How to Get Relief From Headache - Effective Home Remedies & Tips

Headaches are a common problem that can disrupt your day-to-day activities. Several medicines like pain killers are available for treating headaches.  But they can have side effects. There are many simple and natural home remedies that are proven to be effective in relieving headaches.

In this article, we will focus on the top 19 home remedies and tips to get relief from headache:

1) Drink Water

Studies have concluded that dehydration can lead to tension headaches and migraines. So, drink plenty of water during the day to prevent dehydration-induced headaches. You can also eat water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumber, or oranges.

Drinking water can help you get relief from headache symptoms.

2) Try B-Complex Vitamins

B-Complex Vitamins are a ground of water-soluble vitamins that are proven to help support neurotransmitter synthesis. Supplements with B-Complex Vitamins like B2 (riboflavin), B6 (Pyridoxine), B9 (Folate), and B12 (Cobalamin) are known to provide relief against headaches.

Since B-Complex Vitamins are water-soluble, excess components are removed from the body via urine.

3) Limit Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol can cause your body to lose fluids and electrolytes, possibly leading to dehydration-induced headaches. It can also increase the chance of migraines for those who frequently experience headaches.

Next time you go out drinking, make sure you drink plenty of water to maintain your fluid levels.

4) Try A Heating Pad Or Hot Compress

Tension headaches are fairly common and can be relieved by using a heating pad. Simply place the heating pad on your neck or the back of your head.

If you have a sinus headache, holding a warm cloth to the affected area also works. You can also try taking a warm shower to get relief from these headaches.

5) Get Sufficient Sleep

Many people suffer from headaches caused by nothing more than not getting enough sleep the night before. This rest time is required for your body and mind to rest, recover, and revitalize for the next day.

Studies have shown the ‘sweet spot’ for maximum benefits to be 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

6) Avoid Strong Smells And Other Triggers

Strong perfumes, cigarette smoke, and cleaning products are known to trigger headaches and migraines for many.

There’s not much you can do to get relief from headaches in this case. All you can do is avoid being around these smells.

7) An Apple A Day Keeps The Headaches Away

Apples, as well as apple cider vinegar, are home remedies for migraine headaches that work by restoring the body’s acid-alkaline balance.

Just eat a piece of apple with some salt sprinkled on top. Follow this up with some warm water and you may get relief from your headache.

8) Avoid Histamine-Rich Foods

Foods like aged cheeses, wine, smoked fish, and fermented foods are rich in the chemical, Histamine. Eating these foods isn’t a problem for most but a few people experience headaches due to the high levels of Histamine.

So, if you suffer from headaches every time you eat smoked fish or aged cheese, avoid eating these foods. This is also called an Elimination Diet and is shown to help reduce the risk of headaches and migraines.

9) Drink Tea Or Coffee

Tea and coffee contain caffeine that is shown to be effective against headache symptoms. It also improves alertness and mood when taken in moderation.

That said, caffeine withdrawal can also cause headaches if you regularly consume large amounts of caffeine.

10) Try Using A Cold Compress

Using cold compresses can help reduce inflammations in the neck and head while constricting blood vessels and slowing nerve conduction. These factors allow cold compresses to reduce headache pain and symptoms.

Make a cold compress by filling a waterproof bag with ice and wrapping it with a soft towel.  

11) Use Essential Oils

Many people use calming and relaxing scents like Peppermint and Lavender from essential oils to get relief from headaches.

Symptoms of tension headaches may be alleviated by applying Peppermint essential oil on the temples. The lavender essential oil also works topically.

12) Take Some Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is shown to be associated with frequent headaches and migraines. So, if your body is lacking sufficient amounts of this mineral, you may experience headaches.

Regularly taking a Magnesium supplement can support your body’s Magnesium levels.

13) Drink Ginger Tea

Ginger is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components that are proven to bring relief from headaches.

Along with headaches, drinking Ginger tea can also reduce nausea and vomiting.

14) Ease The Pressure On Your Head Or Scalp

Have you ever experienced headaches while wearing a tight headband or ponytail? If so, you may have been experiencing an external compression headache.

To get relief from this headache, simply ease the pressure acting on your head or scalp.

