South America Indians may have been the first to use hot peppers for headache pain. The Makusi tribe of Guyana treated headaches by dripping a hot-pepper solution into the nostrils. The Tukano tribe of Columbia had a similar practice, but their method involved a rolled-up leaf to funnel the liquid into the nose. Those practices seem to have scientific validity. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that hot peppers may alleviate cluster headaches.
Cluster Headaches
The International Headache Society has classified the various types of headaches. According to their report published in the 2004 issue of Cephalalgia, a cluster headache is defined as one that keeps coming back with a frequency ranging from at least every other day to as many as eight times per day. To qualify as a cluster headache, episodes must reoccur at least five times in a row. The pain is excruciating and occurs on one side of the head, although the headache may switch sides with each occurrence. Cluster headaches are often accompanied by a secretion of tears, runny nose, nasal congestion, puffy eyes, facial sweating and agitation.
Capsaicin Nasal Spray
Wayne Perry was the first to market a nasal spray whose active ingredient is capsaicin, the chemical that makes hot peppers spicy. Although researchers had already studied capsaicin's ability to relieve cluster headaches beforehand, Perry seems to have independently discovered the effect while doing a self-defense demonstration. He allowed a news reporter to spray him in the face with pepper spray. At the time, he had a cluster headache coming on, and the pepper spray made his headache go away immediately. After having suffered from cluster headaches on and off for many years, he was amazed by how quickly capsaicin relieved him of the pain.
Headache Relief
In a study published in the April 1993 issue of "Cephalalgia," researchers randomly selected patients experiencing cluster headaches to receive a capsaicin treatment administered in the nostrils. Those who were not selected received a placebo. The treatment continued for seven days, and the patients recorded their headache experiences during that period and throughout the following eight days. The study concluded that those who had received the capsaicin noted a significant improvement when compared with the control group.
Side Effects
Capsaicin nasal treatments are fast acting, and they avoid some of the side effects that may accompany other treatments, such as vomiting and painful injections, according to a study published in the 2004 issue of "CNS Drugs." The study also pointed out that the results may be inconsistent depending on the application. However, the biggest obstacle preventing the widespread acceptance of capsaicin as a headache treatment is the unpleasant side effects. Capsaicin often causes teary eyes, burning irritation and a runny nose. After having tried capsaicin, most patients prefer oral remedies. Consult with your doctor before using capsaicin headache treatments.
References
- FAMSI; Ritual Enemas and Snuffs in the Americas; Peter A.G.M. de Smet
- The University of Maryland Medical Center: Cayenne
- "Cephalalgia"; The International Classification of Headache Disorders; 2004
- "Medical News Today"; Hot Peppers, a Natural Alternative to COX Inhibitor Drugs?; December 2004
- "Cephalalgia"; A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Intranasal Capsaicin For Cluster Headache; D.R. Marks, et al.; April 1993
- "CNS Drugs"; Intranasal Medications for the Treatment of Migraine and Cluster Headache; A.M. Rapoport, et al.; 2004
- "Archives of Neurology"; Intranasal Civamide for the Treatment of Episodic Cluster Headaches; J.R. Saper, MD, et al.; 2002
- "Headache"; Substance P Theory: a Unique Focus on the Painful and Painless Phenomena of Cluster Headache; F. Sicuteri, et al.; January 1990
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