Top 20 Home Remedies for Headache

Updated on January 2nd, 2020
Home Remedies for Headache

Headaches are the worst. They attack you at any odd hour if the day and leave you reeling with pain, dizziness, and nausea till you are forced to pop in a dozen ineffective pills that leave you feeling sick all the more.

Migraines, sinuses, and headaches caused by tension, stress and anxiety are best treated at home with certain natural remedies for headaches with available ingredients that work like magic and soothe your headache away in no time. Let’s have a look at some of the home remedies for a headache.

A few helpful precautionary measures for preventing attacks of headaches include-

  • Stay away from negativity and stress.
  • Avoid overexposure to computer and television
  • Keep calm and stay positive.
  • Eat healthy food and stay away from junk.
  • Sleep for eight hours daily.
  • Take baths every day in lukewarm water
  • Avoid skipping of meals and take meals on time
  • Listen to music, read a book and indulge in such activities for an hour or so every day that helps to relax your brain.
  • Go for morning and evening walks as it helps to cut down on stress.
  • Live a healthy life.

Home Remedies for Headache

Elucidated below are twenty different headache home remedies that are natural, highly effective and are not associated with any side-effects whatsoever!

The next time you get a nasty headache, God forbid that you don’t, try out these amazing instant home remedies for headache given below.

Apart from opting for one of these natural remedies please make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day as dehydration is the chief cause of headaches. Drink a glass of water at every hour, take a few health drinks that are rich in electrolytes, or go for a cup of warm milk or tea.

Top 20 Home Remedies for Headache

1. Oil of Lavender:

Lavender oil cures headaches through soothing aromatherapy. Because of the soft and sweet fragrance of lavender, its oil is highly effective in treating sinus attacks and headaches. Lavender oil can be inhaled or applied to the forehead for curing headaches.

  • Boil three to four cups of fresh water.
  • Add a few drops of oil of lavender to the boiling water.
  • Inhale the fragrant water vapor with deep breaths.

This provides instant relief from headaches. This is the perhaps the easiest and most effective natural remedies for sinus headache. Do not consume the oil and keep it out of reach of children.

2. Oil of Peppermint:

Oil of Peppermint for headaches

One of the primary causes of headaches is a poor flow of blood to the brain. This causes dizziness, nausea and terribly painful headaches. Peppermint oil is quite effective in establishing a proper flow of blood to the brain.

  • Take a tablespoon each of almond oil and olive oil in a bowl.
  • Add a few drops of peppermint oil(1) to the mixture.
  • Massage your forehead and neck with the mixture of essential oils for instant relief from headaches.

This too is another example of aromatherapy that is highly effective in curing headaches.

3. Ginger:

Inflammation and swelling of blood vessels leading to the brain are one of the major causes of headaches.

But wondering how do you get rid of a headache?That too, with Ginger? Well, Ginger can provide immediate relief from headaches by working in the inflammation and reducing them and as such is considered to be one of the most effective home remedies.

  • Crush a ginger root to make a pulp and extract its juice.
  • Take a tablespoon of the ginger juice and mix it with a tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Consume this mixture twice or thrice in a day.
  • Take a teaspoon of ground ginger powder and mix it with water to form a smooth paste.
  • Smear your forehead with this paste and keep it on for five to ten minutes.

The paste acts as a natural balm and soothes headaches. Another way is to inhale ginger vapors.

  • Put three cups of water to boil.
  • Add ginger powder to the boiling water and inhale the gingery steam vapors in deep breaths.
  • Simply chewing on ginger is often effective in curing headaches especially if you are suffering from one due to common cold and runny nose.

4. Juice of Mint leaves:

Top 20 Home Remedies for Headache

This is one of the most highly effective natural remedies for sinus headaches. Mint possesses menthol and menthone which cure headaches in a trice.

  • Fill a bowl to the brim with mint leaves.
  • Crush the leaves to extract all its mint juice.
  • Smear your temples and forehead with mint juice and leave it on till the headache disappears.
  • Add a few drops of mint juice to a steaming mug of black tea and take it for instant relief from migraines.

5. Basil Leaves:

Basil possesses soothing and analgesic properties.

  • Take a cup of water and put it on boil.
  • Add a few leaves of basil to the boiling water. Let the water simmer down.
  • Add a tablespoon of honey to the basil and water concoction and sip this slowly for effectively curing your headache.
  • Another method would be to boil a vessel of water with a handful of basil leaves or a teaspoonful of basil oil in it.
  • Steam the mixture and take in the warm basil vapors to cure your headache.
  • Massage your aching forehead with basil oil and chew on three to four basil leaves to alleviate the headache.

