Headache is a common complaint in most people. It is defined as pain in the head or upper neck. It tend to make everything seem worse, and, in extreme cases, it can make anything seem impossible. It can affect a small portion of the head, such as the eyes or temples, or it can affect the entire head. While painful and annoying, the majority of headaches do not indicate a serious disorder and, in non-chronic cases, may be relieved by medicines and/or changes in lifestyle.
What are the types of headaches?
There are 2 types of headaches: primary and secondary. Primary headaches are migraine, cluster and tension headaches.
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Tension headaches may be the most common and least painful of all headaches accounting for 70% of headaches. This type of headache results in tightness of the muscles of the head and neck. The exact causes aren't well understood, but a growing theory is that stress (physical, emotional, work-related, or otherwise) is the culprit. Women are more likely to develop tension headaches than men but it is most common in adults and adolescents. Tension headache usually occurs in isolated incidents but can become chronic for some people.
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Migraine headaches are described as a severe, throbbing headache often with symptoms of sickness and sensitivity to light and sound. They are the second most common type of primary headache. As is the case for tension headaches, the cause of migraine headaches is still being researched. There is some thought that an imbalance in the nervous system, especially in the trigeminal nerve, may trigger dilation and inflammation of blood vessels in the head. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected.
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Cluster headaches are far less common than other types of headaches and, unlike migraines and tension headaches, affect men more than women. The average age of cluster headache sufferers is 28-30 years of age, although headaches may begin in childhood. An exact cause hasn't been identified, but brain scans on patients suffering from cluster headaches reveal abnormal activity in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for regulating our internal clocks. The pain is typically a sharp, stabbing pain located behind one of the eyes and usually lasts for 30 to 45 minutes.
Secondary headaches are those that are due to an underlying structural problem in the head or neck. They are caused by an underlying disorder such as brain tumour, infection or injury.
What are the causes of headache?
Tension and Stress are probably the leading cause for most headaches and migraines. Some other common causes of headaches and migraines include:
- Depression and Anxiety
- Lack of Sleep
- Low Blood Sugar and Dehydration because of skipped meals or Diabetes
- Caffeine or lack of - it is very common for someone to get a headache if they did not get their usual amount.
- Some foods like chocolate, cheese, nuts or any food containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) may cause a headache
- Eyestrain (From the TV, computer, driving in the rain, reading in dim light, etc.)
- Certain scents (perfumes and colognes, diesel or other industrial smells, cleansers, etc.)
- Certain tones or sounds
- Over stimulation
- Sunlight
- Abrupt change in weather
What are the natural remedies for headache?
While reaching for an aspirin may seem like the quickest and easiest fix, it really only offers you a temporary solution, and one that can bring on a stomachache while working on your headache. Indeed, pharmaceutical medications only mask symptoms and do not effect true healing of the underlying condition; on top of that, they come with many potential serious side effects.
So, once you determine you have a primary headache, here are several great natural headache remedies:
- Apply ice pack to neck and upper back for tension headaches caused by stress, worry, depression, anger or food allergies.
- Many headaches are caused by dehydration, which causes muscle contraction. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day is recommended, not only to prevent and relieve headaches but essential to maintaining general well-being.
- Make a cold herbal compress by wetting a cloth in ice-cold water or placing a damp cloth in the freezer for ten minutes. Add two drops of peppermint oil to the cloth and apply it to the painful area for 15 minutes.
- Acupuncture or acupressure is a commonly used method to treat stress or chronic headaches.
- Apply a hot water bottle, hot towel or heating pad to the neck and shoulders to relax tight muscles.
- Massage is effective for relieving muscle tension in the head, neck and shoulders, and reducing stress. It can help to relieve tension headaches in some people.
- Avoid bright lights if they cause headaches to you. Staying in a room with minimal lighting can provide relief to headache pain.
- Allergic-type reactions are responsible for headaches in many people. Certain foods may trigger headaches in one person, while something else does in another. Foods that are high in preservatives and sugars are often associated with headaches, so limit your intake.
- Take a hot bath. The hot water helps to release contracted muscles and generally relaxes the whole body, thus relieving tension headaches.
- Establish regular sleeping hours and get sufficient amount of sleep every day. The lack of or too much sleep may trigger headaches.
- Poor posture can put a strain on your neck. Don't sit, stand or work in one position for long periods of time. Good posture places minimal strain on your muscle, ligaments and bones.
- Exercise can relieve headaches that are caused by stress. Jogging, swimming and taking a brisk walk will improve blood circulation, release tension and relax your body.
Different natural headache remedies work for different people, so you need to experiment to find out which ones suit you best.
