• What is headache
• Types of headaches
• Migraine
• Tension headache
• Cluster headache
• Causes of severe headache
• How to make a headache go away naturally
• Massage and aromatherapy for headache
• Relaxing herbal teas and herbal remedies
• Nutrition against headaches

What is headache

Headache is defined as localized pain in the head or upper neck. It is identified with the term headache and is attributable to the alteration of processes involving areas sensitive to the stimulus of pain.

Types of headaches

There are different types of severe headaches and in general they are divided into 3 categories:

1. Migraine.
2. Tension headache.
3. Cluster headache.

Each of these responds to different triggers and the natural remedies to relieve the headache can be of different types. Let’s see in detail the various events.

Migraine

Migraine manifests itself as a very strong and throbbing pain in a part of the head which then branches off, usually involving the area of ​​the temples and eyes. It can occur occasionally or occur several times a week.

Women between the ages of 30 and 40 are the most affected, sometimes referred to as cycle headaches , because it is linked to the menstrual cycle.

Migraines can also be added:

• Nausea _
• vomiting ;
• visual disturbances .

Tension headache

Tension headache involves pain in the whole head with throbbing and a sensation of strong pressure throughout the cranial and cervical area; in fact, it is described as a ” circle in the head ” which causes pain and discomfort.

The frequency can be occasional or recurrent but the real problem is its duration: it can persist even for a few consecutive days and also lead to headaches and nausea.

This tension headache is often caused by muscle contractures and poor body posture, sometimes referred to as a cervical headache . People who spend a lot of time sitting, for study or work reasons, are most affected.

Cluster headache

Cluster headache occurs with the appearance of pain in a certain area of ​​the head and usually involves areas around the eyes or cheekbones.

Its frequency is very particular because it can be repeated for several days in the same time slot or in the same period of the year.
Its duration is short, from 30 minutes to an hour, but the pain is very intense and annoying .
The most affected subjects are men aged 20 to 30 even if this form of headache is not so common.

Causes of severe headache

Usually the main cause that triggers these types of severe headaches is related to muscle tension in various areas, especially contractures of the muscles of the neck, head or shoulders.

The factors that trigger muscle contraction and tension can result from physical or mental fatigue , lack of sleep , a particularly stressful moment or a period of anxiety .

The causes can be found indirectly in other ailments such as allergies , food poisoning , poor digestion , hormonal disorders or alcohol and caffeine abuse.

How to make a headache go away naturally

First remedy : stop and rest

The first remedy is to go to bed in a dark room with no noise .
This allows to slow down external stimuli such as lights, sounds, smells and body movements in order to calm the stressful condition and disconnect from the daily routine.

Being able to fall asleep relieves severe headaches: once you fall asleep, the body changes its brain frequencies and often upon awakening the subject no longer has intense pain.

Massage and aromatherapy against severe headaches

Considering that one of the main causes of headache is contractures, relaxing the muscles around the affected area can help relieve headaches.

Among the home remedies for headaches, relaxing massages are excellent with the use of specific aromatic essences to relax and calm; among these we remember in particular lavender and mint which can also be used to self-massage the temples in a circular way, thus relieving pain.

To relieve headaches, essential oils are indicated to be dispersed in the environment through diffusers or scented candles that help to calm and relax.

Other essential oils with a calming and relaxing power are sweet orange , lemongrass , eucalyptus and sandalwood ; these essences can also be added to bath water, this is one of the various useful home remedies.

In fact , the relaxing hot bath with the use of these aromatic essences allows the body to relax further and the muscles of the body release their tensions.

Lavender essential oil, the relaxing oil par excellence

Relaxing herbal teas and herbal remedies

Among the methods to relieve the headache it is possible to resort to natural remedies based on relaxing and calming plants such as:

• Lavender ;
• lime tree ;
• chamomile ;
• orange blossom ;
• passionflower ;
• lemon balm ;
• valerian ;
• lemon ;
• marjoram .

Drinking a warm herbal tea with a blend of these remedies helps to unwind and relax thus relieving headaches.

Each of these plants has different active ingredients and properties and therefore for each individual subject and type of headache they can work in a more specific and effective way.

Furthermore, by asking for advice from a phytotherapy expert, it will be possible to use mother tinctures or other natural supplements in synergy , such as feverfew for example.

Proper nutrition for headaches

Inside the food there are substances with calming properties such as tryptophan that help to alleviate the problems of headache and migraine.

The foods that mostly contain tryptophan are bananas, dates, mangoes, beans and legumes in general, especially soy and its derivatives such as tofu and tempeh ; together with tryptophan also minerals such as calcium with a calming effect found in oil seeds: hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, walnuts , foods rich in magnesium such as spinach, figs, almonds, avocado, Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are indicated precisely to combat tension: magnesium is a mineral that is involved in the relaxation process of the nervous systemand therefore, in cases of headaches due to the stiffening of the inflamed muscles.

On the other hand, all alcoholic beverages and coffee , stimulants of the nervous system, should be avoided; meals should be light and rich in plant foods so as not to burden the body and create digestive problems.

The methods of cooking at high temperatures , the embers and frying are also to be avoided always in order not to involve the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

A good habit would be to drink fruit and vegetable extracts and juices, also adding oil seeds to give the body every single nutrient for its well-being.