Home remedies for a headache

Home Remedies to cure Headaches

 Peppermint Oil

Peppermint contains menthol that helps open up clogged blood vessels that cause headaches. It also has calming and soothing effects.
Mix three drops of peppermint essential oil in one tablespoon of almond oil, olive oil or just water. Massage your forehead and temples with it. Or, you can put crushed fresh peppermint leaves on your forehead.
Alternatively, you can prepare a steam treatment by adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil to a small pot of boiling water. Inhale the steam for a few minutes.

 Basil

Basil works as a muscle relaxant, making it a helpful treatment for mild headaches caused by tense muscles. Plus, it has calming and analgesic effects.
Put three or four fresh basil leaves in a cup of boiling water and let it simmer for a few minutes. Optionally, add a little honey and then sip the tea slowly.
You can also boil one tablespoon of basil leaves or a few drops of basil oil to a pot of boiling water and carefully lean over the pot to take in the steam.
Alternatively, chew some fresh basil leaves or massage your forehead with basil oil mixed with a base oil.

 cayenne

Utilizing something spicy may not sound headache helpful, but cayenne is somewhat revered in the kingdom of natural remedies to treat pain and inflammation. The secret behind its success lies in an ingredient called capsaicin, which inhibits something in our body that is one of the main elements in pain perception called Substance P. In short, Substance P is part of what makes us feel pain, and the capsaicin depletes it. Numerous studies, the first in 1998 in The Clinical Journal of Pain, support that when applied topically to the nasal passages; people experience a significant decrease in the severity of their headaches, all thanks to capsaicin.
You will need…
*1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
*4 ounces of warm water

*cotton swabs
Dilute a ½ teaspoon of cayenne powder in 4 ounces of warm water. Soak a cotton swab in the solution and stir it around to make sure it’s covered-the powder can sometimes sink to the bottom. Apply the moist swab gently to the inside of each nostril until you can feel the heat. It may be a bit unpleasant at first, but take the burning sensation as a sign that it’s working. When it subsides, your headache will hopefully be wiped out, or at the very least better than before.

Mint Juice

Menthol and menthone are the primary components of mint which are very effective in alleviating headaches.
Extract mint juice from a handful of mint leaves and apply it on forehead and temples to treat headache.
You can also place mint tea compresses on the forehead to relieve discomfort. Along with mint juice, corainder juice is also effective in treating headaches.
*Almonds can be a natural remedy and a healthier alternative to other medicine. It acts as a pain reliever because it contains something called salicin, which is also an agent in popular over the counter killers. Try eating a handful or two of these wholesome nuts when you feel the ache start to set in

Black cohosh. 

This native North American plant, which has a history of being used for rheumatism, can be extremely effective in treating headaches associated with what’s known as “black cloud depression.” Because the herb has estrogen effects, it is better for women, but men can take it for short periods as well.

feverfew

Headaches, particularly migraines, can be relieved through the use of the feverfew plant. When a migraine is in the works your blood vessels are changing, and theories suggest that the vessels in your head are expanding and pressing on nerves. Feverfew has been confirmed to relax the tension/constrict blood vessels, easing the painful pressure. It also reduces inflammation and pain overall with a substance called parthenolide, which has results similar to taking a daily aspirin, but without the side effects.
*1 ounce fresh or dried flowers
*1 pint of boiling water
Add 1 ounce of fresh or dried feverfew flowers to 1 pint of boiling one. Steep for 10 minutes, and then strain. Drink half a cup twice a day as needed.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint contains menthol that helps open up clogged blood vessels that cause headaches. It also has calming and soothing effects.Mix three drops of peppermint essential oil in one tablespoon of almond oil, olive oil or just water. Massage your forehead and temples with it. Or, you can put crushed fresh peppermint leaves on your forehead.
Alternatively, you can prepare a steam treatment by adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil to a small pot of boiling water. Inhale the steam for a few minutes.
*It is essential that you avoid headache-inducing substances like MSG (monosodium glutamate), excessive caffeine, alcohol, phenylethylamine found in chocolate and cheese, tyramine found in nuts and fermented meats and soy, and aspartame present in many artificially sweetened foods. If you start getting a headache, steer clear of all devices including your phone, laptop and TV. Eat healthy, and at regular intervals since a drop in blood sugar can set the stage for headaches. At least thrice a week, if not more, spend 30 minutes exercising. And always, we mean always, stay hydrated.

