Home remedies for headaches are safe and effective and in a majority of times kill pain better than pharmaceutical drugs. Everyone suffers from headaches occasionally. Most people use prescription drugs to deal with them. They can effectively cure headaches, but, at times, can bring adverse effects and make a simple condition worse. These days natural and alternative treatments have garnered a lot of attention due to their effectiveness as well as safety. Since they are natural approaches, side effects are minimal or none.

If you’re wary of conventional methods, you might want to try out natural remedies for headaches. There are various options, and many of them are backed by science as well.

What are headaches?

Headaches are a very common medical symptom that the majority of people suffer from at least numerous times in their lives. The key symptom of any type of headache is pain in the head or face area. The pain can be pulsating, persistent, tenacious, harsh, or dull. The majority of headaches can be cured with medications, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, stress relief, medicinal herbs, and biofeedback. Headaches can be more complicated than most people believe. Different types of headaches can manifest with their specific sets of symptoms, arise for unique reasons, and necessitate diverse treatments. Once you know the type of headache you have, you and your doctor can find the treatment that is most likely to help and even try to prevent them.

What are the types of headaches?

There are over 150 types of headaches. According to the causes of headaches and location of headaches, they are classified into two main categories: primary and secondary types of headaches.

Primary headaches

Primary headaches are those that aren’t caused by another medical condition. The category includes:

Cluster headache.
Migraine.
New persistent daily headaches (NDPH).
Tension headache

Secondary headaches

Secondary headaches start as a result of another medical condition, such as:

Brain blood vessels diseases, such as angiospasm, tumor, stroke, brain injury, post-traumatic conditions.
Head injury.
High blood pressure (hypertension).
Infection.
Excessive use of drugs.
Sinus congestion.
Trauma.
Tumor.

What are the causes of headaches?

The pain you are experiencing during an episode of headache comes from a connection of signals flanked by your brain, blood vessels, and adjacent nerves. Individual nerves in the blood vessels and muscles in the head turn on and send pain signals to the brain. But it is not clear how these signals are turned on in the first place.

The most common causes of headaches are:

This can include infections, colds, and fevers. Headaches are also often accompanying medical conditions such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, or an ear infection. In some cases, headaches may be the result of a blow to the head or, rarely, a sign of a more serious medical problem.
Emotional tension. Emotional stress and depression, as well as alcohol consumption, skipping meals, changing sleep patterns, and taking too much medication. Other causes of headaches may be a strain of the cervical spine due to poor posture or inappropriately selected pillow.
Your surroundings, including second-hand tobacco smoke, strong odors from household chemicals or perfumes, allergens, and certain foods. Stress, pollution, noise, lighting, and changes in weather are other possible causes of headaches.
Genetics causes of headaches. Headaches, especially migraines, usually run in families. Most children and teenagers (90%) with migraines have other family members who get them. If both parents have a history of migraines, there is a 70% chance their child will have them too. If only one parent has a history of this headache, the risk drops to 25-50%.

Most common home remedies for headaches

You don’t have to spend a fortune just to get rid of your headaches. Generally, these Home remedies for headaches should be enough to deal with them.

Hot or Cold Compress – the simplest but effective home remedy for headaches

This is a tried and tested natural relief for headaches that many people swear by. Whenever you feel like you’re going to have a headache, reach out for a compress. Placing a compress to your head stimulates your face and scalps nerve endings and signals your brain to bring down the pain levels. Most people prefer cold compresses for their headaches. However, it all comes to your personal preference.

Essential Oils are another great home remedy for headaches

Essential oils are also great for the natural relief of headaches. Rosemary, lavender, and peppermint essential oils are known for their pain-relieving properties. Not only can they subdue inflammation, but they can also desensitize pain fibers that are linked with migraines.

Peppermint contains menthol, which is very useful in relieving headache pain.

Studies also show that breathing in lavender oil can mitigate headaches. Rosemary oil also possesses anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties.

You can add a few drops of your preferred oils into a washcloth and use it as a compress to massage your temples or forehead. If you want effective home remedies for headaches, consider investing in high-quality essential oils.

