Headaches and migraines have adverse impact on the quality of life of more than 47 million Americans who frequently suffer from these symptoms, not to mention the costs in lost job hours and in medical expenses. Many of these sufferers will almost immediately take medication to eliminate the pain, said medications of which include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta blockers and antidepressants.
But before reaching into the medicine cabinet, you can try these safe, affordable and doable yet effective treatments first. You will soon be able to get your headache and migraine symptoms under control, thus, enabling long-term management.
• Get a massage.
Massage improves blood circulation and, thus, eases the pain brought on by headaches. This provides for temporary relief but if it means lesser dependence on painkillers, then it is certainly a good option. Try rubbing your temples or, better yet, getting a full-service massage on your neck, head and back.
• Soak in a hot tub.
Soaking in a hot tub will help enormously with either migraines or tension headaches. Only ten minutes relaxing in a hot tub or spa with hot water and jets that stimulate the muscles especially in the neck and back areas.
• Stretch your muscles.
The rationale is in relaxing your tense muscles especially around the neck area, which will lessen the tension in your head. Try neck range of motion, shoulder shrugs, and neck isometrics; do these stretching exercises 2 times a day for 20 minutes each session.
• Do yoga.
Yoga combines the benefits of body posture positions, mental meditation, and breathing exercises, all of which can help in lessening your physical and mental stress. You will then be more relaxed and, hence, less prone to headaches.
• Engage in aerobics.
There's no need to engage in aerobic exercises that will contribute to the throbbing in your head. Brisk walking, biking and swimming as soon as you detect the signs of a headache are recommended. Better yet, adopt these exercises as part of your physical fitness plan.
• Apply heat and cold.
This is so safe that even pregnant women can use it. Apply a heat pack to the back of your neck to alleviate neck tightness while placing an ice pack on your temples can ease a pulsating headache.
• Avoid nitrates and nitrites.
What you eat also affects your tendency to suffer from frequent attacks of headaches or migraines. Avoid nitrites and nitrates in processed foods, caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol especially when you have high susceptibility for these food items.
Using Natural Herbs For Headache Relief
Many people are turning to alternative medicine when it comes to treating headaches. The reason for this is that headaches plague so many people and the traditional ways of treating them can be harmful if used to excess. For example, taking too many Tylenol or other pain relieving drugs can cause a problem with your liver. For this reason, when it comes to headaches, some people are turning towards herbal remedies.
One of the most popular herbal remedies when it comes to treating headaches is lavender. Lavender is used in aromatherapy and is one of the few essential oils that can be used directly on the skin. It also comes in pill form as well as in tea. This can help alleviate the pain from headaches.
Another popular herbal remedy for headaches comes from the ginger root. Ginger has been used for centuries to treat nausea but can also be used in a tea to treat discomfort from headaches, especially those resulting from menstrual cramps.
You can try a variety of different herbal remedies for headaches but should be sure to document each one that you try. If you see a doctor about your headaches and are taking medication, you should speak to your doctor before trying herbal remedies for headaches. While natural herbs are generally harmless, you should be sure that there will be no interaction between the herbals and the drug you are currently taking.
If you suffer from migraine headaches, like millions of other people, there are natural herbal remedies to treat these headaches. Migraine headaches are one of the leading causes why people miss work in the United States and millions of people suffer from this disabling illness. What is so troubling about migraine headaches is that no one knows what causes them, although it is thought that they are hereditary.
Rosemary is another one of the popular herbs that can help treat migraines. You should sprinkle rosemary in your food to see if it will have any affect on your headaches. Any time you are using natural herbs to treat headaches, you are better off to grow the herbs at home and use them as fresh as possible. One theory about headaches is that they are the result of environmental hazards such as toxins in the air. By growing your herbs at home, you can eliminate the use of pesticides and make them safer for consumption.
Work with different herbal remedies to treat headaches until you fall upon the one that is best for you. You can also discuss herbal remedies to treat headaches with your doctor as he or she may have more idea on how to combat the pain of troublesome headaches other than the use of medication.
When your symptoms persist, you can then call a doctor.
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