Ginger 

Touted as an elixir for headaches, ginger is a home remedy for instant relief. It helps reduce inflammation of the blood vessels in the head, hence easing the pain. And since it stimulates digestion, it also helps quell the nausea which occurs during migraines.

Wondering how to use this miracle ingredient? Steep ginger root for tea, or mix equal parts of ginger juice and lemon juice and drink up. You can consume this once or twice a day. You can also apply a paste of ginger powder and 2 tablespoons water on your forehead for a few minutes to provide quicker relief.

Ice Pack

The cold from ice helps reduce inflammation that contributes to headaches. Plus, it has a numbing effect on the pain.
Applying an ice pack to the back of your neck can give you relief from a migraine headache.
You can also place a washcloth dipped in ice-cold water over your head for five minutes. Repeat the process several times.
Alternatively, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables as a cold compress. Within half an hour you will feel some relief.
Find some feverfew
Headaches, particularly migraines, can be relieved through the use of the feverfew plant. When a migraine is in the works your blood vessels are changing, and theories suggest that the vessels in your head are expanding and pressing on nerves. Feverfew has been confirmed to relax the tension/constrict blood vessels, easing the painful pressure. It also reduces inflammation and pain overall with a substance called parthenolide, which has results similar to taking a daily aspirin, but without the side effects.
*1 ounce fresh or dried flowers
*1 pint of boiling water
Add 1 ounce of fresh or dried feverfew flowers to 1 pint of boiling one. Steep for 10 minutes, and then strain. Drink half a cup twice a day as needed.

Cinnamon 

Cinnamon is a miracle spice that can effectively treat headaches. Wondering how to use it? Here's help: Grind some cinnamon sticks into a powder, and add some water to make a thick paste. Apply it on your forehead and temples and lie down for 30 minutes. Then wash it off with lukewarm water.
Apply an apple cider vinegar compress
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has a long history in realm of natural remedies. It’s been used to relieve everything from scurvy to hay fever, and just about any other ailment that falls in between. Some modern day studies have proven its effectiveness in treating certain illnesses, but most of its clout lies in the reports of people throughout the centuries who have benefited from it. If you find yourself coming down with a throbbing headache, try getting some quality ACV time into your day in the form of a steam-style treatment.
You will need…
*1/4 cup of ACV
-Roughly 3 cups of boiling water
*1 cup of fresh cool water
Pour ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar into a large bowl, and then fill the bowl halfway with boiling water. Place a towel over your head so that it drapes over the bowl, trapping the steam, and hold your face over it. Make sure your face isn’t so close that it gets burned by the steam. Do this for 5-10 minutes, or when the water starts to cool down, breathing in and out deeply the whole time. When you’re done, use the towel to pat your face dry, and go drink a glass of cool water.

White willow bark.

 White willow bark, like other headache herbal remedies, relieves pain. But as an analgesic, it masks the pain rather than addressing the underlying cause of the headache the way other herbs do. “You have to take it in pretty high doses, but it will work,” says Lawton. “But I would recommend using it in combination with another herb so that the underlying cause can be addressed.

Basic Stretches

A few simple exercises to stretch your head and neck can help reduce the intensity of the headache. Move your chin upwards and downwards, left and right, and bend your neck sideways towards each shoulder. You can also try to slowly rotate the neck in clockwise and anticlockwise directions to help the shoulder and neck muscles relax. So when a headache looms, you know what to do.

Passionflower. 

Traditionally used as a calming herb for such conditions as anxiety and insomnia, passionflower can also be helpful in easing headaches for people of a certain constitution. “As the name suggests, passionflower is good for people who get easily worked up about life,” says Lawton. “For people who are very passionate, who get easily angered, this herb calms the nervous system and makes them less likely to hold onto the headache.

Cloves

Cloves can be used to ease a throbbing headache due to its cooling and pain-relieving properties. Crush a few cloves gently and put them in a sachet or a clean handkerchief. Inhale the smell of the crushed cloves whenever you have a headache until you get some relief from the pain. You can also put 2 drops of clove oil in a tablespoon of coconut oil plus sea salt and gently massage your forehead and temples with it.