How to Stop a Headache
Although we all experience headaches from time to time, they can seriously affect the quality of our lives. Luckily, in most cases, you can treat your headaches at home, and 5-Minute Crafts will show you some tips on how to do it effectively.
Warning: You should get immediate medical care if:
- You have a sudden and severe headache.
- The headache occurs along with dizziness, speech problems, and confusion.
- Your headache doesn’t stop or actually gets worse after some time.
Define your type of headache.
- Migraines cause a throbbing pain that is usually localized in the area behind your eyes and temples and pulses throughout your head.
- Hypertension headaches occur on both sides of your head, have a pulsating quality, and typically get worse with any activity. They often come along with pain or pressure in the back of your neck.
- Tension (or stress) headaches usually feel like a dull pain, tightness, or pressure around your forehead and the back of your head and neck as if there’s a tight rubber band around your head.
- Sinus headaches occur when your sinuses get inflamed and feel like a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or the bridge of your nose. The pain usually gets stronger when you quickly move your head.
- Cluster headaches cause a stabbing, sharp pain that occurs in one spot of your head, usually behind or near one eye.
Choose the treatment.
1. Turn off the light and rest.
What to do:
- Turn off the lights in your room and cover your windows with blackout curtains.
- Sit or lie down with your eyes closed and relax for a bit.
This works for:
- Migraines
- Tension headaches
2. Do a breathing exercise.
What to do:
- Find a quiet place with a comfortable chair.
- Sit down and take a slow breath in for 5 seconds.
- Then breathe out for 5 seconds.
- Do this exercise for some time.
- While breathing, you can also visualize a peaceful image.
This works for:
- Tension headaches
- Cluster headaches
3. Apply a hot compress.
What to do:
- Take a heating pad or a bottle filled with hot water and place it on your neck or the back of your head.
- For a sinus headache, take a warm cloth and hold it on the area that hurts.
- You can also take a hot bath or shower.
This works for:
- Tension headaches
- Sinus headaches
4. Apply a cold compress.
What to do:
- Take an ice pack (or a plastic bag filled with ice and wrapped in a soft towel) and apply it to the back of your neck, head, forehead, or temples.
- Hold it there for about 15 minutes.
This works for:
5. Try self-massage.
What to do:
- Massage your temples, jaw, neck, and shoulders with your fingertips.
- Additionally, massage the area between your eyebrows and the 2 spots at the base of each eyebrow on either side of the bridge of your nose.
This works for:
- Tension headaches
6. Drink water.
What to do:
- Drink plenty of water and other liquids during the day to reduce the severity of your headache caused by dehydration.
This works for:
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
7. Have a cup of coffee.
What to do:
- Have some coffee or tea with a little caffeine in it.
This works for:
❗ Don’t drink too much caffeine as it can lead to withdrawal headaches.
8. Sip on ginger tea.
9. Use essential oils.
What to do:
- Apply a few drops of peppermint essential oil to your temples to get rid of tension or hypertension headaches.
- Apply some lavender essential oil to your upper lip and inhale to get rid of a migraine.
This works for:
- Tension headaches
- Hypertension headaches
- Migraines
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