Frequent Headaches are not only bad for the person who is suffering from the same, but also a pain for the people around. This is because headaches tire down the person, affect his/her motivation levels, causes depression and frustration that shows. Migraine related headaches can cause temporary nausea or vision loss and sometimes have resulted in people taking extreme measures in life.
What causes headaches?
Headaches are caused by a wide variety of reasons and situations. Sinusitis, dehydration, lack of enough sleep, general tension, working in a room that does not have enough ventilation, excess use of alcohol or coffee, being out in harsh sun etc are some of the reasons of headache (Read: About headaches)
Herbal Remedies for Headaches
Over the counter headache and general pain killer pills market is huge and often people just swallow one or two pills when they suffer from a headache. However, going for some of the natural remedies for headache is the right and handy approach which usually don’t have any side effect.
The following are some of the herbal home remedies for headaches.
- Make a paste of a few basil leaves, small piece of ginger and 2-3 cloves of garlic and apply it on your forehead and temples. This works great for most headaches
- Apply peppermint oil with a cotton swab or cotton ball on your forehead and temples. Be careful, not to get it near your eyes. The cooling effect of the peppermint will increase if you have a light breeze from a fan or A/C falling on your face
- Keep a pack of ice on your forehead. Please note that you should not use cold water or ice if the headache is caused by sinusitis. For sinusitis related headaches, take a lot of steam from boiling water with cinnamon or coriander seeds
- Eat a piece of ginger or have a ginger tea for headaches with symptoms of nausea
- For sinusitis or cold related headaches, you may apply mustard oil around your nose bridge. This unblocks the nostrils, helps you breathe easy and hence reduces sinus related headaches
- Almost 70% of the migraine cases are known to be cured by Feverfew capsules which is a 100% herbal solution for fighting migraines. Caution: Avoid feverfew if you are pregnant
- Regular use of garlic, cayenne, ginger and onions in cooking is good to improve the blood flow and hence preempt many types of headaches and migraine
Other Home Remedies for Headaches
The following are the other tricks (non-herbal) used to get rid of headache instantly.
- Apply pressure to the place where the bones of your thumb and index finger connect. Press hard for as long as you can, and you will notice the headache fade away
- Take a good aromatic bubble bath
- Drink a lot of water – In fact, this is what you should do in the first place when you have a bad headache caused by dehydration or sun
- Have a cup of strong black tea or coffee for non-alcohol non-dehydration related headache
Please consult your family physician or doctor if the headache prolongs beyond a few hours.
