When
one starts to get the tightening sensation in the head, it's so, so easy to
reach for a bottle of pain medication. But, many over the counter drugs have
side effects that could even be worse than the headache itself!
Therefore
it is better to consider other more natural alternatives instead of looking for
a quick fix. All headaches stem from either chemical, emotional, or structural
problems.
Instead of taking painkillers to alleviate a headache, it is more beneficial to find out the underlying causes of them to prevent them from happening in the future. Painkillers only mask the symptoms and if taken in excess over long periods of time, they can cause other health conditions.
One
of the major causes for headaches is dehydration. To treat your headache
naturally with water, it is a good idea to first find out what type of headache
you have.
First,
there are chronic tension headaches that can result from stress overload,
fatigue and even from physical problems, psychological and emotional issues and
depression.
Then,
there are cluster headaches, which are categorized by coming in groups of one
to four a day in a set cluster periods that could be days or months.
Hormonal
headaches are similar to migraines in that they affect only one side of the
head, and they are also frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting and
sensitivity to light and/or noise.
Finally,
there are sinus headaches, which can be experienced after a cold or other
medical condition.
Water
can aid as a treatment to all of these headaches. In tension headaches, it was
noted above that a cause can be fatigue.
Fatigue is a side effect of
dehydration. So, if dehydration is the cause of the fatigue and fatigue is the
cause of the headache- start by treating the fatigue and get hydrated. Tension
headaches could also be a symptom of other problems, so if they persist it is a
good idea to seek help from a medical professional.
Cluster
headaches are also known to be cured by drinking water.
A woman by the name of
Margi contributed a piece of advice atclusterheadaches.com, that her
husband's headaches have not come back since he started drinking a glass of
water at least every hour.
Additionally, the hot water from a nice, warm shower
or bath can help relax those tightened muscles.
As
far as preventing headaches, staying hydrated can help. In fact, a very common
form of headache can come in the form of caffeine withdraw. Of course, having a
coffee or soda can give the body what it wants and help ease the headache pain,
but it could also begin a vicious cycle.
Since caffeine dehydrates, the headache
prone may be better off avoiding it and instead drink more water, juices and
decaf teas, coffees and sodas.
Caffeine can cause a “rebound” effect which
means it temporarily gets rid of the headache, which goes away and comes back
worse than before. Try to eliminate caffeine from your diet even though you may
experience withdrawals for a few days, it will be well worth the temporary
suffering.
Some natural remedies to relieve
headaches:
1. Peppermint
Oil – Place a few drops of this essential
oil on your forehead, neck, and temples. In addition, breathing in the soothing
oil can ease symptoms. (Keep away from your eyes!)
2. Honey –
Take two teaspoons of honey with each meal. Honey contains potassium and
magnesium which will help relax arteries and allow more blood to flow to the
brain.
3. Walking –
If you feel a headache coming on, take a short walk. This will relax you and
your circulatory system so that more blood and oxygen can get to the brain.
4. Mustard –
Add 2 teaspoons of mustard powder in a hot footbath and soak your feet in the
water for 10-20 minutes.
5. Cayenne
pepper – Put ½ to one
teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a glass of water and drink slowly. This will
dilute your blood vessels and improve circulation.
In essence, when dealing with headaches
the pain can be relieved by drinking clean water, avoiding caffeine, and
applying natural remedies.
Just drinking a few glasses of water whenever you
feel you might be coming on with a headache might save you from taking many
pills over the course of your lifetime.
Try several different remedies to see
what works for you and kiss those headaches goodbye!
source: freedrinkingwater.com
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