How do cure a headache

For the cold portion, place ice in a plastic bag covered with a thin cloth to avoid harming your skin. For the hot portion, you can purchase a heat pack at most drugstores, or make your own using uncooked rice. Take a small pillowcase or piece of fabric and fill it about two-thirds full with uncooked rice.

Sew or tie the open end together. When needed, microwave the rice for one minute. Apply to the back of your neck or forehead for heated relief. Aromatherapy is the study of how certain smells can trigger positive and even healing responses in the brain. Some smells have been reported to soothe and reduce the incidence of headaches. These include peppermint extract, eucalyptus, and lavender oil.

They are readily available at many local health food stores or online. Acupuncture involves applying fine, sharp needles to key areas on the body as a means of promoting energy flow. Yes, breathing. You know, that thing you do all the time already!

It may sound silly, but tension-related headaches can sometimes be relieved with regular breathing exercises that help focus your mind and ease your muscles.

Start by finding a quiet place with a comfortable chair in your home, office, or other location where you will not be distracted. Next, take slow, rhythmic breaths, breathing in for five seconds then out for five seconds. As you relax, your muscle tightness reduces.

You can also try a progressive relaxation technique by focusing on each major muscle group in your body. Start from your toes and work your way up.

Dehydration can contribute to a headache, but it can be easily avoided. Grabbing a good old-fashioned glass of water can help as much as an electrolyte-containing beverage such as Pedialyte, Gatorade, or Powerade.

Drinking too much coffee or too many caffeine-filled soft drinks can lead to headaches. So if you normally start your day with a Starbucks quad latte, you may want to trade it for a toned-down mixture of half caffeinated and half decaffeinated.

Alcohol, and particularly red wine, can also lead to dehydration that triggers headaches. We hear a lot about the health problems caused by lack of sleep, and not getting your nightly minimum can lead to chronic headaches.

But knowing you need more sleep and actually getting it are two different things. There are several ways you can improve the amount and quality of your sleep, including the following.

Commit to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at regular times. In extreme cases, a person may need a short hospital stay to manage withdrawal safely and effectively. Several alternative — now known as integrative — forms of headache treatment are available, but it is important to consult a doctor before making any major changes or beginning any new treatments.

Research has not shown that all of these methods work, however. Some evidence has suggested that migraine episodes may be more likely to occur when a person has low levels of magnesium and vitamin D. While the evidence is not conclusive, a person may find that taking — milligrams of magnesium oxide per day helps prevent episodes. Learn more about using magnesium to treat migraine.

Find more home care techniques for headaches. Is it a headache or migraine episode? What is the difference? In some cases, the doctor may perform or request tests to rule out more serious causes of head pain. Why do I have a headache behind the eyes? Anyone who experiences severe or reoccurring headaches should consult a doctor or otherwise receive professional care. Here, learn about some other types of headache.

Read the article in Spanish. Experts classify headaches by the type, location, and frequency of pain, as well as by the various causes. Learn more and find a helpful chart here. Learn about some different primary and secondary headaches, including their causes and triggers.

For each, we also examine the available treatment…. It is not uncommon to have a headache for days. Learn more. Rebound headaches are headaches that occur when the pain-relieving effects of medication wear off.

Learn more here. Severe headaches after an epidural may occur if the epidural needle goes too far, causing a dural puncture. Learn more about this symptom. What is causing this headache? Causes Types Treatment Alternative treatments Home remedies Symptoms Diagnosis Takeaway Headaches are a common health problem — most people experience them at some time. Most people find that sleeping or lying in a darkened room is the best thing to do when having a migraine attack. Many people who have migraines find that over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol , aspirin and ibuprofen , can help to reduce their symptoms.

They tend to be most effective if taken at the first signs of a migraine attack, as this gives them time to absorb into your bloodstream and ease your symptoms.

It's not advisable to wait until the headache worsens before taking painkillers, as it's often too late for the medicine to work. Tablets you dissolve in a glass of water soluble painkillers are a good alternative because they're absorbed quickly by your body. If you cannot swallow painkillers because of nausea or vomiting, suppositories may be a better option. These are capsules that are inserted into the bottom. When taking over-the-counter painkillers, always make sure you read the instructions on the packaging and follow the dosage recommendations.

Children under 16 should not take aspirin unless it's under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Aspirin and ibuprofen are also not recommended for adults who have a history of stomach problems, such as stomach ulcers , liver problems or kidney problems. Taking any form of painkiller frequently can make migraines worse. This is sometimes called a medication overuse headache or painkiller headache. Speak to a GP if you find yourself needing to use painkillers repeatedly or over-the-counter painkillers are not effective.

If they suspect the frequent use of painkillers may be contributing your headaches, they may recommended that you stop using them. If ordinary painkillers are not helping to relieve your migraine symptoms, you should make an appointment to see a GP. They may recommend taking painkillers in addition to a type of medicine called a triptan, and possibly anti-sickness medicine.

Triptan medicines are a specific painkiller for migraine headaches. They're thought to work by reversing the changes in the brain that may cause migraine headaches. They cause the blood vessels around the brain to narrow contract. This reverses the widening of blood vessels that's believed to be part of the migraine process. Your GP will usually recommend having a follow-up appointment once you have finished your first course of treatment with triptans.

If they were not effective or caused unpleasant side effects, your GP may try prescribing a different type of triptan as how people respond to this medicine can be highly variable. Anti-sickness medicines, known as anti-emetics, can successfully treat migraine in some people even if you do not experience feeling or being sick.

As with painkillers, anti-sickness medicines work better if taken as soon as your migraine symptoms begin. Side effects of anti-emetics include drowsiness and diarrhoea.