Supplements – essential natural remedies for headaches

Headaches are a sign that your body is not in optimal condition. Supplements like coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B2 won’t immediately stop your pain but can prevent future attacks from occurring. If you want to try supplements, magnesium is easily one of the best natural remedies for headaches. It is especially useful for migraines.

Magnesium aids in managing muscle and nerve control function and can also minimize cortisol levels, which is a typical trigger for headaches. You can also add foods rich in magnesium into your meals like dark leafy greens. Supplements can be a great natural relief for headaches, make sure you consult your doctor before stocking up.

Caffeine – most common medicinal home remedy for headaches

For Natural relief of headaches, you can also reach out for a cup of coffee. Caffeine effectively constricts the vessels in your head, which is very helpful during a migraine attack. However, make sure you consume only a generous amount of caffeine. Too much of it can lead to rebound headaches. Try to keep your caffeine intake below 150 milligrams per day.

Balanced Diet – most important and vital home remedy for headaches

If you’re following Natural remedies for headaches, a balanced diet should be a primary focus. Your body requires various nutrients and minerals. Any deficiency can negatively impact your health and lead to headaches and other health conditions. Also, make sure that you have your meals at appropriate timings.

If you have headaches or migraines, the following food items are considered safe:

Natural flavors or sweeteners
Cooked or dried fruits
Brown rice
Tap, spring, or carbonated water
Green, orange and yellow vegetables

Food rich in vitamin b2 is also an effective natural relief for headaches such as red meat and salmon.

Yoga – useful and popular home remedy for headaches

By decreasing muscle tension and allowing relaxation, yoga can be an excellent remedy for headaches, particularly migraines. Yoga can reduce stress, maintain a healthy nervous system, and increase circulation. Daily yoga practice can prevent headaches and migraines.

Research also shows that yoga, along with conventional treatments and medications, can be a potent combination of lessening headache intensity and frequency. It can also alleviate the negative impact of headaches in your life. It can also lead to an improvement in overall quality of life.

Acupressure and acupuncture – alternative home remedies for headaches

By applying pressure to particular acupuncture points of your body, this ancient Chinese tactic can successfully alleviate your pain symptoms. Stimulating sensitive spots can relieve headaches. It has shown great promise in dealing with menstrual-related migraines. Research also shows that it can be beneficial for nausea that results from migraines. Applying pressure to the PC6 point is an effective acupressure tactic for remedying headaches.

Herbal Teas

Herbal tea is an excellent way of hydrating yourself as well as receiving benefits from natural compounds. They are safe and natural remedies for headaches. Ginger tea can be beneficial in dealing with headaches. A study shows that ginger tea had similar effects on sumatriptan in treating migraines. For this natural remedy, you can simply mix the ginger powder into warm water to alleviate your symptoms.

Lavender, chamomile, and peppermint are also potentially calming herbal teas.

Homeopathy – #1 holistic home remedy for headaches

While homeopathy is medical since we include it into the category of home remedies for headaches because you can take homeopathic remedies at the comfort of your home.

Homeopaths first conduct a full and extensive evaluation before prescribing homeopathic remedies. This makes it possible to unearth the root cause of your headaches and find long-term solutions. Homeopathic remedies can also prevent future headaches from occurring.

There is no specific medication, but homeopathy has various natural remedies for headaches to deal with particular symptoms. Some popular ones include Spigellia, Sanguinaria, Nux Vomica, Iris, Gelsemium, Bryonia, and Belladonna. Medications will be prescribed specifically for your individual program.

Since they are natural, the possible chances of side effects are very low or none. It can take some time to see positive results, but often, they can be more successful than conventional methods.

A combination of various natural remedies and alternative treatments can also provide remarkable results. They can also be used alongside conventional treatments and medications.

Conclusion

For most people, headaches subside after a few days. They are usually not a significant problem. You can try natural remedies for a safe and alternative approach. Many times these remedies and treatments are sufficient to deal with the condition. They are also significantly lighter for your pockets. However, if you still don’t see any positive results, you should consult your doctor immediately. There may be more significant problems underneath.

For your natural treatment of headaches contact Philadelphia Holistic Clinic at (267) 284-3085 to schedule your appointment for evaluation and treatment.