Healthy Headache Treatments

The pounding pain strikes again! For many of us, headaches are a weekly, and sometimes daily occurrence. If you work in an office, the lighting combined with staring at a computer screen for hours can cause tension headaches that cause soreness between your eyes and sensitivity to light and sounds. Headaches can even cause nausea and dizziness which effects your daily life. Aching, cringing head pain can be too much to bear and can turn you into a hermit hiding in your room for fear of too much noise or light. 

We see it all the time on TV: if you just pop a pill and your problems will be solved– but that isn’t always the case especially for those who face chronic headaches. But did you know that a lot of the items you have in your cupboards and in your fridge can stop those agonizing pain? Whether you have tension headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, rebound headaches, or migraines, what you eat and drink can be just as important as what medicine you decide to take. 

Foods for Thought (and Headache Relief):

• Cantaloupe helps counterbalance headaches caused by high sodium and dehydration. Low blood sugar is a huge headache trigger but the magnesium in cantaloupe helps regulate blood sugar levels.
• Salmon and tuna, as well as other fatty fishes are high in B vitamins and folic acid, which can reduce the risk of getting headaches early. Plus those B vitamins help fight off the headache you already have. 
• Spinach is known to lower blood pressure which can help your headache. Try making it into a salad when you feel a headache coming on.
• Almonds contain something called salicin, which is found in many headache medicines. These work great for tension headaches, but may not be as helpful for a migraine.
• Bananas have vitamin B6, which helps produce brain mellowing serotonin that can help with headaches. Plus it will give you a healthy blood sugar boost which can help negate nausea caused by headaches.
• Potato If you’re dehydrated try eating a potato as they are filled with vitamins A, C, and B6 and can help your headache.
• Cherries contain compounds that convert nitric oxide in the blood, which can help protect against headaches.

Oils to help:

• Basil oil works great as a muscle relaxant and is great for headaches caused by tension.
• Lavender oil not only smells great but can be used for both headaches and migraines. Apply two to four drops to every two cups of boiling water before inhaling.
• Peppermint oil helps control blood flow to the body. Peppermint oil helps to open and close vessels that promote flow.

Teas to Please:

• Chamomile tea can relax you and open your sinuses which can be helpful in the case of a migraine or sinus headache.
• Turmeric tea or Turmeric Ginger Tea is great for treating headaches. Many cultures use ginger to treat headaches, cold and flu symptoms, nausea, pain and inflammation, heartburn and menstrual cramps. Many people drink our Ginger Turmeric to help minimize the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well.
• Two to three cups of Sichuan lovage, a traditional Chinese remedy for headaches, per day can provide headache relief.
• Skullcap is an herbaceous perennial mint that ranges in color from purple and blue to pink and white and can provide quick relaxation and headache relief. 
• Linden flower tea prevents the small capillary back-ups which lead to headaches.

Remember: staying hydrated is incredibly important when treating and preventing headaches. Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue. Making sure that you and your family drink enough water is the most important thing you can do to keep everyone healthy and headache-free.

To read more about herbal teas for headaches, click here.

To read about essential oils, click here.