Pressure Points For Migraines
Stop Migraine Pain at Home
How to Relieve Headaches Naturally
When you have a headache, it can interfere with your productivity and the quality of your life. You might not have any medications or you simply may not want to take any synthetic substances to get relief. That’s why you’re likely wondering how to relieve your headaches naturally.
Tension headaches tend to be the most common, though any kind of headache imposes misery that makes it difficult to get things done. When you learn these 10 ways on how to relieve headaches naturally, you’ll be able to take charge and feel better sooner rather than later. Most of these are great headache remedies you can do at home.
1. Work on Your Hydration
Perhaps one of the most common causes for a headache is a lack of hydration. If you don’t drink enough water, it can bring on tension headaches and migraines too. When you feel a headache coming on, drink more water. Ideally, for how to relieve headaches naturally, keep up that hydration from the moment you wake up and make room for more water-rich fruits and vegetables on your plate.
2. Put Sleep First
When you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be more prone to headaches. Don’t try to overcompensate by getting too much sleep though as it can also trigger those headaches. Ideally, you’ll want to hit that perfect sleep span of 7 to 9 hours per night to naturally keep them away.
3. Let Essential Oils Help
The therapeutic benefits of essential oils have been garnering much attention in recent years. Simply using an aromatherapy mist or applying these oils directly to your skin can help you feel better thanks to the aromatic compounds of these botanicals. Peppermint and lavender are among the most documented for effectiveness and may be one of the best ways on how to relieve headaches naturally.
4. Use the Cold to Get Relief
Cold compresses are wonderful for decreasing inflammation. They also constrict blood vessels and slow nerve conduction, making them ideal for natural headache relief. All you need is a bag of ice wrapped up in a soft towel. Simply apply it to your head, temples, or the back of your neck and let the soothing cold make your headache disappear.
5. Do Some Yoga
Yoga has numerous benefits for your health and is an effective method for relieving headaches naturally. It helps to reduce stress and decrease pain, and you may not even need to take OTC pain meds. Plus, practicing yoga daily can reduce the frequency and intensity of those headaches too. If yoga seems too new-age for you though, even engaging in any physical activity can help with headaches. There’s no need to go crazy at the gym though…simply getting more steps into your day will reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.
6. Drink Ginger Tea or other Herbal Medicines for Headaches
Ginger is well-known for being an anti-inflammatory agent which can help with headaches too. It also has the added benefit of quelling the other symptoms that tend to come with severe headaches and migraines like reducing nausea and vomiting. Ginger is benefical to the digestive system, expecially in cases involving bloating, low appetite, and indigestion. Additionally, it can help respiratory disorders and sinus congestion. If you have headaches with stomach and sinus problems, ginger is a great remedy for addressing all of these things together.
7. Add Magnesium to Your Diet
While our bodies need a variety of vitamins and minerals for optimal function, many people are deficient in magnesium. This mineral plays an important role in regulating blood sugar and nerve transmission. With a magnesium deficiency, you’ll be more prone to headaches. Taking magnesium supplements is an option; however, you can also start by eating more magnesium-rich foods. Dark chocolate, figs, pumpkin seeds, mackerel, and cooked spinach are a few examples of foods you can add to your plate to get that magnesium your body needs to relieve those headaches. Note that chocolate may make headaches worse in some people, so be careful with that one.
8. Have Something Caffeinated
Caffeine is ideal for increasing alertness and improving your mood, hence the likely reason coffee is the beverage of choice for many every morning. But whether you choose coffee or tea, these caffeinated beverages have additional benefits in that they constrict blood vessels which can relieve the irritating symptoms of headaches. However, caffeine withdrawal can also cause headaches, so be mindful of how much caffeine you get each day and aim to maintain a balance to avoid having it work against you.
9. Try Acupuncture & Acupressure
Since ancient times, the technique of acupuncture has been practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine. With acupuncture, very small needles are inserted at special points to stop the pain. It has been so widely studied that the evidence for acupuncture as a way to relieve headaches naturally is overwhelming. In fact, it may be even more effective than common migraine medications in bringing you the relief you need. ​
​Acupressure is similar to acupuncture but uses pressure and massage to stimulate the points rather than needles. While acupuncture may be necessary during the initial stages of treatment, and to help quickly stop the pain, acupressure plays an important role as a home remedy for headaches. With acupressure, you can learn simple methods to use on yourself to stop headaches from coming on.
10. Avoid Certain Foods
A final tip to prevent headaches is to look closely at what you are eating. Certain foods cause histamine release which can trigger those cluster headaches. Anything that is highly processed, canned meats or beans, fermented, or smoked is likely to set off a headache. Shellfish, alcohol, nuts, and chocolate are also part of the list.
Additionally, foods rich in tyramine can cause you more headaches if you have a deficiency in monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that normally functions to break down amines like tyramine. Aged foods like cheeses, meats, sausages, and salami plus beer on tap, red wine, soy sauce, miso soup, and salt are the most common culprits.
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If your diet contains too much sodium, start there, by reducing your intake. That could help to relieve headaches naturally right off the bat. To help monitor your dietary intake I highly suggest keeping a diet journal. This will help you to make the connection between what you are eating, and how this relates to the occurrence and severity of your headaches.
When it comes to healing those headaches, all of these natural remedies can help to reduce their frequency and severity. To get the best results use these remedies together, and enjoy life a great deal more!