6. Ice Pack:

Ice compress curing inflammatory pain and headaches

An ice compress helps in curing inflammatory pain and headaches.

  • Wrap a few ice cubes in a polythene packet and press it to your forehead, neck and shoulders.
  • It can provide instant relief.
  • If this feels too cold, then take a rag or cloth, dip that in ice cold water and then place the cloth on your forehead for a few minutes.
  • Dip the cloth again and lay it on your forehead. Repeat this till the pain diminishes.
  • Fill a thin cloth bag with frozen vegetables and fruits and press it against your neck and forehead to reduce the throbbing pain.

[ Read: Naturopathic Remedies for Headache ]

7. Oil of Rosemary:

Oil of rosemary contains rosemarinic acid which is loaded with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is this organic acid that helps to alleviate the pain of awful headaches. Rosemary oil is highly effective amongst all the natural remedies for severe headache.

  • Crush a handful of rosemary leaves and combine it with a handful of crushed sage leaves.
  • Add a cup of water to the mix and boil it.
  • Cover the boiling pot and keep it so for ten minutes.
  • Let this cool and then drink the concoction.
  • Take this twice or thrice a day for the best results.
  • Another method of curing headaches with rosemary is to massage your temples with a few drops of rosemary oil mixed with a teaspoon of non-scented oil.

However, if you are a patient of hypertension or epilepsy then this treatment will not be that effectual.

8. Cloves:

how to cure a headache

Cloves are excellent for cooling, soothing and relieving properties and are a perfect answer for how to cure a headache.

  • Crush a teaspoon of cloves gently.
  • Wrap the crushed cloves in a dry and clean cloth and inhale its pungent odor till a headache dissipates.
  • Another method to reduce the pain of headaches is to massage your forehead with a combination of a few drops of clove oil with non-scented oil for a few minutes until the pain disappears.
  • Mix two teaspoons of coconut oil with a few drops of clove oil and a pinch of salt.
  • Massage your temple gently with the oil mix and the headache will be rid of in an instant.

9.Apple Cider Vinegar or Apples:

Be it an apple or apple cider vinegar, both are effective in balancing the alkaline and acidic levels in the human body. An apple a day keeps the nasty headaches away. Just have a fresh, red apple with a pinch of salt followed by a big glass of water for relieving yourself from a headache.

  • For the vinegar, add a couple drops of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and drink the mixture thrice a day and the headache will go away.
  • Take a glass bowl and pour a glass of steamy hot water into it.
  • Add three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar(2) to the steaming water.
  • Hold a towel over your head and inhale the vapors of apple cider vinegar for about ten to fifteen minutes.

10. Acupressure:

Acupressure works by applying massaging pressure on the pressure points for a headache and is one of the best natural remedies for migraines.

  • Massage and press the area on your forehead between your thumb and index finger at the spot of the highest muscle when both the fingers are made to meet.
  • Do this till the pain disappears completely.

However, if you are pregnant then acupressure is not for you.

11. Water:

causes of headaches is dehydration

One of the chief causes of headaches is dehydration of the body. Hydration of your body is the best natural medicine for headaches.

  • Drink a glass of water with small sips at every hour of the day to get rid of a throbbing headache.
  • Mix a teaspoon each of salt and sugar with cool water and drink this homemade ORS for the most effective cure.

12. Lemons:

When life gives you headaches (lemons) make lemonade. Yes. Do. A glass of cool lemonade soothes nausea and headaches quite effectively. It refreshes the body and cures headaches with its fragrance and its contents that balance the acidity and alkalinity levels of the human body.

  • Juice out half a lemon and add it to a glass of lukewarm water.
  • Drink this mixture to cure your headache.
  • Another method of using lemons to cure headaches is to crush the lemon peel into powder.
  • Mix it with a few tablespoons of water to form a smooth paste.
  • Smear this paste on your forehead to relieve yourself of the throbbing pain.

13. Cinnamon:

herb cinnamon is the best natural remedies for headaches

The herb cinnamon is highly effective against headaches that are rooted in common cold and flu.

  • Take a handful of cinnamon sticks and crush them into a fine powder.
  • Add a few teaspoons of water to the powder and stir well to make a smooth paste.
  • Smear this paste on your forehead and leave it on for about half an hour.
  • Rinse the paste off with lukewarm water.

