Natural Home Remedies for Migraines Headache at Headaches-Migraine-Relief.com

Many people around the world suffer from migraines. Migraines can be very painful and they can disrupt people’s daily schedules. When you have a powerful headache you never feel like completing your daily tasks let alone go into work or school. That is why learning to manage these unbearable head pains could be beneficial to anyone who has ever suffered from them.

There are several possible triggers responsible for migraines. Some of the triggers include: stress, menstrual cycle (for women), changes in barometric pressure, changes in weather, too much sleep, too little sleep, bright fluorescent lights, sunlight, fasting, skipping meals, certain foods, excessive caffeine, caffeine withdrawal, smoking, alcohol, and hormone therapy. These are just a few of the things which may trigger a headache. With so many different reasons why people get migraines, it is important for each person to pinpoint what it is that causes their painful outbreaks. Once you have found what causes your headaches, you can easily try to reduce the frequency and the severity of your symptoms.

For instance, if you found that you get migraines after you slept only a few hours, try to commit yourself to a regular sleep schedule. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep per night and try to go to bed around the same time each night. If you find that something in your diet triggers your migraines, try to avoid that particular product. Some common migraine triggers include stress, changes in weather, skipping meals and an unhealthy diet. If you suffer from migraines very often try to improve some of these parts of your life. However, for those people who feel like they tried everything there is in order to control their migraines, yet they have not shown a reduction in the frequency or the severity, it may be beneficial to try a natural supplement which aids in managing migraines. So the next time you find yourself suffering from a migraine, try to pinpoint the cause so you can avoid that triggering element in the future.

Many people suffer from migraines that affect very specific nerves and muscle groups in the face and head. Without using a lot of medical jargon to name all of these areas, suffice it to say that most are very familiar to plastic surgeons. One drug used quite often in cosmetic procedures, Botox, has been proven to be effective at providing more complete relief from the pain of migraines than many other prescription medications.

Botox is a substance that can be poisonous in sufficient quantities. However, in minute quantities, it has been shown to be very effective at relaxing the muscles in the face and head. The primary effect, until now, has been making the person receiving the Botox injections appear younger.

Newer research with migraine patients has shown that Botox injections placed at the trigger points for certain nerves and muscles has the effect of relaxing those muscles and reducing the amount of pressure they exert on these nerves.

Based on these results, doctors are now looking at different methods of surgically resecting some of these muscles in order to reduce pressure on the nerves. This process can be done endoscopically or by a direct route through the upper part of the eyelid for some of the nerves involved in these migraines.

In clinical trials of both procedures, patients have found the surgical approach to provide more relief from the pain of migraine than the Botox injections alone. Even those who say that the injections provided the same amount of relief report that they would still have the surgery, because it provides longer term relief.

One interesting note on these procedures is that the nerves groups involved are so particular that the Botox injections are a means to screen patients to determine whether the surgical decompression of the nerves by resecting the muscles would even be an option for providing them with any relief.

Not all migraine sufferers could expect to benefit from this type of treatment. Of the ones who do, over 90% say that the relief is far more than that provided by prescription medications aimed at controlling and relieving migraine pain.

A neurologist must examine the patient and determine which specific nerves are triggered by the onset of a migraine attack. He then sends possible candidates for surgical decompression to a plastic surgeon who administers the Botox injections to the prescribed sites.

Patients who receive substantial relief are then referred back to the neurologist for evaluation to see if the surgery is an approach the patient can benefit from. If the answer is yes, the patient then chooses whether or not to allow the surgical decompression of the trigger nerves. Botox is not only used to improve the appearance of youthfulness in the wealthy anymore.

It has found its way into the treatment of migraine pain for sufferers who are not receiving adequate relief or control of symptoms with other medications. It is also being used to screen patients to determine if they can expect any long term relief from migraine pain by having surgical decompression done on the trigger nerves.

How long have migraines been around? Contrary to the beliefs of many, migraines are not a new disease, only a newly-named. In fact, based on the symptoms, it appears that migraines are among the oldest diseases known to mankind.

Conditions that have been linked to migraines were described in detail in Babylonian writings dating back to 3000 BC, and papyrus scrolls dated from around 1550 BC that were found buried alongside a mummy in Thebes contain even more detailed accounts that are remarkably similar to what modern migraine sufferers describe. Even the Father of Medicine himself, Hippocrates, described what are clearly migraines in 460 BC, when he described a shining light that was typically seen in one eye and followed by severe pain that started in temples and worked its way to encompass the rest of the head and down into the neck. Hippocrates was also well ahead of his time by being the first to correlate head pain with exercise and seven sexual intercourse. Of course, Hippocrates also attributed migraines to vapors making their way up to the head from stomach and thought that the headache pain could be relieved by throwing up.

