Four Do-It-Yourself Ways To Combat Headache Pain

Dealing with chronic headaches can make every minute of your day feel miserable and often lead to difficulty having a restful sleep. Although it's ideal to seek the help of a health professional, there's no harm in taking matters into your own hands and trying to find a home remedy that works for you. Instead of relying on drugs, you can often alleviate or completely eliminate your headaches with any number of simple techniques or lifestyle changes. Here are four easy ideas to try.  

Exercise

Exercise can be a valuable tool in your fight against headache pain because of the endorphin hormones released during the activity. Regardless of the type of exercise you perform, your body releases these hormones that contribute to a feeling of happiness. The release of endorphins is why people often experience a "high" during exercise or say that they'd addicted to working out -- it's hard to beat the emotional well-being benefits of this activity. Any type of exercise provides an endorphin release, so pick something that you enjoy, such as walking, jogging or riding your bike.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Buy a small bottle of peppermint essential oil to keep on hand as a simple home remedy for your headaches. When you experience discomfort, place a few drops of this potent oil in your palms and rub the oil in the areas that you feel tension, such as your temples, jawline or scalp. If the oil is too strong, you can dilute it first with ethyl alcohol. When you apply the peppermint, take care to avoid putting it around your eyes, as the fumes can lead to irritation.

Caffeine

Although a common symptom of caffeine withdrawal is a headache, if you don't believe you're experiencing discomfort for this reason, a moderate amount of caffeine can actually reduce your pain. The Cleveland Clinic reports that caffeine can be a suitable remedy for a headache and that many headache pain medications actually include caffeine. To avoid taking medication, look for caffeine in a product such as tea, coffee or chocolate.

Self-Massage

Booking a massage or chiropractic appointment (from professionals such as Davidson Chiropractic Clinic) is a pleasant way to reduce your headache pain, but you can often experience some relief through some self-massage. Apply some oil or cream to your thumbs and fingers and gently knead the skin around your eyebrows, temples and alongside the edges of your nose. Your pressure should be firm but not hard enough to cause discomfort -- the aim is to reduce your pain, not increase it.


Share