How To Ease A Headache Naturally

For those of us who don’t feel too thrilled about the idea of relying on painkillers for our discomforts, it’s very nice to know there are many natural ways to ease headaches, in particular. Many times, the cause of headaches might be things we can quickly and easily counteract. This includes, for instance, the way our body reacts to certain foods, which can be triggers for headaches. By pinpointing how our bodies individually react to the foods, we can determine what things we might want to eliminate. In addition to eliminating items, there are also things we can add to our diets to prevent and ease headaches.

I feel lucky in that I generally don’t get headaches that are unbearably awful. This for me is true unless I’m extremely hungover (hello, dehydration!), overwhelmingly stressed, or dealing with a sickness. However, there are certain ladies out there who are probably far too familiar with the pain and suffering associated with headaches and migraines. Some might even get them on a daily basis.

Relying on painkillers, like ibuprofen and aspirin, can often feel like a quick yet undesirable fix to relieving the pain. While painkillers as a tactic are definitely effective — as that’s the kind of thing they’re there for — there are also other tactics to try out on our own to help ease the pain and get us feeling good again.

Here are eight natural trick for curing a headache or migraine that can bring you right out of the debilitating pounding to your normal, happy self.

1. Block Out As Much Light And Noise As Possible

This is certainly a difficult ask if you’re at work, but if you’re home, get yourself to a room where there is little light and the least amount of noise, according to LIVESTRONG. The goal is to make your body as relaxed as possible to release any of the tension that may be causing your headache. Building off of this idea of tranquility, try to use some meditation techniques, too. Close your eyes, take long, deep breaths, and use visual imagery to erase the pain.

2. Take A Long, Hot Bath

Heat up the water and lounge in the bath for a while to help relax muscles and ease the pain of a throbbing headache. According to Mayo Clinic, this kind of temperature therapy can be effective. Make sure the environment around you is calm while you’re in the bath, as well. Also, taking a hot shower can assist with headache relief, particularly if your headache might be caused by stress. Heat releases tense muscles, so by allowing the stream of hot water from the shower to hit against the back of your neck, you’ll be relaxing your body.

3. Grab Your Partner & Get It On

I’m being completely serious here — sex has been known to ease the pain of headaches and migraines. According to a 2013 study out of Germany, sex can be effective in curing head pain, even more so than relief caused by taking painkillers. If you feel your head begin to pulse, call you partner immediately. Not a bad form of medicine, right?

4. Try Amping Up Your Flaxseed Consumption

Many times headaches can be reduced by consuming omega-3 fatty acids. Here is where flaxseed comes in. Flaxseed is rich in omega-3s, therefore is the perfect super food for these unbearable situations when your head won’t stop pounding. Flaxseed can easily be added to your smoothie, oatmeal or even a glass of water to help ease headaches and migraines.

5. Pour Yourself A Giant Glass Of Water

A common cause of headaches is dehydration. Stop and consider whether you’ve consumed enough fluids in recent days. If the answer is no, a speedy way to begin clearing up your headache is to drink water. According to research out of the Netherlands, drinking more water can have positive effects on people suffering from headaches. To further reduce headaches, avoid alcohol or other drinks that might dehydrate you, according to LIVESTRONG.

6. Drink A Cup Of Chamomile Tea

According to Reader’s Digest, the compounds found in chamomile tea helps ease pain and relax you. The next time you feel an excruciating headache coming on, brew a cup and allowed the tea bag to steep while covered for 10 minutes. Then, drink in a wuiet place for best results.

7. Give Yourself A Head Massage

You don’t need to visit the local spa to get the most out of a massage. You can give yourself an effective scalp and head massage all on your own, and it is known to help ease headache pain if done correctly, according to Everyday Health. Try adding a drop or two of thyme or rosemary essential oil to each temple and to your forehead, according to Reader's Digest. Use you index finger and/or thumb to fingers to slowly massage the oil into each of the spots, using circular motions. WebMD suggested keeping pressure on the painful areas for seven to 15 seconds, then release and repeat as needed. Also, you can try using your fingers to massage slowly in circular motions all over your scalp. After massaging the areas, sit in a quiet place for a few minutes.

8. If All Quick Fixes Fail, Consider Revising Your Diet Long-Term

If you’re someone who gets headaches regularly, you might consider devoting time to determining if your diet has anything to do with it. According to Everyday Health, there are certain trigger foods associated with headaches and migraines, including chocolate (bummer!), diary, peanut butter, avocados, bananas and onions, just to name a few. The recommendation is to keep a food diary and mark down how your head feels after consuming these and other foods. You might find one or more in particular sends you into a spiraling headache. Eliminate the foods you regularly note have this effect.

Moving forward, whenever we are faced with severe headaches and migraines, we can rest assured knowing that some of these tactics can help us ease the pain naturally. This way, we can feel good about relying on ourselves to feel better, rather than manufactured painkillers of any kind.

Images: Pixabay (5) ; alishav, baileysjunk, sanfranannie, andyhuynh/Flickr