The Ebers Papyrus, named after George Ebers who obtained it, dates back to at least 1200 BC is an encyclopedic compilation of various prescriptions and medical treatments, including one for shooting pains in the head consistent with modern day migraine headaches. According to the instructions on the papyrus, Egyptians were to use a strip of linen to tie a clay crocodile holding grain in its mouth to the head of the patient. On the linen were written the names of those gods that the Egyptians believed could cure their ailments. As in so many things, the Egyptians may have been preternaturally aware of modern techniques because it is believed that this procedure could possibly have brought relief to the headache sufferer by compressing the scalp and collapsing the blood vessels that were causing the pain. At the very least it made more sense than the previous Egyptian cure for head pain, which was to simply rub a fried fish on afflicted side of the head.

Plato is considered one of the all-time great thinkers the world has ever produced, up there in the pantheon of great philosophers. And yet he seems to have been so wrong about so many things, including migraines. As far as Plato was concerned, head pain was caused by people paying too much attention to the body. In fact, Plato seems to be in that camp that thinks migraine sufferers are a bunch of whiners and that it’s all in their heads, but not in their expanding and constricting blood vessels. It may be time to start second-guessing this whole idea of Plato being really, really smart.

Hua T’o was a Chinese surgeon in the second century who is given credit for the invention of anaesthetic drugs among other things. He was also perhaps the first to take to acupuncture needles to cure migraines. In one particularly infamous and, hopefully, quite rare case, when Hua used a needle to carve a tumor out of patient suffering from pain between his eyes a canary flew out. The man not only lived, but was cured of his pain.

Hildegard of Bingen was a medieval nun and mystic who began experiencing visions at an early age. Her visions eventually led her to write several books on health and medicine and natural remedies. Both her written accounts and the illustrations she drew that reflected her visions have led the belief that those visions may have been the result of migraine auras. Her visions were detailed and vivid, as were her descriptions and she has built a significant following who consider her to be the first migraine-inspired artist. The typical treatment of migraines during Hildegard’s time during the Middle Ages basically consisted of opium and vinegar solutions applied to the skull, with the vinegar thought to have been used to open the pores of the scalp so that the opium would be more quickly absorbed.

Centuries, if not millennia, from now people may be reading a history of migraine treatment and shake their head when they reach the 21st century. Could treating with the ingredients found in medication one day be laughed at in the same way as we might laugh at the idea of treating it by rubbing a fried fish on our head?

“I’ve got a headache.” This is not just an idle excuse to make fun of. Over twenty five million Americans suffer from migraines – 75% of them women. And it’s no laughing matter. But there are natural remedies that can give both immediate and long-term permanent relief.

Migraine episodes last, on average, between 6 and 48 hours and sometimes leave the person bedridden or unable to function fully. Symptoms are many, but always include intense throbbing pain, usually on just one side of the head.

Although specific causes are unknown, migraines are thought to be the result of inflammation. This can come from stress, hormonal changes (especially during menstruation, ovulation or puberty), medications (including birth control pills), MSG, alcohol, caffeine or eating certain foods (such as chocolate).

There are two main types of migraine headaches -common and classic. About 80% fall into the common migraine category without an aura. These are generally much less painful than the classic variety with auras. An aura is an array of visual disturbances (flashing lights, seeing spots, complex patterns or shapes, etc.) that occur shortly before the onset of a headache. Auras are sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Ocular migraines are often confused with classic migraines. But, although the aura experience can be similar, it occurs in only one eye. And if a headache follows, it’s usually less violent. The symptoms are only temporary and aren’t harmful to the eye. Ocular migraines can, however, interfere with reading or driving.

Migraine sufferers may find temporary relief by lying down in a cool, quiet, dark place or by applying an ice pack or cold compresses to the pulsing area. The headache will usually go away after a nap or a full nights sleep.

Once you’re free of the migraine, it’s a good time to start a prevention program. Making simple lifestyle changes can often permanently eliminate migraines. Begin by finding ways to live a less stressful life. This can take some work, but less stress will be worth the effort.

The next two steps are to start a regular moderate exercise program and switch to a healthier migraine-free diet. Avoid any food that might trigger headache symptoms. These include caffeine, chocolate, sugar, soft drinks, alcohol, processed grains and sweets (desserts, pastries, cookies, cake, sweetened cereals, etc.). These foods can be addictive, so you may have to wean yourself off of them gradually.

