!44: Headache Pain: Natural Ways To Get Rid Of A Headache - Tip Number Two

!±8± Headache Pain: Natural Ways To Get Rid Of A Headache - Tip Number Two

When headaches or migraine strike, long-term answers might as well be on the other side of the moon. We need immediate relief, and if we don't wish to take drugs or take many drugs, bodily techniques can help alleviate these unwelcome symptoms.

As well as breathing, one of the things that goes haywire during a headache is our internal thermostat. The head feels very hot as more and more blood rushes through the dilating blood vessels to our brains. Changing the body's temperature helps.

There are two ways to approach this, depending on where you are when the problem arises and what resources are available to you at the time: 1) heat up the rest of the body or 2) chill the affected area.

Get into hot water

Headaches generally involve an increase in the blood supply to the brain. Warming the rest of the body helps relieve the pressure on the brain by creating demand for attention from more distant parts of your body like your hands and feet. There's nothing that does this better than a hot bath. If you can bathe in a darkened room, so much the better (a shower may also help, but not nearly as much.)

If you have it, put a little aromatic oil into the hot bath water to encourage you to breathe deeply and relax. Use eucalyptus, marjoram, lavender, Olbas Oil, or even a little Vicks Vapo Rub; some advocate neroli or geranium oils. I think it's down to personal preference.
No access to a bath? Try sitting with your hands in two basins of water - one as hot as you can stand it without scalding, one as cold. Use a little aromatic oil in the water, as mentioned above - and cover the basins and your head with a big towel. Stay still for as long as you can.
You may also try putting your feet into a basin of hot water - again, as hot as you can safely stand.

Whether in the bath or using the basins, breathe deeply to a slow count of ten, being sure to breath out as fully as you breathe in. As you breathe out, notice where your body is holding tension - and let it go. Try to "send" the pain out through your hands or feet into the water.

If you stay this way for ten to twenty minutes, you'll be surprised how much relief it brings. Applying a drop of your preferred essential oil on the temples or under the nose will provide a plus.

Or maybe, chill out

Conversely, cooling the head and neck with ice packs - kept in the freezer for emergencies - helps too.

Use gel-packs rather than hard ice packs - they can be wrapped around the affected area more effectively. Ice cubes or crushed ice secured in a plastic bag make an inexpensive alternative. A bag of frozen peas will do in a pinch or if you're away from home. All should be applied to the part of the head and neck that hurts for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Rest as far as possible away from noise and bright light. Be sure you keep your skin protected from direct contact with surface of the ice. In all cases, breathe deeply.

Last words

Our brains are 70-something percent water, so they say. The natural "air conditioning" system of the brain requires constant replenishment. Somehow or other we forget that - it's easy to get dehydrated.

Exercise, hot weather, dieting, consuming alcohol, tea or coffee - all increase dehydration. At certain times of day like mid-morning or late afternoon simply drinking a glass of water can prevent a headache. If you're clubbing or travelling, do take extra care to drink enough water to keep the fluid balance of your body "in the zone." None of us wants to lose our precious leisure time to headaches or migraine - heaven knows we have little enough of it! If headache does hit while you're out, the wisest path may be to stop and rest with a bottle of water, preferably away from the sun/heat/noise.

But remember: a headache isn't your enemy - it's feedback from your body that something isn't right. The more you learn about what causes your headaches, the less vulnerable you will be to getting them. Do think about it - because prevention is always far better than cure.