If you are against using prescription or over-the-counter medications, or if you don't have any available, it helps to know how to treat a headache without using medicine. There are many natural remedies, alternative treatments, and preventative measures that you can try to relieve headaches and migraines. Read on to find out more.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: General Tips
Step 1. Take a walk
Taking a walk and getting some fresh air can help your headache tremendously, especially if it's caused by stress or prolonged viewing of a screen. Reach a quiet place, breathe deeply and let your mind wander. You will forget the headache in no time.
- Get as close to nature as possible. A quiet country lane or secluded beach is ideal - if you're stuck in the city instead, a park will do.
- Increase your pace and jog if you want. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help decrease pain intensity, and that regular exercise can reduce the frequency of headaches.
Step 2. Apply ice
Put it on the painful area of the head. Try covering your forehead, temples, or the nape of your neck. The cooling effect of the ice will help relax the muscles and relieve pain.
Step 3. Take a relaxing bath or shower
Headaches due to stress and tension can often be treated by relaxing. A scented warm bath with calming essential oils can be a cure-all, but a quick shower can also help wash away the stress of the day.
Step 4. Get a head massage
Apply gentle, firm, circular pressure to the painful area of the head with your index finger and / or thumb. Maintain the pressure for 7-15 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.
If they feel particularly willing, you may want to ask a partner, friend, or family member to massage your head, neck, or back. Or contact those who do it by profession directly
Step 5. Take a nap
Forced to take a nap, your headache may miraculously disappear when you wake up. Find a quiet room, close the curtains and lie down on the bed or sofa. Close your eyes and focus on relaxing the tension built up in your shoulders, neck and back. Clear your mind, focus on your breathing and try to fall asleep.
Step 6. Eat something
Hunger can often cause headaches. Try having a small, healthy meal, then wait half an hour to see if the pain subsides.
- Try to eat at the same time every day to avoid headaches - don't delay your meals much and don't skip them.
- Remember to eat slowly - don't add stomach ache to headache!
Part 2 of 4: Preventing Headaches
Step 1. Turn off your computer
Spending long periods of time staring at a monitor is one of the most common causes of headaches. It is an activity that strains the eyes and can lead to this disorder. Intermittent images can overstimulate your retina and eye nerves and are another possible cause of head pain.
- Try to limit computer use if possible. If you need to use it for work, take frequent breaks; get up, walk, go out and get some air.
- Take a ten-minute break for every hour of work.
- Take a few days off each week from electronic devices and dedicate them to relaxation. No work should be scheduled at that juncture. Take these days to relax and reduce stress, as stress is often the most common cause of headaches.
Step 2. Get some magnesium
When taken daily, magnesium can help reduce the frequency of headaches and migraines. This mineral also helps to calm the nerves, which have a tendency to be very stimulated during a headache. You will likely need more than what is normally contained in multivitamin supplements, around 400 - 600 mg per day.
- Look for amino acid bound magnesium (many products contain magnesium oxide, which is not absorbed as well by the body).
- You can increase your magnesium intake by eating dark green vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Step 3. Take a healthy dose of vitamin B daily
You can use supplements or include foods rich in riboflavin, or vitamin B, in your diet. Start eating liver meat, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Step 4. Avoid substances that cause headaches
You can prevent headaches by limiting the consumption of these substances:
- Nitrates and nitrites. You can find them in processed meats and in monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used as a flavoring in many foods. Some heart medications also contain nitrates.
- Phenylethylamine, which you can find in some chocolates and cheeses.
- Tyramine, which you find in dried fruit, fermented meats, cheeses and soy.
- Aspartame, which you can find in many foods with artificial sweeteners.
- Caffeine and alcohol which can cause headaches in some people.
Step 5. Put on some sunglasses
Prolonged exposure to the sun can interfere with your brain's thalamus, which sends pain signals to the body. To protect your eyes from reflections and reduce the risk of headaches, wear polarized sunglasses with UVA / UVB protection.
Make sure the glasses you are currently wearing are correct. Straining your eyesight can cause migraines
Step 6. Leave your hair down
Many women suffer from tension headaches due to hairstyles that pull their scalp. Loosen your ponytails or buns, or leave your hair loose to minimize the risk of a headache.
Part 3 of 4: Specific Natural Remedies
Step 1. Drink lots of water
Dehydration often causes headaches. This is because lack of water results in reduced blood and oxygen flow to the brain. As soon as you feel a headache, try drinking a glass of cool water. If the headache is due to dehydration, drinking can relieve or cure it in minutes.
- You should drink eight glasses of water a day to prevent hydration.
- Drinking is especially important after consuming alcohol, which can dehydrate you, leading to hangover headaches.