You can actually learn to enjoy eating a whole food diet with lots of nutritious vegetables, whole grains, fresh fruit, lean protein and pure water. This is an essential step. And, to reduce the inflammation and eliminate pain, add to your diet a high quality omega 3 fish oil supplement.

Fortunately, most migraine sufferers, even those who’ve been suffering from them for many years, find they can prevent migraine headaches naturally by making these simple lifestyle changes. And, oh what a relief – to be migraine free!

Anyone who has ever had a migraine will say they do not just happen in the head. The headache is usually the worst and most painful part of a migraine, but there’s more. Most migraineurs (people who suffer from migraines) will talk about photosensitivity (sensitivity to light), phonosensitivity (sensitivity to sound), scent sensitivity, gastric pain, cramping, and vomiting.

Sometimes the abdominal symptoms show up without the other typical migraine symptoms. When they do, a patient is said to be experiencing an abdominal migraine. An abdominal migraine is pain, usually varying from mild to medium, in the abdomen. The pain is either along the midline or unspecified and is frequently accompanied by abdominal tenderness, cramp-like spasms, bloating, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Since abdomen pain can be caused by a wide variety of conditions other causes need to be ruled out before a diagnosis can be made. In a classic abdominal migraine, no gastric cause for the pain can be identified. Migraineurs need to let their doctors know about their migraines when they experience unspecified abdominal pain so that the doctor knows abdominal migraine may be a possibility.

Abdominal migraines are most common in children. Children who experience abdominal migraines frequently grow up to be migraineurs. While abdominal migraine is not unheard of in adults, it is rare. Like most other types of migraine, it is also more common in females than in males.

While the exact cause of abdominal migraines is unknown, it is highly likely to be related to serotonin deficiency. Serotonin deficiency has been linked in several studies to migraines, and 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gastric system. Serotonin deficiency causes cascading waves of nerve reaction in the brain when triggering a migraine and a similar process may be in effect in the abdomen.

Children get migraines, too, they are not a condition confined to adulthood.. Studies have even indicated that infants may get migraines, but this is hard to verify.

Current estimates indicate that up to 10% of children between 5-15 years old suffer from migraines, increasing to 28% in the 15-19 age range. Migraine headaches have a real impact on quality of life for children. The high percentage of children that experience migraines makes them a top childhood health problems.

Diagnosing pediatric migraine is similar to diagnosing adult migraines with a few notable exceptions. The International Headache Society’s criteria states that the headache must last 4 to 72 hours. Children’s migraines are generally shorter and this fact needs to be taken into account when attempting to diagnose them. Adult migraines are frequently one-sided, but children’s frequently involve pain on both sides of the head. These headaches should not be dismissed just because they are not one-sided.

For most child migraineurs (people suffering from migrainous headaches) the headaches begin between 5 and 11 years of age. Prior to puberty, the number of male and female children with migraines is roughly equal. After puberty, girls are considerably more likely than boys are to have migraines, most likely due to the same hormonal issues that make the number of adult women migraineurs three times that of the men.

Many child migraineurs are fortunate enough to have their condition disappear during puberty or upon reaching adulthood. However, people who have migraines as children are much more likely to become adult migraineurs than those who did not have them as a child.

Adult migraine sufferers should watch for migraine symptoms in their children, particular if the other parent also experiences migraines. A child with two migraineur parents has a 70% chance of becoming a migraineur.

Feverfew is most commonly used in the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches. Migraines are extremely common and can be very difficult to treat. Other methods of relieving pain have been explored because, for many migraine sufferers, conventional treatments have not been successful. Feverfew is one of the most successful forms of alternative treatments that have been found for treating migraines. Many studies have been conducted which have validated the already existing knowledge of many herbalists: feverfew is a great tool for helping to prevent migraines in many cases.

Although feverfew had long been used for treating headaches, its popularity declined with the advent of modern medicine. The herb has resurged into medical interest after the wife of a doctor who worked for the British National Coal Board had been suffering from migraines and was told by a coal miner to trey chewing on two feverfew leaves a day. After trying the herb, the woman noticed improvement, with fewer and less severe migraines. Her husband then urged a migraine specialist in London, Dr. E. Stewart Johnson, to test feverfew, with the results of several studies now showing it to be effective.

