Home Remedies for Headaches

Headaches are one of the most common ailments, striking virtually every single person – even on a daily basis. A bad headache can completely ruin your day, and in many cases escalate stress levels significantly. It may not seem like a serious health concern but when you do have a splitting headache, you will find it difficult to concentrate while physical functions will also be negatively affected. Instead of turning to pharmaceutical pain relievers, try utilizing some natural home remedies for headaches.

Home Remedies for Headaches

If you’re someone who regularly experiences headaches, you may find it difficult to resist the grabbing for an over the counter pain reliever. Before becoming overly dependent on these pharmaceuticals, you should consider using natural solutions. These could successfully alleviate the pain without ingesting pharmaceutical drugs that can cause adverse side-effects. Here are some home remedies for headaches.

For the first and easiest solution, tryincreasing water consumption. This type of pain can be caused by constricted blood vessels which prevent proper blood circulation and results to throbbing and pain. Water can resolve dehydration and improve blood circulation. In addition to guzzling down water once you begin to feel a headache, increase overall water consumption on a daily basis.

Interestingly, peppermint oil can also help in reducing headache pains. The same effect can also be achieved by usinglavender oil. It is the combination of the soothing scents and environment-feel that allows you to relax and eventually lose the intense pain. To achieve faster results, you can also rub or gently massage your head and the areas surrounding the painful area. The stimulation will allow better blood circulation as well.

If you have been experiencing chronic headaches for days, then it is time to recognize how fruit can make one of many great home remedies for headaches. 

Eating apples in the morning for at least a week can give you impressive positive results, while creating a paste out of freshly pounded lemon fruit can also be the perfect solution. The lemon paste should be applied on the painful area. If your headache is caused by sinusitis, grab a pot and boil some ginger. Inhaling the vapor could be enough to help. In addition to relieving pain from headaches, ginger has also been shown to be a cancer fighter.

11 Home Remedies for Migraine Headaches

Talk about gender bias.

Three out of four of the nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from migraines are women.

The reason may have to do with a woman’s menstrual cycle, but triggers can also include alcohol, weather changes, stress, food and lack of sleep, said Dr. Brian Grosberg, assistant professor of neurology and director of Inpatient Headache Program at Montefiore Headache Center in Bronx, N.Y.

Nonetheless, there are therapies you can try at home to relieve your migraine pain, Grosberg said.

And the best thing about these remedies? They aren't gender-specific.

1. Drink water

“Dehydration can be a big cause of headaches,” Grosberg said.

2. Drink caffeine

Caffeine is a double-edged sword – it can help and hinder headaches.

“Caffeine can restrict blood vessels, it can lessen pain, it’s a constituent of some pain over-the-counter pain medicines, but it can also trigger headaches for some people,” Grosberg said. “If someone uses caffeine excessively, it can cause a rebound headache, making existing headaches worse.”

3. Tying a headband around the head

Grosberg said this is a practice that's been done since ancient times, and he’s not sure how it came about, but some people claim it works.

4. Fish oil

Enthusiasts claim that fish oil reduces inflammation and works by restricting the blood vessels in your temples. Grosberg said there's no sound evidence, but he recommends trying it.

5. Peppermint oil

Rub it on the part of your head that hurts.

“There’s been no literature to support this, but again, people say it works,” Grosberg said.

6. Eat ginger or take ginger capsules

“No one really knows how this works either,” Grosberg said. “It clearly reduces nausea, but other than that ..."

7. Magnesium

Grosberg said this has been studied and when taken in doses of 400 to 600 milligrams per day, magnesium is effective for menstrual-associated migraines and migraines associated with auras.

The downside: Magnesium may cause diarrhea, if you take too much, Grosberg said.

8. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

In doses of 400 milligrams a day, vitamin B2 can also act as a preventative for migraines, Grosberg said. It can cause some people to urinate more frequently or have darker urine, so the dosage may have to be adjusted.

9. CoEnzymeQ10

Grosberg said that taking 300 milligrams per day has proven to be effective in reducing head pain. The downside: It can be expensive.

10. Butterbur

The most effective "natural medicine," Grosberg said, is called butterbur, or petasites.

Butterbur is a plant grown in Germany, and extensive studies have proven that in pill form, it is very effective in treating migraine pain and asthma, as well as alleviate upset stomachs. Butterbur is safe, although it can only be ordered online.

11. Cold (or hot) compress

This is another remedy that no one knows why it works, but it some swear by it.

"It's hard to study something like that," Grosberg said. "It can have a placebo effect, or it can have a distracting effect on the patient. But a lot of patients swear by it."

Whether you try one or all of these at-home remedies, Grosberg said you should still keep a headache diary to monitor what works and what doesn't, and what triggers your headache. This will assist your doctor in treating you.