According to the Harvard Medical School, 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women have at least one headache every year. Though many people automatically reach for over-the-counter pain relievers when headaches strike, natural remedies may also be a good option for some people.
Types
There are several different types of headaches that respond well to natural remedies. Tension headaches, the most common variety of headache, according to Northwestern Health Sciences University, are caused by tightened muscles in your scalp, head and neck, and can be treated naturally. Sinus headaches are often seasonal and are caused by inflammation in your sinus cavities, and natural treatments may help them, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Migraine headaches are the second-most common headache, but they usually require medication for treatment, according Northwestern Health Sciences University.
Identification
Knowing what kind of headache you have will help you decide if a natural remedy is the best treatment. Tension headaches often feel like tightness or pressing on both sides of your head, while sinus headaches hurt your face and head, getting worse when you bend down or lean over. Sinus headache pain is usually worst in the morning when you first wake up and improves as the day progresses. Migraines are usually characterized by throbbing pain accompanied by increased nausea to lights and sounds and by nausea.
Prevention/Solution
To treat tension headaches, the Harvard Medical School recommends using a heating pad or hot compress, or taking a warm bath or shower to relax tight muscles in your back, shoulders and neck. For a headache already in progress, use a cold pack on your temples to constrict blood vessels and relieve pain. For sinus headaches, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends Sinupret, a proprietary combination of herbs, including elder and vervain, to thin and drain mucus. For both sinus and tension headaches, massage and relaxation techniques can offer relief. Two drops of peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender oil dissolved in a cup of water may also make a useful compress to treat headache pain, according to Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Benefits
Using natural remedies to treat your headache may reduce the likelihood of future headaches, according to Penn State Hershey Medical Center. As many as a third of all persistent headaches are caused by overuse of painkiller medication, a phenomenon called the rebound effect. When people use pain medication to treat a headache for more than three days, stopping the medication causes the headache to recur. Using natural remedies instead of medication reduces this risk.
Warning
In some cases, persistent headaches can be a sign of a more serious health problem. If headaches are an ongoing problem, see a health care professional for diagnosis.
