Natural remedies for headaches
Headaches, also called “headaches”, are frequent pains centered in the skull. They can affect the entire population, adults and children alike, regardless of age or gender.
The headache can come on suddenly, be chronic or come back episodically. There are three main types of headaches: tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches.
Depending on their type and causes, headaches are sometimes accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, severe fatigue, a cold or even nausea. In some severe cases, headaches can be a sign of a serious illness.
The different types of headaches
These different types of headaches are differentiated by their trigger conditions, their location in the skull (forehead, half of the head or the whole head), their intensity (mild, moderate or intense pain) as well as their duration.
- Tension headache: Tension headache is caused by contraction of the muscles in the neck area and back of the head, or the muscles of the jaw due to stress. This tension triggers irritation of the nerves in the head and neck, and therefore causes a headache. The most common symptom of headache type headaches is a feeling of tightness around the head, which extends to the neck. Its duration can range from a few hours to several days. A tension headache is considered chronic if it persists for more than 15 days per month.
- Migraine: Migraine is a headache of strong to moderate intensity, felt in a specific location, which manifests itself as a pulsing sensation inside the head. The causes are diverse: great fatigue , a state of stress, annoyances, strong emotions, vision problems or even hormonal disorders.
Migraines can last from a few hours to a few days, and occur several times a year or several times a week. Depending on the intensity of the pain, it can prevent you from carrying out daily activities.
- Cluster headache : also called Horton's headache, cluster headache is a condition characterized by recurrent and frequent headaches, rapid but of high intensity, located in or around one eye. It can cause redness, watery eyes, but also a runny nose or nasal congestion. Horton's headache is quite rare, the most common headaches are tension headaches and migraines.
The different causes of headaches
The causes of headaches are still relatively poorly understood. Several risk factors nevertheless favor their appearance such as stress , anxiety , fatigue, a cervical problem, hormonal changes, consumption of substances harmful to health (alcohol, drugs, etc.), increased consumption of coffee, overconsumption of medications intended to relieve headaches, wearing glasses that are not suitable for your eyesight or even emerging vision problems (myopia for example). A hostile environment (pressure, noise, temperature, etc.) can also cause headaches.
If symptoms last more than three days, the headache becomes severe, or is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, feeling generally unwell, or seizures , you should You should consult a doctor very quickly.
Natural remedies for headaches
To relieve the pain associated with headaches, there are natural remedies as well as simple tips accessible to everyone:
- Prepare lemon compresses: lemon has useful properties for decongesting and reducing pain due to a headache. To do this, you can prepare compresses with lemon juice, apply them to the painful area (forehead, temples, etc.) and leave them to act for several minutes.
- Use rosemary: thanks to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, rosemary is known to calm a migraine. It can be used in the form of herbal tea or inhaled by diluting a few rosemary extracts in hot water.
- Apply peppermint essential oil: peppermint is a natural painkiller thanks to its antispasmodic and analgesic actions helping to relieve headaches. It is recommended to dilute a few drops of peppermint essential oil in a vegetable oil, and place this mixture on the temples with a light massage three to four times a day.
- Use lavender essential oil: just like peppermint, lavender has antispasmodic, analgesic and calming properties. Lavender essential oil helps reduce a headache caused by stress or an anxiety attack. It can be used to massage the forehead, temples and neck, three to four times a day depending on the intensity of the pain.
The essential oils of sweet basil, eucalyptus, marjoram and chamomile can also be effective in calming a headache.
- Drink a ginger infusion: ginger is effective in fighting headaches. In fact, its roots have an action similar to that of anticoagulant aspirin. The ideal is to consume it as an infusion, by diluting ginger powder in hot water.
- Adopt tiger balm: with its refreshing and analgesic effects, tiger balm provides many health benefits, including relieving headaches. It can be applied as a massage to the forehead or temples.
- Cold: cold is ideal for relieving a headache thanks to its vasoconstrictor action. It is advisable to leave an ice compress on the painful part of the head for several minutes.
- Take a hot foot bath: in a few minutes, hot water dilates the blood vessels in the feet, thus drawing blood from the head towards the feet. The vessels located in the head will then decongest, and the pain will gradually ease.
- Drink plenty of water: Sometimes some headaches are caused by a lack of hydration. It is therefore advisable to drink several glasses of water, slowly and spaced out the intakes.
- Promote a better environment: to relieve headaches, it is essential to renew the indoor air of the place in which you are located (because too high a temperature can cause headaches), and/or to isolate yourself in peace and in a dark place.
- Take calming herbal supplements: Knowing that headaches can be caused by stress or lack of sleep, calming and relaxing herbal supplements can be of great help.
Délicure offers CBD gummies, candies and oils, as well as “No Stress” and “Sleep” gummies. These products are natural, vegan and made in France:
- Gummies, candies and oils enriched with CBD are ideal for promoting a state of relaxation and reducing stress.
- No Stress gummies are effective in protecting and soothing the nervous system during a stressful situation thanks to their combination of vitamin B6, amino acid GABA and plants (rhodiola, saffron and holy basil).
- As for Sleep gummies , they are composed of melatonin (sleep hormone), vitamins (B5 and B6) and plants (linden, passionflower and poppy) ideal for making it easier to fall asleep and promoting better quality sleep.
Be careful, however, natural remedies for headaches cannot replace drug treatment. If symptoms persist over time, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor quickly.
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