Dr. Johnson agreed to try the herb because he had many patients who had been suffering from migraine pain for years and had yet to find a successful treatment. Originally, he tried the herbal remedy on only ten of his patients. The results of this trial were so promising that it led to a study of another 270 of his patients, with seventy percent reporting that they received significant improvement when receiving feverfew for their headache pain.

Following this, a group of researchers in the City of London Migraine Clinic were led by Dr. Johnson to conduct a study, which was reported in the British Medical Journal, investigating seventeen patients who had already been using feverfew for at least three months. All were asked to discontinue use of their original method of treating with feverfew. Eight patients were given a capsule of feverfew, while the other nine were given a placebo.

Those that were given a placebo had an increase in frequency and severity of headaches, nausea, and vomiting, while those that were given feverfew capsules had no increase in frequency or severity of their migraines. This research has led to the belief that feverfew is advantageous in the prevention of migraines. Many other studies have been done to further test the effects of feverfew. It has been concluded that feverfew treatment is effective and there were always definite improvements in the group that used feverfew. Additionally, there were no serious side-effects that appeared to exist.

Feverfew seems to have similar properties as NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Also, the parthenolide that is found in feverfew is the main inhibitor for the formation of compounds that promote inflammation. Parthenolide reduces the secretory activity of blood platelets and white blood cells. This is important because migraines are thought to be associated with abnormal platelet behavior, as they are responsible for the release of serotonin, which constricts blood vessels and leads to migraine pain.

Feverfew is now recognized by the British and Canadian governments as a migraine treatment and is often prescribed by doctors. Many physicians and pharmacists have recent began to take more interest in the use of herbal remedies, especially since patients are beginning to become more interested in natural methods of healing.

When it comes to choosing the all-time champion of migraine triggers, it all boils down to two contenders and all the others are mere pretenders. Much research has been done into the various triggers of migraine and basically the verdicts have come down squarely into two camps. Many researchers have decided that food and food additives are the main culprit behind triggering migraines. On the other hand, many researchers are adamant that the primary trigger for migraines is stress.

The wisdom concerning eliminating the stress in our lives is hardly relegated to migraine relief. Stress seems to be blamed for just about every ailment experienced in the modern world. The simple, inescapable fact of life is that stress is now and is probably always going to be a daily part of our lives that can never be eliminated. Even the mere reduction of stress levels is difficult. The management of all aspects of life from family to career to raising children to school all offer some kind of stress.

The Most Common Stresses That Trigger Migraines.

Multiple-Role Stress: Females especially must contend with multiple-role stress, the juggling of many responsibilities such as wife, worker and mother.

Workplace Stress: There is no such thing as a stressless job. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the CEO of a multinational conglomerate or the checkout person at the supermarket, you will be stressed out by your job.

Financial Stress: Not being able to meet bills, not making as much as you want, not making as much as your neighbour; these are all stresses connected with finances. The number one cause of divorce is money issues so it should come as no surprise that worry over finances can trigger migraines.

Caregiver Stress: Women are likely to suffer this stress the most, though more and more men are choosing to become stay at home dads. There are untold riches in being a parent, but it can also be quite taxing and stressful.

All of these stressors individually trigger migraines, but most often it’s the combination of all of them working together that cause that explosion inside your head.

The Impact of Mood on Headaches

Personality: A migraine is a disease, not a psychological disorder, and contrary to popular belief the majority of headache patients do not suffer any serious psychological problems. Research from hundreds of studies that have examined the personalities and behaviors of migraine sufferers have delivered no evidence whatever that concludes there is any particular personality type prone to suffering migraines.

Depression: Depression can reduce the body’s ability to respond effectively to medication. If your migraine medicine isn’t doing the trick, it may be because you suffer from depression. Women in particular are at risk for depression, though the effect is the same on both genders. Depression also occurs more often in migraine patients than in those who don’t suffer migraines. Even mild depression can diminish the efficacy of both medical treatment and behavioural treatments such as biofeedback and relaxation methods. Because of the possibility that treatment for migraines could be diminished, therefore, it is highly recommended that you discuss this issue with your doctor who may be better able to select treatments that can effectively relieve symptoms of both headache and depression.

Anxiety: Anxiety is basically a state of nervousness or tension that occurs without any particular reason. Much like depression anxiety can work to lower one’s ability to handle stress. Anxiety can also raise the level of pain or lower your tolerance for pain during a headache, which can seriously impair the effectiveness of any medication used to treat headache pain. For some sufferers, it is necessary to treat both the anxiety and the headaches in order to get both under control.

