Do you suffer from headaches? Perhaps you would like to find out what home remedies for headaches are available to help you cope? A tension headache is the most common type of headache and although they are normally not very severe, it can still be unpleasant to deal with.
There are many ways in which you can help ease these tension headaches. Firstly, we are going to discuss what exactly tension headaches are and what causes them, as well as the symptoms of tension headaches.
A tension headache is a headache that normally causes mild pain in your head, neck and behind your eyes, although the pain can sometimes be more intense. These headaches are often caused by muscle contractions in the head and neck regions.
Some people also describe the feeling of a tension headache as a tight band around your head.
You can use painkillers against these headaches, but if you prefer a more natural remedy, there are other home treatments that you can use. These are the most common, everyday headaches that we get.
There are quite a few things that can trigger a tension headache, some of these include:
The symptoms of a headache can include:
I am going to discuss some natural home remedies for a tension headache.
Have a look at the list below and next time you have a headache you can try and put them to practice.
Lavender oil can be a great way to relieve your headache.
There are a couple of ways you can use lavender oil. You can put a few drops of this oil on a tissue and simply inhale it, or you can add 2 drops to two cups of boiling water and inhale the steam.
The aroma of the lavender oil can also help to relax you too. Lastly, you can try adding a drop of some almond or olive oil and massage it onto your forehead.
Ginger can be a great home remedy for instant relief of headaches. It can reduce inflammation of the blood vessels in our head, which helps to ease the pain. If you feel sick when you have a headache, ginger can also help with nausea as it stimulates digestion.
To use ginger, try steep ginger root for tea or mix ginger with lemon juice and drink. Be sure to read our article on the health benefits of ginger tea too!
Peppermint oil can help to open up clogged blood vessels which cause headaches, because of its refreshing scent. This oil also contains menthol which can help to regulate blood flow in the body. You can use this oil by mixing 3 drops in one tablespoon of almond oil and massage it into the back of your neck or your temples. You can also make an herbal tea with it too.
To help reduce the intensity of a headache, simple exercises that stretch your head and neck can do the trick. If you can do some exercises where you are moving your chin upwards and downwards, left and right, and bending your neck sideways, this can really help your muscles to relax, which can ease the intensity of a tension headache.
When you draw blood to your feet, you can ease the pressure on the blood vessels in your head, which you can do by soaking your feet in hot water.
You can also help relax any muscles on your forehead or back of the neck by placing a hot compress on those areas. Following on from the heat remedies that you can do, you can then apply a cold compress to your forehead which constricts the blood vessels, stopping them from pressing on sensitive nerves (easing the headache).
Going outside and moving about can help to loosen up tight muscles that are causing the headaches. When you are exercising you are also releasing endorphins which can dull uncomfortable sensations. Also, exercising will give you something else to focus on which can distract you from the pain.
Get moving! Try 6 easy tips for designing a fitness regime that promotes positive thinking.
It has been shown that using mental imagery can help to reduce headache pain by relaxing and loosening the knots that could be causing you pain. Doing these mental exercises can also help to relax you and put you in a pleasant state of mind, which can also help to cope with your headache. The point of mental imagery is that you imagine a happy place, where you can be calm and peaceful, a little bit like meditating.
Our posture can sometimes create problems which can lead to causing headaches. If we slouch and hunch forward we can strain our muscles, which can be a trigger for tension headaches.
If you can work on improving your posture, you will also be strengthening your core muscles which can really benefit you. This can all help with relieving your muscles and help you to feel more relaxed.
Not drinking enough water can be a very common cause of a headache, so making sure that you are drinking enough is very important.
There are also drinks that are not good for you and can cause dehydration, which can lead to headaches.
The drinks to avoid are coffee, alcohol, and sugary drinks. This may seem like a simple remedy, but drinking a lot of water will really benefit you.
Not only should you drink water throughout the day, but you should also start to drink a cup of water when a headache first appears.
