According to studies reported by WrongDiagnosis.com, 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. There are many reasons why people suffer from headaches; they can be brought on by stress, by allergies, by smog, by weather conditions, or by any number of reasons imaginable.
Expensive Pain Killers
The amount of money spent by Americans on painkillers runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, there are many natural ways to treat a headache that will be better in the long run for your health. Becoming too dependent on pain killers will certainly not lessen how often you suffer from headaches and they may cause adverse reactions to your health.
Home Remedies for Headaches
There are, however, some home remedies that you can use when you have a headache that will be healthier for you and will also save you a lot of money.
- Deep breathing . If headaches are stress-related, just doing some deep breathing might get rid of the pain.
- Exercise. Slight exercise like going for a walk might lessen the length of time the headache will last for.
- Massage. Getting a massage of the upper shoulders and neck will lessen the pressure on the head. Also, pressing the area on your hand between the thumb and the forefinger can relieve a headache.
- Drink tea. Herbal teas are good for getting rid of a headache. It is a combination of the hot, steaming drink and the herbal ingredients in the tea. Chamomile and peppermint teas are two of the better ones to relieve headaches.
- Steam. Filling a basin with boiling water and leaning over it can help get rid of a sinus headache. Cover your head with a towel to get the maximum benefit of the steam. If you like, you can add some essential oils such as peppermint.
- Nasal irrigation. One way to get rid of sinus headaches naturally is to irrigate the nasal passages with hot water mixed with salt. Using a neti pot is an easy way to do this. A neti pot resembles a teapot. You fill it with hot water and mix in a saline solution. Then you pour the liquid into one nostril and let it pour out of the other one by tilting your head. It is recommended you do this daily to avoid suffering sinus congestion and pain.
- Cold/hot pack. Either an ice pack or a hot pack can be placed on your forehead or over your eyes.
- Take a nap. Sometimes lying down in a dark room for a few minutes is all you need to get rid of a headache.
- Soak your feet. Soaking your feet in warm water and place a cold cloth on your forehead is supposed to get rid of headaches quickly.
- Drink vinegar. Mix two tablespoonfuls of apple cider vinegar with 8oz of water, then add a spoonful of raw honey. Drink it up and your headache supposedly will disappear quickly.
- Eat some spicy food. If you have a sinus headache, eat spicy food. It will make your nose run and may relieve the pain.
Home Remedies Work
There are many other home remediesthat claim to cure headache pain, the above mentioned are just a few of them. Some work better than others. Hopefully, some of the above ideas will help to relieve your pain. If you find that you are suffering from chronic headaches, you should make an appointment with your family doctor to rule out any serious health problems.
WebMD.com, “Treating Your Own Headaches” (Feb. 27, 2010).
MayoClinic.com, “Alternative Medicine” (Feb. 27, 2010).
Susan Keeping - Susan has been writing online for over 10 years and is currently developing a website for women.
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