Just about everyone during their life time feels the throb of a headache. They can run the gamut from very mild dull ache, to a throbbing, face crushing, nauseating, debilitating pain. Fortunately, there are several effective natural headache remedies for a variety of headache types.
The first thing to do before treating a headache is to determine what headache type you have.
There are two general types of headaches: Primary and Secondary.
A primary headache is the most common. This is when the headache itself is the underlying medical condition. Primary headaches include migraines, tension headaches, dehydration headaches, cluster headaches, etc. Usually, a primary headache is not dangerous, but it can be very painful, and make life nearly unbearable. But, the underlying medical condition is just the headache, not something more complicated. So if you treat the headache, you will eliminate the medical problem, so to speak.
Then we have our secondary headaches. These are more dangerous because they are a symptom of a (usually) major health problem. They can pose an immediate threat, and cannot be treated with herbal or general OTC medications. For example, a tumor in the skull or brain can create cranial pressure that is very painful. Another source of a secondary headache is a brain hemmorage. A sharp blow to the head or other head trauma can cause water on the brain, or other inflammation that can cause a serious headache. These are all very urgent medical issues, and some aspirin or lavender won’t be effective in treating these problems. It is necessary to seek immediate professional medical treatment for the underlying cause. Only this will stop a secondary headache.
So, once you determine you have a primary headache, here are several great natural headache remedies :
Feverfew – This is probably one of the best herbs for eliminating migraines. It will reduce the frequency of a migraine occurence, as well as the duration, and degree of pain that comes with it. Best to take feverfew every day if you want the migraine relief. This is because feverfew works as a preventative step… it won’t treat a migraine once it is throbbing.
Peppermint oil – Use a 10% peppermint essential oil solution, and gently apply it to the forehead. This can relieve the pain and possibly the duration of a tension or dehydration headache.
Tiger Balm – This is a mixture of essential oils, and it has a similar application and effect as peppermint oil. It is often sold O.T.C. in pharmacies and health food stores, or you can buy it on the internet. It has also proven effective to relieve headache pain.
Melatonin – It turns out this supplement has some studies that demonstrate it will decrease the amount of monthly migraines a person will have. Daily use is needed to keep headaches away, but it can be a wonderful natural migraine remedy.
There are several other effective herbal headache remedies, but these are some of the most effective for stopping migraines and tension headaches.