15) Dim The Lights

Bright as well as flickering lights can cause some to have migraine headaches. The lights can be from your laptop, the window, or ceiling lights.

To avoid these headaches, consider dimming or switching off the offending lights. You can try using blackout curtains in the office or home if the sun is directly in your eyes.

16) Start Moving Around

Studies have shown that low levels of physical activity to be associated with an increased risk of headaches. So, doing some light exercises may just help prevent headaches.

Exercising also has several other benefits, including improving mood, focus, and overall health.

17) Use Yoga To Relax

Yoga is a great way to relieve stress and improve your physical and mental wellbeing. It also may help reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.

Studies have provided that practising yoga for three months may reduce the frequency and severity of headache symptoms.

Related Post: Are Tension Headaches Linked to your Dosha?

18) Get A Head Massage

Getting a head massage can help you deal with stress and anxiety as its proven to reduce cortisol levels. A massage can also help improve your sleep quality, which can help reduce risk of headaches.

You can consider booking a full-body massage every week or get a head massage every other day at home. Home massagers are also available in the market.

19) Go For An Ayurvedic Remedy

The ancient science of Ayurved makes note of several herbs that can help bring relief from headaches. Some of these ingredients are found in Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurvedic Headache & Migraine Medicine.

Migrox Capsules reduce migraine pain while lowering stress levels using ingredients like Khurasni Ghan (Henbane) and Jatamansi Ghan (Spikenard). Dr. Vaidya’s Migrox Capsules makes use of Praval Pishti (Sea coral) and Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng) to relieve headaches. Either of these may be one of the best medicine for headaches.

Other Ideas To Combat Headaches:

In addition to home remedies for headaches & migraines, you can try going to an Acupuncture clinic. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique that’s proven by modern medicine to treat chronic migraines.

For those who prefer taking pills for headaches, Aspirin is considered by some as the best tablet for a headache. However, be careful with taking OTC pain relievers as frequent use can cause you to build up a tolerance.

Related Post: How to Get Relief from Headache and Migraine

When Should You Call Your Doctor?

Natural headache remedies and tips to get relief from headache works for many people. But sometimes, it’s better to call a doctor.

Here’s when you must contact your doctor:

• You experience the headache following a blow to the head (head injury).
• The headache gets worse, even after taking pain relief medicine.
• The severe headache comes out of nowhere and doesn’t go away quickly.
• You experience dizziness, confusion, speech problems, or other neurological symptoms with the headache.

Headaches and migraines can hamper our ability to perform regular tasks. This is especially true during the stressful times. However, using these home remedies and tips may help to reduce your risk of headaches.

Dr. Vaidya’s has more than 150 years of knowledge, and research on Ayurvedic Health Products. We strictly follow the principles of Ayurvedic philosophy and have helped thousands of customers who are looking for traditional Ayurvedic medicines for ailments and treatments. We are providing ayurvedic medicines for these symptoms –

"Acidity, immunity booster, hair growth, skin care, headache & migraine, allergy, cold, arthritis, asthma, body pain, cough, dry cough, kidney stone, Piles & Fissures , sleep disorders, diabetes, dental care, breathing problems, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), liver ailments, indigestion & stomach ailments, sexual wellness, & more."

Get assured discount on a few of our selected Ayurvedic products and medicines. Call us on – +91 2248931761 or submit an enquiry today at care@drvaidyas.com

References:

