How to get rid of a headache is a commonly raised question among the public. You can get relief from headaches naturally at your home. Here I listed 9 home remedies for headaches.
A headache is a kind of disturbance in the head and neck region that may be a disorder or a symptom of a medical condition or disease. The scientific term for a headache is Cephalalgia.
Severe chronic headaches were once treated by the oldest known surgical method, in which the surgeon drilled a hole as large as 1–2 mm in diameter in the patient’s skull without the benefit of anesthesia. Evidence of this procedure has been found in skulls from stone age people that are thousands of years old.
What Causes Headache?
There are several causes for headaches and those depend on the two types of a headache.
Types of Headache
- Present day doctors divide headaches into two large categories, primary and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are those that are not caused by any kind of medical condition.
- There are three types of primary headaches: Migraine, Cluster, and Tension headaches.
- More than 70% of all headaches are primary headaches.
- Secondary headaches are caused by disease or medical condition; they account for fewer than 30% of all headaches.
Primary Headaches
- Migraine Headaches
- Cluster Headaches
- Tension Headaches
Secondary Headaches
- Inflammatory Headaches
- Pain
PRIMARY HEADACHES
Migraine Headaches
- Migraine headaches are witnessed by pulsating pain of moderate to severe intensity lasting from 4 hours to as long as 3 days.
- The pain is usually felt on one side of the head.
- Migraine headaches become worse with physical activity and are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
- Migraine Headaches are accompanied by temporary loss of vision, difficulty speaking, weakness in an arm, face or hands.
- An infection of a common migraine may include diarrhea and frequent urination, as well as nausea and vomiting.
Cluster Headaches
- Cluster headaches are characterized by sudden and severe pain on one side of the head, usually most intense in the area around the eye.
- Cluster headaches may last between five minutes and three hours; they may occur once every day or as often as say around 8 times per day.
- The pain of a cluster headache is intense; some patients describe it as very severe. Patients with cluster headaches are highly restless.
- Some of the symptoms include severe pain, also patients with cluster headaches often have a running nose, inflamed eyes, swelling in the area of the eyebrows, followed by heavy dehydration.
Tension Headaches
- Tension headaches are the most common headaches in the general population. These headaches rarely last more than a number of hours.
- The patient will usually describe the pain of a tension headache as mild to moderate in severity. The doctor will not find anything abnormal in the course of a general physical examination.
- Intense pain can be witnessed in the muscles of the patient’s forehead, neck, or upper shoulder area.
SECONDARY HEADACHES
- Secondary headaches, which are caused by diseases or disorders, are categorized as inflammatory headaches.
- Secondary headaches result from the pulling, stretching, or displacing of structures that are sensitive to pain.
- Inflammatory headaches are caused by infectious diseases of the ears, teeth, sinuses, or other parts of the head.
Major causes of secondary headaches include the following:
- Brain tumors.
- Meningitis.
- Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges. Meningitis is usually caused by bacteria or viruses, and may produce chronic headaches.
- Head trauma
- Temporal arteritis
- Stroke
- Sinus infections
HOW TO GET RID OF A HEADACHE?
Now, Let’s see the how to get rid of a headache with simple home remedies.
1. Give it a Good Massage
With a firm, circular motion, massage the fleshy part of the skin between the base of your thumb and your forefinger. Keep massaging for some time, then switch hands and repeat until the pain reduces.
2. Hot Water Treatment
Soaking your feet in hot water will help your head feel soothingly relaxed. For a severe migraine headache, add a bit of mustard powder to the water.
For a tension headache, place a Hot water bag compress on your forehead or the back of your neck. The heat will help you de-stress muscles in this area.
It may sound absolutely absurd, but follow the heat treatment (or substitute it) by applying a cold compress to your forehead (Drop some ice cubes in a washcloth).
Hot water treatment is effective for all kinds of pain. It is more effective for the back pain and neck pain.
3. A Simple Alternative!
Here’s a simple alternative to a cold compress: Soak your hands in ice water till you start feeling uncomfortable. While your hands are inside the water, open and close your fists in a periodic manner.
4. Try The Caffeine Cure
How to get rid of a headache without Coffee? Yes, Taking a cup of coffee will help you feel amazingly better!!
Caffeine reduces swelling of blood vessels. This is why caffeine is an ingredient in some extra-strength painkillers like Excedrin. However, if you are already a heavy coffee drinker, skip this. It is because withdrawing coffee suddenly can cause headaches.
5. Constriction Method
‘Tie a scarf or a tight cloth around your forehead, then tighten it at a point where you can feel pressure all around your head. It reduces the flow of Blood in the affected area, which in turn helps to relieve the pain caused by swollen blood vessels. Try soaking the cloth in vinegar, as it is a very old headache remedy.
6. Relax Using A Soothing Scent!
Some essential oils can help de-stress tension and relieve the pain of a headache. Gently rub a bit of lavender oil onto your forehead, then lie back and enjoy the aroma of the scent
Instead of it, a peppermint oil can also be used. The menthol content it has can easily relieve a strong headache. Its aroma at first stimulates, then relaxes, the nerves that are responsible for strong headaches.
7. Ginger Treatment!
An anti-inflammatory, ginger was traditionally used to treat headaches. Grind up a half-teaspoon ginger, stir it into a glass of water, and drink this ‘ginger juice.’ Or pour 1 cup hot water over 1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger, let the tea cool a bit, then drink it.
Ginger is especially effective against migraines, though how it works is not well understood.
8. Move Your Jaw and Teeth Periodically!
If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw either when you’re awake or asleep, it can help you better to recover from the trauma that you are facing.
9. General Tips
- Also, Have food at regular intervals. There’s an evidence that a drop in blood sugar results without eating marks the onset of headaches. Especially don’t skip breakfast. Several pieces of evidence have proved the importance and need of breakfast.
- Spend 30 minutes in walking, cycling, swimming or doing some other form of aerobic exercises. These exercises are great stress-busters and stress relievers.
- Avoid spending too much time on electronic gadgets. This is one of the most common reasons for all the above-mentioned types of headaches.
Follow These simple Remedies and lead a Stress-free Life!!!. Here I explained you about how to get rid of a headache without any painkillers. Since natural remedies doesn’t cause any harm and free from side effects.
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