My favourite way to deal with headaches is to lay down in a quiet, dark, room and not move. Unfortunately, especially at work, I don't have the luxury of doing that most of the time. I thought that I'd share a few things that I've learned and found helpful, and invite you to contribute your home remedies, as well - hopefully we can learn from eachother!
- My headaches are occasionally due to dehydration - so I try to rehydrate myself with water (without drowning myself)
- Occasionally, my headaches correspond with an upcoming chiropractor visit - I see her for my hips/back for my pregnancy, but she's also able to work wonders with headaches.
- Heating up my 'magic bag' (sewn bag filled with rice) in the microwave for 1.5 minutes and putting it around my neck seems to relax the muscles and relieve some headache tension sometimes.
- If I'm at home and have the energy to clean my tub, I'll take a 20 minute hot (but not too hot for the baby!) bath with Epsom salts and just relax.
- Massaging my feet with a decent amount of pressure - of course, it's even better if my husband is around to do this for me..... ;)
That dehydration issue is a real valid one. I read an article where a doctor said that drinking the glass of water with your Tylenol/Asprin is probably more effective than the painkiller itself!
ReplyDeleteI also started seeing a chiropractor for headaches - I'd get a very strong one on just one side of my head. Nothing helped - tylenol, sleeping. The chiropractor noticed that my neck was out of alignment and causing pressure on my nerves on that side, contributing to headaches. After a few months seeing the chiropractor, my headaches are much less frequent and less severe!
Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWasn't there something about potato slices? Can't remember what it was - maybe I should Google it.
Yes - this was it - slice a raw potato. Tie it to your forehead with a cloth or bandana. That should help...never tried it though!
ReplyDeleteVarious mineral and vitamin therapies that have been shown to be beneficial for headaches include supplementing with magnesium, calcium or fish oils.
ReplyDeleteUp until the last six years, I have had migraines since I was 12 years old. My mother would sit on the side of my bed, hold my hand, and tell me, "don't move sweetheart" and I would usually fall asleep after crying for hours. As I got older it was clear that physicians didn't understand (or most often didn't believe) how sever the pain could be. The last time I had a migraine was about six years ago. I had suffered for over three days, and finally decided to go to the ER. What a terrible experience, as the assumption was that I was 'shopping for drugs'....what..are these people crazy!! After an MRI, and finally being believed, I did receive a shot that eventually worked. Within three days I was in my dr's office, who hugged me and said "you have to call me before you go to the ER they think you are hospital shopping for drugs"..... She presented an idea about a drug, and the off label usage of Amitriptyline, just 20mg qd. It is used as an antidepressant at higher dosage. Well it worked and I take it every night before bed and I haven't had a migraine since. Good luck to all of you who suffer needlessly with this terrible pain, in finding something that works for you.
ReplyDeleteI wake up with severe headaches every now and then. I will take several Advil with a half a glass of pepsi. I rub Headon on the area in pain and put on my sleepmask. My headache will be gone within the hour. I also discovered that I get MSG headaches, so no more Chinese food.
ReplyDeleteBest advice this 40+ years veteran headache sufferer got:
ReplyDeleteKeep a headache diary. Commit to a year (long time, but this provides excellent pattern recognition and very useful information). Create your custom list of 'factors' such as: date, time of day, severity and response to med's/relievers, foods/beverages consumed prior to event, seasonal/exposure---pollen/chemicals, weather (this is a common trigger), hormonal events (ovulation, pms etc), specific physical activities, etc.
Track headaches within this framework, monitor and evaluate for patterns which trigger events. Knowing what precipitates headaches can aid in managing them.
Dealing with headaches can be, well, a headache. But knowing some home remedies can somehow alleviate the pain. My advice is, instead of a hot pack, put some ice on the pain points and the back of the neck and the head. Cold has a natural anesthetic affect that can ease the throbbing of your head. And you can also consult with your chiro on what activities or remedies you can do when the pain strikes.
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