How to relieve migraine headache?
A migraine headache is characterized by a throbbing pain that normally occurs at one side of the head and lasts for about four to seventy-two hours. People normally experience sensory warning signs, including blind spots, flashes of light, increased sensitivity to light and sound, tingling in arms and legs, nausea and vomiting. Irritability, food cravings, a stiff neck, constipation, and frequent yawning may also occur as a sign of migraine headache. Migraine headaches may also likely trigger allergies, stress, smoking, consuming alcohol, irregular sleep, dehydration, and low blood sugar.
Though migraine headache cannot be completely eradicated, some of the home remedies to relieve migraine headaches are:
- Apple Cider vinegar: As it is a nutritional powerhouse, Apple Cider vinegar helps to reduce migraine. It also helps to offer benefits like: elimination of harmful toxins from the body that results in (headache, sluggishness, fatigue, weight fluctuation, acid, etc), controlling blood sugar, regulating high blood pressure, reducing bone pain, and relieving constipation.
Methods of preparing Apple Cider Vinegar:
- Add one teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar to a glass of water
- Mix one tablespoon of honey.
Drink this mixture daily in order to reduce migraine headaches. Develop the habit of taking Apple Cider Vinegar by taking one tablespoon of the mixture each day and increase the intake gradually.
- Ice pack: Using an ice pack is the most common method of reducing the migraine headache.
Process of using Ice pack:
Wrap a few ice cubes in a clean towel and place it on your temples, forehead and/or the back of your neck for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat the process as needed. You can also try alternating hot and cold compresses for about 15 minutes, as needed. For better results, add lavender and/or peppermint essential oils to the water for the compress.
- Peppermint: The anti-inflammatory property of peppermint helps soothe the nerves. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that the fragrance of the peppermint reduces the headaches.
Process of reducing headache pains using peppermint:
- Simply drink peppermint tea sweetened with honey. Repeat as needed.
- You can also massage each of your temples with one drop of peppermint essential oil or a combination of peppermint and lavender oils. Leave it on for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Perform this process a few times a day until you get relief.
Ginger: Research indicates that ginger may prove effective in the treatment of common migraines. It blocks prostaglandins, which are chemicals that promote muscle contractions, impact hormones and regulate inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. Most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) too work by reducing the production of these chemicals.
- Drink ginger tea a few times throughout the day until you get relief. Make sure to drink it as you experience headache.
- Simply chewing on a piece of raw ginger root will also help treat the problem and relieve symptoms like nausea and digestive distress.
Feverfew: Headaches, particularly migraines, can be relieved through the use of the feverfew plant. When a migraine is in work, 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 works in a similar way as a daily aspirin, but without the side effects.
Other simple remedies to reduce migraine headaches include:
- Diet fixes: Fixing one’s diet is another important reducing to relieve oneself from migraine headache. Certain foods shows to affect the frequency and severity of headaches and migraine pain, including dairy; chocolate; peanut butter; certain fruits, such as avocado, banana, and citrus; onions; meats with nitrates, such as bacon and hot dogs. Track the record of these foods and your body reaction to them so as to make decision on the intake of those foods.
- Scalp massage: Scalp massages can be an effective way to alleviate migraine pain, and they feel great. Researchers in Brazil showed that massaging the greater occipital nerve- the area in the back of the head, at the base of the skull- reduces migraine pain.Massage in general has been identified as a useful home remedy for headaches, and especially reflexology (massaging reflex points on the hands and feet).
- Reducing caffeine intake: If you regularly consume large amount caffeine, you are more prone to migraine headaches. Limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg a day- which is roughly one 8-ounce cup of coffee.
- Stay committed to sleeping habits: A study of 2010 found that sleep deprived people experience changes in key migraine related proteins. Staying committed to your sleeping habits help to reduce migraine headaches.
