets worst when the effect of medicine wears off.

4. Cluster Headaches

They make repeated appearances in a day for short durations. It could be a sharp pain, one-sided, usually around an eye.

5. Thunderclap Headaches

They come suddenly and the intensity is very high. It pain is immediate and last for 5 minutes at least. Those who experience this kind of a headache is advised to consult their physicians since it could be related to a serious medical condition.

I think this information will be helpful for you to understand your headache and be aware of the symptoms. Now let us have a look into the natural remedies for headaches.

Natural Remedies For Headaches

1. A Headache Cures With Ginger

Ginger naturally relieves pain and reduces inflammation of blood vessels.

How To Use Ginger?

• Take equal amount of ginger and lemon juice. Take this concoction two times a day.
• Take one tablespoon of dry ginger powder. Add water to make a paste. Apply this on the forehead and let it dry completely.
• Put a piece of ginger or a teaspoon of ginger powder in water and inhale.
• A cup of Ginger tea sipped slowly works is one of the best headache remedies.

2. A Headache Cures With Mint

The main properties of mint are menthol and menthone. These are very effective in the treatment of headaches.

How To Use Mint?

• Wash mint leaves and crushes it to get the mint juice, Apply this juice on your forehead.
• Mint tea improves the blood circulation and helps in relaxing your blood vessels and subsequently helps in alleviating headaches.

3. Peppermint Oil For Headache

Peppermint oil has a calming and soothing effect and is one of the best natural remedies for headaches.

How To Use Peppermint Oil For Headache?

• Take 3 drops of peppermint essential oil and mix with almond oil or olive oil. If that is not available, plain water could also work. Apply on your forehead and gently massage.
• Add a few drops of peppermint oil to boiling water and inhale for a few minutes.

4. A Headache Cures With Basil

Basil is a great muscle relaxant and helps in treating tension headaches.

How To Use Basil?

• Bring water to boil and add few leaves of fresh basil. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and switch off. Add honey and drink this tea by sipping slowly.
• Boil the fresh basil leaves in water and inhale the steam for few minutes
• Chewing on fresh basil leaves also helps for relieving headaches.

5. A Headache Cures With Icepack

Ice reduces inflammation and numbs the pain. It is easily the simplest natural remedies for headaches.

How To Use Ice Pack?

• Apply the ice pack on the back of your neck. It is very effective for migraine headaches.
• Dip a washcloth in cold water and place it on your forehead for few minutes.

6. A Headache Cures With Nuts

Almond contains salicin which is a natural painkiller. So, include almonds in your daily diet. Instead of painkillers, just take a handful of almonds as soon as you feel a headache start.

7. A Headache Cures With Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is an all-purpose natural remedy. It offers cures for various ailments including headache remedies.

How To Use ACV?

• Bring water to boil. Add ¼ cup of ACV to the boiled water and inhale for 5 – 10 minutes.

8. Magnesium Rich Diet

Studies have proved that your migraine may be due to low magnesium levels in your body. Having a magnesium-rich diet may help in preventing the headaches due to a migraine. Some foods which are rich in magnesium levels are Almonds, spinach, avocados, low-fat yogurt, soymilk, and bananas.

These are some of the top home remedies for the treatment of a headache. Apart from these the lifestyle that we follow plays a major part in the quality of our health. Mainly for headaches, making small changes or additions to our daily routine make a great effect.

Lifestyle Change For Managing Headache

Majority of the headaches people experience are related to stress and anxiety. Overworked mind and bodies tense up the muscles and strain them beyond their limit. The result is reaction through pain and headaches. If you want to help relax these muscles and keep your blood vessels calm, these tips are for you. If you follow these tips along with the natural remedies for headaches, not only you will avoid headaches but will start noticing a new healthy you.

1. Try Yoga

Yoga helps to focus, stretch and relax your muscles. It drains away the tension in your mind and body bidding goodbye to headaches.

2. Breathe Right

We all think that our breathing is normal and automatic, But the truth is far from that. Not getting enough oxygen to your brain leads to headaches. Be conscious of your breath and practice taking longer breaths instead of quick shallow ones.

3. Watch Your Shoulder

Take a look at the mirror and watch how you are carrying your shoulder. When we are tensed and our body is tight, we tend to hunch too high which results in headaches. Make effort to notice how you carry your shoulder and drop them whenever you find them hunched up.

4. Get Active

Having a headache is not an excuse to just sit around and mope about it. Getting active is very important to get you out of this problem. A simple walk in fresh air loosens up the tight muscles and even take your focus off a headache. Simple regular exercise releases endorphins which reduce the pain caused by a headache.

5. Is Your Posture Right?

When dealing with tension headaches, it could be due to your poor posture. Most of us who spend more time indoors, before a computer, have little or no movement at all. Adding to that, we tend to slouch and slump before the computer. This strains the muscles and blood vessels leading to bad headaches. Make a conscious effort to correct your sitting posture and take small 2-minute breaks from a computer and stretch your body or even take a quick walk around the floor. Small changes like these help to avert pressure on your body and avoid headaches.

6. Smile!

Yes, smiling relaxes your jaw and loosens up the muscles in your face and dissipate a tension headache. To help you keep up your smile, hold a pencil between your teeth. Remember to hold it lightly and not bite or clench it tightly. This also helps in relaxing your face muscles. Most of us clench our teeth without knowing which causes tension headaches. Relaxing with this technique will help you overcome this problem.

7. Water! Water!

We always think that we drink enough water, In reality. 90% of us do not get the sufficient amount. Drinks like coffee, alcohol, sugary drinks, colas, etc do not count as water. They do the opposite and dehydrate the body. If you drink too much of coffee in a day, the more dehydrated you will become, if you do not compensate by drinking enough water.

Majority of the headaches are caused by dehydration. As soon as the headache starts, drink a glass full of water immediately and keeping sipping water all through the day. It may sound obvious, but it definitely works and is mostly ignored.

8. Try Acupressure

Acupressure is a treatment in which we apply slight pressure to certain pressure points in our body. It is a healing method practiced by Chinese for many ages. This treatment helps in regulating the blood circulation and thus relieving headaches. You can practice acupressure at home by following these simple steps.

• Using your thumbs, gently massage your temples by rotating in counter-clockwise.
• Press your thumbs with slight pressure at the back of your neck, between the spinal cord, right below the skull. Tilt your head up while applying the pressure.
• Squeeze the part between your thumb and index finger.
• Massage the bridge of your nose near the eyes.
• Keep your index finger between the big toe and adjacent toe in your foot and gently press.

These simple steps can be done by anyone and anywhere. It will provide good relief from headaches.

As we have seen throughout this article, there are many natural remedies for headaches. All these remedies are simple to follow and safe to use. Avoid over the counter medicines for headaches because they do not cure, but only mask the pain for a short time and come back with a big bang or lead to other problems.

So, stop complaining and take charge! Keep these headache cures in mind and not the headache!

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