Step 2. Use lavender oil
The relaxing properties of lavender products are renowned - but did you know that lavender oil can also be very effective in treating headaches? Take a bowl of hot water and add a few drops of oil. Place a towel over your head and lower it to the surface of the water. Breathe deeply, inhaling the lavender vapors.
- Lavender oil can be applied externally. Try massaging a few drops of undiluted oil on your temples for a minute or two, breathing deeply.
- Remember not to ingest lavender oil.
Step 3. Apply some peppermint oil to your head
Rub 3-5 drops of oil on your temples and forehead. massage until absorbed by the skin. Lie down and relax for about 30 minutes for the oil to take effect.
Step 4. Use rosemary
It can be very useful in treating headaches. Try massaging your temples with a few drops of rosemary oil (which has anti-inflammatory properties) to relieve pain right away. Alternatively, you can drink rosemary and sage tea.
- To make sage and rosemary tea, add one teaspoon of crumbled rosemary leaves and one teaspoon of crumbled sage leaves to a cup of boiling water. Cover the cup and let the leaves steep until the water reaches room temperature.
- Drink this herbal tea two or three times a day.
Step 5. Use cloves
You can use them in many ways to relieve the pain of tension-related headaches. Here are some suggestions:
- Gently crumble a few cloves and place the pieces in a cloth bag or clean handkerchief. Inhale the perfume for headache relief.
- Mix clove oil with sea salt and massage it into your forehead and temples. The oil will have a cooling effect, while the sea salt will make the massage more intense.
Step 6. Use basil oil
Basil is a strong-scented herb that is effective in treating headaches. It acts as a muscle relaxant, and therefore can help in the treatment of headaches due to muscle tension and hardening. Drink basil tea twice a day as an excellent home remedy.
- Put some fresh, washed basil leaves in a cup of boiling water and let them sit for a few minutes before drinking. Sip the herbal tea slowly and your headache should subside.
- If your headache isn't very intense, you can chew some fresh basil leaves or massage your head with pure basil oil.
Step 7. Use ginger
It helps to reduce inflammation of the blood vessels, and as a result it can help in the treatment of headaches. Try adding two fingers of freshly cut or grated ginger root to a cup of herbal tea and steep for a few minutes before drinking. You can add milk or sugar to improve the flavor. This homemade herbal tea reduces inflammation as fast as an aspirin.
- Alternatively, you can boil fresh or powdered ginger in water and inhale the vapors to treat a headache.
- Chewing on ginger candy can also help relieve headaches.
Step 8. Use cinnamon
It can help you relieve headaches, especially those caused by colds. An easy way to use cinnamon is to make a paste with fresh grated cinnamon and some water. Apply this paste on your forehead and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The headache should go away soon.
Alternatively, you can make a soothing drink by adding two teaspoons of ground cinnamon to a cup of warm milk. Add a teaspoon of lemon to make the drink sweeter if you like
Step 9. Use peppermint
The soothing and calming properties of peppermint are renowned, and it is a very effective herb for treating headaches. Use peppermint oil to massage your forehead, temples, and jaw. Alternatively, you can apply fresh crumbled leaves to your forehead and let them sit for 10-15 minutes, breathing deeply.
- You can also use fresh mint leaves to make herbal tea. Add them to a cup of boiling water and let them steep for several minutes.
- You can prepare a peppermint steam treatment by adding a few drops of oil to boiling water and inhaling the vapors.
Step 10. Eat apples
They can help you relieve headaches. Apples have properties that can balance the body's alkaline and acid levels and give you relief. Try eating one (with the peel) as soon as you feel a headache coming.
Alternatively, you can add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar - which has similar properties - to a full glass of water. Drink this solution for immediate relief
Part 4 of 4: Alternative Treatments
Step 1. Try acupuncture
This therapy involves inserting fine needles under the skin to realign the flow of energy, or chi, in the body. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help prevent acute migraines as effectively as medications and with fewer side effects. There is also some evidence to support acupuncture's effectiveness in helping people who suffer from chronic or frequent tension-related headaches.
Step 2. Get Botox injections
It is a therapy approved by the authorities for the treatment of adult patients with chronic migraines. Multiple injections, costing around € 350 per session, are administered around the head and neck every 12 weeks. Studies have shown that these injections can help reduce the frequency of headaches.
Step 3. Try transcranial magnetic stimulation
This non-invasive treatment takes an hour or two and is conducted in a clinic, placing an electromagnetic coil near the head to transmit magnetic impulses to the brain. Keep in mind that this is still an experimental therapy.
Advice
- Stay away from electronic devices.
- Stay away from sudden loud noises.