This is one of the best natural remedies for headaches.

14. Betel Leaf:

Being analgesic in nature, betel leaf is highly efficient in curing headaches.

  • Take two to three fresh and crisp betel leaves and put them in a small grinder.
  • Grind the leaves into a smooth paste.
  • Smear your forehead and temple with this paste and leave it on for about half an hour.
  • Another simple method to get rid of a minor headache is to chew on a couple of fresh betel leaves.

15. Cayenne:

Top 20 Home Remedies for Headache

If you are looking for an instantaneous relief then opting for a couple of fresh cayenne can be a good choice.

  • You will need a glass of lukewarm water, a couple of cotton balls and half a teaspoon of powdered cayenne.
  • Dilute the powdered cayenne by adding a few tablespoons of lukewarm water to it.
  • When the powder turns into a thick paste, dip the cotton balls into it and make sure that the entire swab of cotton is soaked in cayenne paste.
  • Dab your nostrils with the cayenne soaked cotton or rather pucker them up into a small ball of cotton and insert them into your nostrils.
  • This might burn a little but the heat that you will feel up your nose will give you instant relief from an awful headache.
  • Keep the cotton balls inside for about ten to fifteen minutes in spite of the burning sensation.
  • Take them out and you will see that the headache has disappeared.

16. Eucalyptus:

Eucalyptus oil(3) is popular amongst headache home remedies owing to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. It helps to relax taut muscles thus contributing to doing away with the throbbing headaches.

  • Add four to five drops of oil of eucalyptus to non-scented carrier oil and massage your forehead with the mixture.
  • Rub and massage gently for about fifteen to twenty minutes and the pain will begin to alleviate.

17. Green Tea:

Green Tea helps to stop a headache

A cup of hot green tea is good enough to drive away any kind of headaches be it rooted in work stress or common cold. Being rich in anti-oxidants green tea can cure headaches quite effectively and check your wandering thoughts from thinking anymore on how to stop a headache.

  • For the preparation of this remedy at home you will need a cup of warm water, a green tea bag and half a slice of lemon.
  • Dip the tea bag in the cup of warm water and prepare the tea.
  • Do not make it too strong or pungent.
  • Squeeze the lemon slice to extract its juice.
  • Add two to three tablespoons of this lemon juice stir well till the juice gets properly blended.
  • Sip the tea slowly.
  • Do not have more than two cups at a time. The headache will slowly diminish.

18. Watermelons:

How to relieve headache and feel refreshed? The answer is a cool slice of watermelon.It helps in cutting down stress thereby relieving you of your terrible headache.

  • For preparing this remedy at home you will need a watermelon and some sugar.
  • Take a generous slice of watermelon and grind it in a fruit blender to extract its juice.
  • Pour the juice into a clean glass and a teaspoon of sugar to it.
  • Refrigerate the juice for an hour or so but do not deep freeze it.
  • Stir the juice after it’s cold enough to suit your taste and sip at it slowly.

The coolness refreshes and relaxes your stressed-out mind and cures your headache.

19. Feverfew:

feverfew ancient herbal medicine

This is an ancient herbal medicine indigenous to China but available worldwide. Feverfew is a fragrant herb that cures headaches through aromatherapy.

    • It eliminates headaches by acting on the inflammation in blood vessels leading to the brain.
  • Feverfew suppresses the feelings of nausea and dizziness with its aroma.
  • About 250-300 grams of feverfew consumed twice a day is enough to cure major attacks of migraines and sinuses in a couple weeks.

As such it is an excellent remedy for sinuses and migraines.

20. Essential Oils:

The most effective home remedy for painful headaches is a concoction of fragrant essential oils. It is easy to prepare a blend of these oils.

  • Take a teaspoonful each of sage oil, chamomile oil and lavender oil in a glass bottle and shake the bottle for a minute or two.
  • While sage oil helps to regulate your blood pressure that often rises during a headache attack, lavender oil acts as an effective analgesic and reduces the pain almost instantly.
  • Chamomile oil is used in the relaxation of tense muscles.
  • Prepare a warm bath for yourself. Add two to three tablespoons of the mixture of essential oils to the warm bath.
  • Soak yourself in the bath and gently massage your face, arms, legs, and body while in the warm water for about twenty minutes.

The essential oils will take away your stress and cure your headache.

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