Headache Causes and Home Remedies

Headache, also known as cephalgia, is a pain that occurs any where in the head or upper neck. Headache is something which we all have suffered from some time or the other. Headache may be classified in to three broad groups: primary, secondary and cranial neuralgias and facial pain. Primary headaches again may be divided in types like tension headache, migraine, cluster headaches and some other rare types. Tension headache is the result of emotional stress or physical stress like that caused by prolonged manual labor or sitting at computer or desk for long hours.

The muscle covering the skull responds to stressors by entering in to spasm and causing tension headache. Tension headache is not that debilitating and people can carry out daily tasks despite headache. Migraine headache is the result of dilation of blood vessels, exerting pressure on the nerve fibers that coil around the arteries in brain. The pressurized nerve fibers respond by releasing pain causing chemicals. The triggering factors for migraine are heredity, eye strain, shock, gastrointestinal problems, strong emotions, exposure to heat etc. Cluster headache is the result of malfunctioning of the hypothalamus of brain.

Cluster headache is triggered by factors like heredity, changes in sleep pattern, smoking, alcoholism, certain medications etc. Cluster headache may last for weeks or months. Secondary headache originates from underlying disease or injury. The causes of secondary headache include head injury and subdural, epidural or subarachnoid bleeding, concussions, neck injury, stroke, carotid artery inflammation, Arteriovenous malformation, brain tumors, brain cancer, seizures, infections like meningitis, encephalitis, AIDS, influenza and pneumonia, certain medicines, diseases like hypertension, hypothyroidism etc, dehydration, renal dialysis, ENT and dental problems, mental disorders etc. Cranial neuralgia is caused by the inflammation of nerves in head and upper neck.

Home Remedies for Headache

1. Mix 200 ml spinach juice and 300 ml carrot juice to make half liter and drink. This cures migraine headache.

2. Consume ripe apple early morning in empty stomach, after sprinkling salt on to the cut pieces. This is a proven home remedy for headache.

3. Apply a paste made out of half teaspoon cinnamon powder and water on forehead to get relief from sinus headache.

4. Rub henna flowers in vinegar and apply on forehead. This cures heat induced headache.

5. Boil fresh ginger in water and then inhale. This relieves sinus headache.

6. Inhalation of steam given out by a tumbler containing boiled water with 8-10 drops of eucalyptus oil in it is an effective sinus headache remedy.

7. Apply a layer of pounded lemon crust on forehead. This will free you from headache due to heat.

8. Application of sandalwood paste on forehead relieves headache.

9. Immerse feet in a bucket of hot water for 15 minutes every night before going to bed. This will release you from chronic headache.

10. Intake of 2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel thrice a day is a cure for headache due to hyperacidity.

11. Application of hot fomentations over abdomen relieves headache due to gastrointestinal disorders.

12. Make a paste out of 3-4 cloves and water. Apply on forehead to check headache quickly.

13. Pour 2-3 drops of cow's butter in the nostrils. This prevents sinus headache.

14. Mix watermelon seeds and Cuseus grass and grind the mixture to powdered form. Take 3 grams of the powder regularly. This is an effective home remedy for headache.

15. Drinking a glass of water by adding 1 teaspoon honey in to it in empty stomach is a useful headache treatment.