A headache can be a little uncomfortable or unbearable depending on the severity. You must have had a headache at some point that felt pounding, pulsing, burning, or disoriented. While some headaches are short-lived and intense, others are persistent and chronic. If you have a headache that is hampering your daily life activities, you should be aware of the remedies. In this write-up, we will discuss how to get rid of the headache with natural remedies and medications.
How To Get Rid of The Headache?
Natural Remedies
1. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is a very common cause of headaches. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated prevents dehydration headaches. Aim for around 2 liters of fluid intake per day, more if you are exercising and sweating. Coconut water, fruit juices, and herbal teas can also help with hydration.
2. Apply a Cold Compress
So, how to get rid of the headache? Applying something cold like an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel to your head and neck provides simple but effective headache relief. The cold helps reduce inflammation that causes pain and constricts blood vessels. Apply for 10-15 minutes a few times a day when needed.
3. Limit Caffeine Intake
Contrary to popular belief, too much caffeine can trigger headaches or migraines. If you are used to several cups of coffee or soda per day, cut back to see if this provides relief. However, do not quit caffeine completely if you are used to daily intake, as withdrawal can also cause headaches.
4. Use Essential Oils
Essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus provide natural pain relief due to their anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. For headache relief, dilute a few drops of oil in a carrier oil and massage onto temples, forehead and back of neck.
5. Stay in a Dark, Quiet Room
If you are wondering how to get rid of the headache, you should search for a cool, dark, quiet room and close your eyes to give your senses a break. Use sunglasses if you have to go in the sunlight or a headset if loud noise is unavoidable. Give your sensory organs a break to ease headache pain.
6. Massage Pressure Points
Using your own hands, massage gentle, firm pressure to pressure points on the body that correspond to headache pain relief. Common points are the temples, ridge of the eyebrows near the nose, back of the neck, upper back and shoulders. Use small circular motions at these points for several minutes to relieve tension.
7. Use a Warm Compress
Just as cold provides headache relief, so can warmth. Try applying a warm cloth to your forehead and temples. You can use a heated pack or soak a towel. Soaking feet in hot water is another good option. The comforting warmth eases away achiness and improves blood flow.
8. Limit Alcohol
Alcohol causes dehydration and also triggers an inflammatory response in the body, resulting in headaches in many people. Limiting alcohol consumption is an easy tip to reduce the frequency and intensity of painful headaches. Know your personal tolerance level and avoid going over it.
9. Herbal Teas and Supplements
Certain herbal teas and supplements have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties that can ease headaches. You can try ginger tea, willow bark, turmeric, Omega 3’s or B2 vitamins. Always check with your doctor before trying new supplements, especially with other medical conditions or medications.
2. Medications
If the natural remedies didn't work for you are you are still looking for how to get rid of the headache, you can try medications that include-
1. Pain Relievers
Common OTC pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen can be more effective when prescribed in higher doses by a doctor. These are usually the first choice for tension, migraine, or occasional headaches.
2. Combination Drugs
Many medications combine acute pain relievers with caffeine or butalbital to enhance their effects. These work quickly to restrict blood vessels and address pain, nausea, and light sensitivity associated with severe migraines.
3. Triptans
Triptans are a family of drugs specifically developed to treat migraines before they become severe. They block pain pathways and reverse swelling of blood vessels that cause migraine pain. Sumatriptan and zolmitriptan are two common triptan drugs prescribed.
4. Preventative Medications
For people who experience chronic migraines and want to find out how to get rid of the headache, preventative daily medications are used to reduce the frequency and severity. These include propranolol or topiramate. Botox injections every 3 months may also prevent migraines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the main types of headaches?
A: The four main types of headaches are tension headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches caused by sinus congestion, and headaches caused from medication overuse.
Q: What triggers headaches?
A: Common headache triggers include stress, lack of sleep, skipping meals, hormone fluctuations, some foods like aged cheese, and environmental factors like weather changes or bright lights. Headaches can also result from conditions like sinus infections or eye strain.
Q: When are headaches a sign of something serious?
A: Contact your doctor if headaches are sudden and severe, come with neurological symptoms like weakness or vision changes, happen after an injury or accident, happen regularly early morning or prevent sleep, or are accompanied by high fever, stiff neck, confusion, or convulsions.
Q: How can you prevent headaches?
A: Keeping a consistent daily routine, staying hydrated, limiting alcohol and caffeinated beverages, avoiding headache food triggers, managing stress, sleeping enough, and addressing any underlying medical issues can often prevent headaches.
Overview
Knowing how to get rid of the headache can provide more complete and effective relief. Unless they are accompanied by other symptoms, headaches are a common occurrence and typically don't indicate anything dangerous. But it can complicate things by impairing your capacity to concentrate on work or other duties. It is not recommended to depend solely on the remedies for treatment, you must consult your healthcare professional if it gets worse.