1. Wöber, Christian, and Çiçek Wöber-Bingöl. “Chapter 12 - Triggers of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache.” Handbook of Clinical Neurology, edited by Michael J. Aminoff et al., vol. 97, Elsevier, 2010, pp. 161–72. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/S0072-9752(10)97012-7.
2. Shaik, Munvar Miya, and Siew Hua Gan. “Vitamin Supplementation as Possible Prophylactic Treatment against Migraine with Aura and Menstrual Migraine.” BioMed Research International, vol. 2015, 2015. PubMed Central, doi:10.1155/2015/469529.
3. Menon, Saras, et al. “Effects of Dietary Folate Intake on Migraine Disability and Frequency.” Headache, vol. 55, no. 2, Feb. 2015, pp. 301–09. PubMed, doi:10.1111/head.12490.
4. Sadeghi, Omid, et al. “Effects of Pyridoxine Supplementation on Severity, Frequency and Duration of Migraine Attacks in Migraine Patients with Aura: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial Study in Iran.” Iranian Journal of Neurology, vol. 14, no. 2, Apr. 2015, pp. 74–80.
5. Hobson, Ruth M., and Ronald J. Maughan. “Hydration Status and the Diuretic Action of a Small Dose of Alcohol.” Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), vol. 45, no. 4, Aug. 2010, pp. 366–73. PubMed, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agq029.
6. Kelman, Leslie, and Jeanetta C. Rains. “Headache and Sleep: Examination of Sleep Patterns and Complaints in a Large Clinical Sample of Migraineurs.” Headache, vol. 45, no. 7, Aug. 2005, pp. 904–10. PubMed, doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2005.05159.x.
7. Watson, Nathaniel F., et al. “Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.” Sleep, vol. 38, no. 6, June 2015, pp. 843–44. PubMed Central, doi:10.5665/sleep.4716.
8. Silva-Néto, R. P., et al. “Odorant Substances That Trigger Headaches in Migraine Patients.” Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, vol. 34, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 14–21. PubMed, doi:10.1177/0333102413495969.
9. Zanchin, G., et al. “Osmophobia in Migraine and Tension-Type Headache and Its Clinical Features in Patients with Migraine.” Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, vol. 27, no. 9, Sept. 2007, pp. 1061–68. PubMed, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01421.x.
10. Yuan, Hsiangkuo, and Stephen D. Silberstein. “Histamine and Migraine.” Headache, vol. 58, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 184–93. PubMed, doi:10.1111/head.13164.
11. Lipton, Richard B., et al. “Caffeine in the Management of Patients with Headache.” The Journal of Headache and Pain, vol. 18, no. 1, Oct. 2017. PubMed Central, doi:10.1186/s10194-017-0806-2.
12. Couturier, EGM, et al. “Influence of Caffeine and Caffeine Withdrawal on Headache and Cerebral Blood Flow Velocities.” Cephalalgia, vol. 17, no. 3, May 1997, pp. 188–90. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1046/j.1468-2982.1997.1703188.x.
13. Göbel, H., et al. “Oleum menthae piperitae (Pfefferminzöl) in der Akuttherapie des Kopfschmerzes vom Spannungstyp.” Der Schmerz, vol. 30, no. 3, June 2016, pp. 295–310. Springer Link, doi:10.1007/s00482-016-0109-6.
14. Mauskop, Alexander, and Jasmine Varughese. “Why All Migraine Patients Should Be Treated with Magnesium.” Journal of Neural Transmission, vol. 119, no. 5, May 2012, pp. 575–79. Springer Link, doi:10.1007/s00702-012-0790-2.
15. Gröber, Uwe, et al. “Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy.” Nutrients, vol. 7, no. 9, Sept. 2015, pp. 8199–226. PubMed Central, doi:10.3390/nu7095388.
16. Lete, Iñaki, and José Allué. “The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy.” Integrative Medicine Insights, vol. 11, Mar. 2016, pp. 11–17. PubMed Central, doi:10.4137/IMI.S36273.
17. Ahn, Andrew H. “Why Does Increased Exercise Decrease Migraine?” Current Pain and Headache Reports, vol. 17, no. 12, Dec. 2013, p. 379. PubMed Central, doi:10.1007/s11916-013-0379-y.
18. Woodyard, Catherine. “Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Yoga and Its Ability to Increase Quality of Life.” International Journal of Yoga, vol. 4, no. 2, 2011, pp. 49–54. PubMed Central, doi:10.4103/0973-6131.85485.
19. John, P. J., et al. “Effectiveness of Yoga Therapy in the Treatment of Migraine without Aura: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Headache, vol. 47, no. 5, May 2007, pp. 654–61. PubMed, doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2007.00789.x.
20. Linde, Klaus, et al. “Acupuncture for Migraine Prophylaxis.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Online), no. 1, Jan. 2009, p. CD001218. PubMed Central, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001218.pub2.