Headaches are terrible and they can affect every part of your life. It’s hard to do anything with a headache. Sleep and work are virtually impossible with a bad headache and even with a mild headache can make you very unproductive. There are medicines that you can take that will remedy headaches and alleviate the tension caused by them. The problem with this is that all medicines have side effects, even over the counter medications. The use of acetaminophen has been shown to cause liver damage over time. There are things that you can do to prevent and relieve headaches naturally. Here are a few of those things:
Self-Massage — At the first sign of a headache, you can help relieve the pain by giving yourself a mini-massage. You should use your fingers to apply a light amount of pressure and rub your scalp, neck, shoulders and temples. This can help relieve tension in the muscles and alleviate the pain of a headache. If you feel a headache starting to set in, this is the easiest and most effective natural remedy.
Ice and Heat – After the massage, you should apply ice or heat to the neck and shoulder area and the forehead. You can do ice only or heat only if one is more effective for you. It is typically more effective, however, to alternate between the two.
Herbal remedies – There are several herbal remedies you can use to help treat headaches. Lavender or Peppermint oil can be used in a bath to help relieve stress and relax the pain in your head. Herbal teas can also help with stress, tension, and subsequently headaches.
Avoid certain foods – Certain foods will only serve to worsen headaches. This includes cold food, and gum or anything that requires repeated chewing. Cold foods will make your headache even worse, while gum creates tension in the jaw that will make a headache worse or prevent relief.
Step away from the computer – If you start getting a headache while working on your computer, get up and walk away. Be sure to take regular breaks when working on your computer, prolonged exposure can cause eye strain which, in turn, can cause headaches.
There are a number of ways to help prevent headaches naturally as well, these include:
Drink water – The easiest way to prevent headaches is to drink a lot of water. Dehydration can cause severe headaches, anyone who has had a hangover is familiar with this kind of headache. Drinking water will help keep your body properly hydrated and will help you prevent headaches.
Keep away from sugar – Foods high in sugar and additives such as coloring, preservatives, and artificial flavors can cause headaches and should be avoided. Keep away from these kinds of foods and attempt to substitute more natural foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Headaches are a miserable thing for anybody. Medications are not always the best way to treat them. There are natural ways to prevent and relieve headaches. If headaches have made an impact on your life, try some of these things and you can not only cut down on your headaches but take less harmful medications as well.
Ken Andersen is the owner of Andersen Chiropractic, he will work hard to ensure that you see a significant improvement in you quality of life. For more information, please visit http://drkenandersen.com/services/.
