Herbal Headache Remedies – Medicinal Remedies And Supplements For Stopping Migraines And Other Types Of Headaches

Nearly all people at some point in their life experience a headache. A headache can range from just a slight dull ache, to a pounding, sinus crushing, temple popping period of intense pain. Fortunately, there are several effective natural headache remedies for a variety of headache types.

The first thing to do before treating a headache is to determine what headache type you have.

There are two general types of headaches: Primary and Secondary.

Primary headaches are the typical type of headaches. These are when the main condition is the headache and related head pain. Primary headaches include migraines, tension headaches, dehydration headaches, cluster headaches, etc. Usually, a primary headache is not dangerous, but it can be very painful, and make life nearly unbearable. But, the underlying medical condition is just the headache, not something more complicated. So if you treat the headache, you will eliminate the medical problem, so to speak.

Then there are secondary headaches. These are headaches that are the result of some underlying health issue. They can pose an immediate threat, and cannot be treated with herbal or general OTC medications.  For example, a brain tumor can put pressure on the cranium, and result in extreme headaches. Another source of a secondary headache is a brain hemmorage. A sharp blow to the head or other head trauma can cause water on the brain, or other inflammation that can cause a serious headache. All of these are very serious, and a little aspirin or a little lavender won’t do anything to solve these problems. Only a doctor or medical professional will know how to treat such underlying causes, and eliminate the source of the headache.

So, assuming you have a primary headache, here are several natural headache remedies that are used to treat them:

Feverfew – This can be a great herb for treating a migraine. It will reduce the frequency of a migraine occurence, as well as the duration, and degree of pain that comes with it. Best to take feverfew every day if you want the migraine relief. It will not stop a migraine once it starts…it is more a preventative measure.

Peppermint oil – Use a 10% peppermint essential oil solution, and gently apply it to the forehead. This can relieve the pain and possibly the duration of a tension or dehydration headache.

Tiger Balm – This is a combination of several essential oils, and it has a similar application and effect as peppermint oil. It is sold over the counter at many health food and supplement stores, or it can be found online. It has also proven effective to relieve headache pain.

Melatonin – It turns out this supplement has some studies that demonstrate it will decrease the amount of monthly migraines a person will have. Daily use is needed to keep headaches away, but it can be a good natural migraine remedy.

Of course there are other effective herbal headache remedies as well, but these are a few that are proven effective for eliminating migraines and other primary headaches.