Treatment

If depression or anxiety are present in a patient with migraine, both disorders need to be treated. It is generally not true that treating the depression will make the headaches go away, or that headache improvement will lead to an improvement in mood. Specific treatment for both migraine and depression exists and will produce the best outcome.

Migraine is the term used to describe a severe pain in the head. This can be cause by the contraction or dilatation of blood vessels in the brain and the irregular nerve activity mainly in the meninges. Migraine is caused by the stimulation of the trigeminal nerve, which release a substance inducing inflammation and also send messages to pain receptors in the meninges.

Migraines do not always require a prescribed or over the counter medicine. Migraines can be cured, or at the least lessened, by using folk remedies. More commonly called alternative medicine, home remedies are not complex chemical compounds but rather common sense and know-how.

There are many home remedies for migraines but the word remedy should be taken with a grain of salt. These remedies may not work for you when migraines are severe and disabling, and you should consult a doctor should migraines become frequent. There are many proven medical treatments that can help alleviate these horrendous headaches.

When you feel a migraine coming on, Chamomile is a wonderful preventive measure to limit the severity of the pain. Simply take a cup of chamomile tea when you start noticing migraine symptoms.

Take a wet washcloth and place in microwave for a few seconds. This works wonders for me, once I place the steamy hot washcloth on my face and head I can just feel the pain subside.

The flowers of henna have been found to be very effective at curing headaches and migraines. A simple home remedy is to dip henna flowers in vinegar and then rub them against the forehead for quick pain relief.

The crusts of lemon have also been found beneficial in the treatment- of migraine. These crusts should be pounded into a fine paste in a mortar.The paste should be applied as a plaster on the forehead. It will provide great relief.

With the essential oils, you can do another great thing at home for treating your migraine. And that is touching the oils. Here is how to do this for the treatment of migraine. Take some lavender or eucalyptus oil with or without peppermint. Have someone kneed across your shoulder and the back of the neck. Have the one press on the base of your skull with his/ her fingers and slowly release.

Both self-massage and acupressure can help. Two key points for reducing pain with acupressure are the web between your forefinger and thumb (squeeze there until you feel pain) and under the bony ridges at the back of the neck (use both thumbs to apply pressure there).

What can you do when an unpleasant headache or migraine strikes all of a sudden and you want treatments that provide quick pain relief? Many folks take aspirin or ibuprofen, but this treatment would probably not be appropriate for everybody. Taking these and other drugs constantly can have severe side effects on your body like stomach ulcers and kidney problems. And although other drugs are available, a lot of them have lots of scary side effects.

Millions of people use remedies for migraines that employ a combination of the solutions listed in this article. When a headache or migraine strikes all of a sudden, try some of these remedies to quickly alleviate your symptoms.

Sometimes simpler is the better course of action. A calming warm bath can quickly eliminate some of your symptoms and is one of the great remedies for migraines that provides good pain relief. If you can, lower the lights in your bathroom. You can do this by employing a night light or by lighting a candle to provide a low light atmosphere. If you experience visible effects like flashing lights, lie back in a comfy position and shut your eyes. Carefully massage your temples or the area slightly below your cheek bones.

Another one of the great remedies for migraines is to get a massage. Headaches are frequently caused by stress. When you’re stressed, your muscles tighten up. A massage works to delicately stretch these tight muscles and help alleviate the accumulated stress in your body. By working the muscles in your neck and shoulders, as well as those at the base of the skull, muscles relax and the discomfort may be reduced or even eliminated. Ideally, this technique works best if someone else does the massage for you but, if that is not a choice, you can give yourself a neck and head massage.

About eighty percent of US citizens don’t drink enough water and are dehydrated to some degree. And because most folk have a tendency to eat or drink very little when having a severe migraine, this can make the pain worse. Dehydration, no matter how mild, can cause headaches or amplify the pain. Though it’s a little known fact, millions of people can get pain relief by simply consuming water. If you suspect your migraine could be caused by dehydration, a few glasses of water could be just the thing to make you feel better. This solution is probably one of the easiest remedies for migraines that I know of.

Acupressure is also one of the good remedies for migraines. Like acupuncture, it is a well-known alternative treatment for many medical problems that has been used for thousands of years. To get headache pain relief, squeeze the fleshy area between your thumb and forefinger for at least five minutes for quick pain relief. Many folks also can relieve migraine pain by gently rubbing (in small circular motions) the little indentations just in front of your ears.

Still in pain? Get additional information by downloading my other fast acting Remedies for Migraines!