Natural Headache Relief for Every Type of Flare-Up—No Meds Needed
Ginger beer for migraines? Peppermint oil for tension pain? These study-backed tips really work
Roughly twice as many women deal with frequent headaches as men, according to a study in The Journal of Headache and Pain. And we may be more susceptible to them in the summer, when high heat and humidity can cause headache-triggering imbalances in brain chemicals. The good news? There are a few natural remedies that can provide fast and effective headache relief. From migraines to tension headaches, keep reading to see the simple fixes for your head pain.
Natural headache relief that works—fast!
While over-the-counter painkillers can also deliver headache relief, they can sometimes trigger unwanted side effects such as GI upset. If you’d prefer to try a natural remedy first, these quick fixes are study-proven to help ease the ache.
Woman's World Answers
Migraine? Sip ginger beer
Kicking back with a bottle of ginger beer (alcoholic or non-alcoholic!) is a refreshing way to get relief from a migraine headache. Zingy ginger root works in the same way as the prescription medication sumatriptan by boosting serotonin, which restricts inflamed blood vessels. It eases migraine pain by 90 percent within two hours, according to a study in the journal Phytotherapy Research. Not a fan of ginger beer? Try sipping ginger tea for natural headache relief instead.
Also smart: Stash a bag of dried beans in the freezer, and at the first sign of a migraine, place it over your eyes. Research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggests this reverses burgeoning migraines entirely for 71 percent of people. The “beanbag” blocks out pain-triggering light, while cold therapy short-circuits pain signals in as little as three minutes.
Sinus headache? Alternate compresses
Switching between warm and cold compresses provides fast and natural sinus headache relief, according to experts at the American Sinus Institute. A warm washcloth draped over your eyes and nose loosens mucus to ease congestion, while a cold one lowers pressure-causing inflammation and numbs pain. Leave the warm compress on for three minutes and the cold one for 30 seconds, alternating until pain eases.
Tension headache? Dab mint
Refreshing peppermint oil provide tension headache relief within 15 minutes when applied to the temples and forehead, say German scientists—results on par with Extra Strength Tylenol. Peppermint oil has a cooling effect that prevents headache-triggering muscle contractions. Simply add two to three drops of peppermint oil into an ounce of vegetable oil and apply to your forehead and temples.
Also smart: The next time you feel a tension headache brewing, close your eyes and ask yourself three questions: “Where is my headache? What color is it? What shape is it?” In under two minutes, the pain will have disappeared. Scientists say asking these questions works similarly to in-office biofeedback, alerting your brain of hidden tensions so you can relax muscles in your head and neck. Indeed, Harvard Medical School research suggests it cuts tension headache pain by up to 60 percent.
Cluster headache? Press here
Acupressure involves applying pressure to certain areas of the body to stimulate key nerves. And experts say it may relieve painful cluster headaches (pain on one side of your head) when you press the fleshy area of your hand between your thumb and index finger. Simply press your right thumb on this area on your left hand (or vice versa—either works!), then firmly massage in a circular motion for two to three minutes until you feel relief.
Tech neck pain? Trace the alphabet
Scrolling on your smartphone forces your neck into a position that can cause head pain that radiates up from the base of your skull. For speed headache relief, lift your head straight, then gently “trace” each letter of the alphabet in the air using your nose. This works like a massage from the inside out, loosening the muscles that connect the neck to the skull and erasing pain before you reach the letter Z.
The bottom line on natural headache relief
If you want to block head pain before it even starts, the National Headache Foundation suggests keeping a headache diary. Simply jot down how long a headache lasts, when it occurs and what happened leading up to it. This can help you spot patterns and triggers that may trigger your head pain, then make the appropriate lifestyle tweaks to reduce your risk of future flare-ups.
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