Headaches are one of the most common ailments people get. Headaches have a variety of causes and can range in intensity from mild to severe pain. Pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen can ease the pain and let you get back to your activities, but there are others things you can do to relieve your headache.
Tension Headache
Tension or stress headaches are the most common forms of headaches. They can be caused by stress, fatigue, noise or glare, which makes muscles in the neck, back and shoulders tense up and cause a headache. To relieve a tension headache, if you can, get away from what might be causing it. Relax, take a nap and find a quiet place with dim light. Massage the area around your ears and temples. Apply a cold pack to the back of your neck and a heating pad to your shoulders, relieving the pain with the cold and the tension with the heat.
Another thing you can do is acupressure. Press your thumb into the fleshy part between your thumb and pointer finger for 20 seconds and repeat every 5 seconds. Use a compress with warm water and essential oils such as lavender or peppermint. Apply the compress to the forehead or back of the neck.
Migraine
Migraines are long-lasting, intense headaches. More than 70 percent of migraine sufferers say that they feel the migraine in one half of the head at a time. Migraines are three times more likely to hit women than men.
One of the causes of a migraine is the rush of blood to the head. Constricting these blood vessels by applying cold compresses to your head will help bring relief. Dipping your fingers in cold water and applying them to your neck and back will also work.
Caffeine has been shown to relieve a migraine. If your migraine has not been caused by caffeine, caffeine may be the cure. Drink a glass of soda or a cup of coffee to get caffeine into your bloodstream.
Migraines often are caused by smell or noise, so leaving the environment may help immensely.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are extremely painful. This headache is characterized by the sudden intense pain you feel in one part of your head, usually behind the eye. The initial pain drops off rather quickly, leaving a longer dull pain in its wake. While there is usually no warning with this type of headache, there are preventative measures you can take. Various drugs include verapamil, prednisone and lithium carbonite (discuss these with your doctor).
Stick to a regular sleeping schedule, avoid alcohol, tobacco and nitrates, and stay away from high altitudes as much as possible. Once a cluster headache comes on, several things may stop it, such as oxygen, sumatriptan or lidocaine.
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