Whether due to a long day at work or because of the weather, headaches can put a damper on your whole day. To solve the problem you need to determine first what sort of headache you have.
For example, if you have seasonal or other allergies, consider what you’ve been exposed to throughout the day. If you’re sure it’s related to allergies or weather, you are likely to have a sinus congestion headache. If the headache gets worse when you look at bright lights or hear loud sounds, you may have a migraine.
Finally, if you’re headache is related to the consumption of alcohol, you may have a hangover headache, which can be accompanied by nausea, diarrhea and fatigue. Once you’ve determined the source of your pain, you can find ways to avoid the problem before or alleviate the pain after it happens. Try some of these remedies to help you out.
Sinus Headache
Sinus headaches are characterized by pain and pressure between or behind your eyes and above your nose. The pain typically gets worse with movement, such as bending over or lying down. Other symptoms include a stuffy nose, cough, nasal discharge, sore throat and fatigue.
One common method for dealing with sinus pain is using saline (salt) water to rinse out your sinuses. This involves putting a bulb syringe or similar tool into your nose and gently flushing the water through. A less invasive method involves simply keeping your sinus passages moist by installing a vaporizer or humidifier in your home. You can also simply hold a wet, warm towel over your face or try a saline nasal spray.
In order to prevent and alleviate symptoms during treatment, avoid things that irritate the problem, such as cigarette smoke, chemicals and perfume or hairspray. If the symptoms continue or are a regular occurrence, see your doctor.
Migraine
Migraine headaches are typically pulsating pain located on one side of your head or sometimes on each side of your head simultaneously. Symptoms include auras (which are flickering lights), spots or lines in your vision, mood swings, sinus headache symptoms, food cravings, pain in your neck, numbness or tingling, a feeling of nausea accompanied sometimes by vomiting, difficulty speaking and weakness on one side of the body.
While you might not want to engage in strenuous activity during your migraine, exercise is recommended to help prevent the onset of migraines, especially aerobic exercise. It works because exercise reduces tension and stress, which can trigger migraines and it releases endorphins which act as a sedative.
B2 vitamins, or riboflavin, help protect cells from oxidative damage which can help prevent migraines. It’s found in certain types of foods such as cereal, liver, lamb, lean beef, whole grains, yogurt, tempeh, crimini mushrooms, eggs, almonds, broccoli, spinach and supplements.
Magnesium, which is plentiful in almonds, pumpkin seeds, halibut and Alaskan salmon, has also been shown to prevent and alleviate some of the symptoms related to migraines.
Hangover Headache
The best way to remove a hangover headache is to prevent its onset entirely. This means drinking in moderation and alternating alcoholic beverages with water.
While there are many homebrew “remedies” out there, there is actually very little scientific understanding as to why hangovers happen. Some have reported success with water and sports drinks, caffeine and various foods, but it is universally accepted that the best way to get through it is to rest. Sleep as much as you can, rehydrate with pure water, and make sure your body is getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs for a good day.
