Health Matters: Headaches

What is it? Tension headaches are caused by muscle contractions in your neck and head. They are most often associated with stress, exhaustion, or repressed anger.

Changes in the blood vessels in your brain can cause headaches, too. Migraines and cluster headaches are examples. Exercise, certain foods, or a hangover can bring these on.

Other headaches are symptoms of something else, like eyestrain, sinusitis, high blood pressure, or, rarely, a brain tumour. Even overusing headache medications can lead to what is called a rebound headache.

Symptoms: dull, sharp or throbbing pain; tightness or pressure.
Popping pills every time you get a headache can be a headache in itself. The next time your head throbs and you feel like someone is tying your scalp into a knot, try one of these natural cures. Passed down from generation to generation, these remedies are trusty fixes for stress headaches. Double-team the pain. While soaking in a steamy bath, hold an ice pack on your head. The combination of hot and cold relieves your headache by drawing blood away from your head and narrowing the blood vessels in your scalp.

Wrap it up. Try tying a bandana or handkerchief around your head, just above your brow. This could also reduce the blood flow in your scalp and get rid of the pounding in your head.

Treat your feet. With just one teaspoon of powdered mustard or ginger, you can turn a plastic basin of hot water into a fast headache cure. Just mix the powder into water that’s as hot as you can stand. Then pull up your favourite chair , sit back, and let your feet soak for 15 minutes. It’s important to cover the basin with a heavy towel to keep the heat in. Keep your eyes closed and your muscles relaxed for the full effect. Your headache should vanish by the
time the water cools.

Serve up relief. To win against your headache, wrap two tennis balls in the toe of a non-elastic sock. Then lie on your back and wedge the balls behind your neck, one on each side. They will relax your neck muscles, smoothing away headachecausing tension.

Rub out the tension. Sit in your favourite chair with your eyes closed. Begin massaging your temples and forehead, then work your way down to your neck and shoulders. Breathe slowly and deeply, and focus on relaxing your entire body. Draw out the pain. To make a handy hot compress, heat up salt in a dry pan until it’s warm but not too hot. Pour the salt into a thin dishtowel and bundle it up. For pain in the front of your head, hold the compress to the back of your head and rub. The dry heat from the salt could draw out the ache.

Stop your headache cold. For a frozen compress, hold on to your old socks. Wet them, and seal them in a zip-lock bag in your freezer. Use the whole sock if you want, or cut off the bottom and use just its top.
Help yourself to migraine relief Migraines mean misery. But it’s not just the agonizing pain or nausea that you have to deal with. Often, migraines affect the way you view your entire life. Understand your headache. Try to figure out when your headaches occur and what might trigger them. It helps to keep a headache diary where you can record all the details surrounding your headache, such as your mood, the food you ate, your sleeping patterns, and anything else you think might be related. Once your doctor diagnoses your problem, make sure you know what the diagnosis means. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Gun down triggers. Your headache diary will help you see what factors may trigger your headaches. Your job is to avoid those triggers. Common headache triggers include cheese, nuts, yogurt, and chocolate.

New research reveals another potential culprit – wheat. Some people are sensitive to gluten, and protein found in wheat products. When they switch to a glutenfree diet, their headaches disappear. Ditch the drugs. Sometimes, medication is not the answer. If your are allergic, pregnant, or nursing, drugs can be dangerous. Or maybe you just don’t like relying on medicine. Instead of drugs, try alternative therapies like relaxation training biofeedback, or stress management. They just might do the trick. Try herbs and supplements. If you are looking for a natural way to treat and prevent migraines, try these supplements: Feverfew. The most successful of the herbal remedies, feverfew has been a valued migraine fighter since 78 A.D. You can chew on fresh, freeze-dried, or heatdried leaves to get the benefit of this herb. Or take feverfew in pill form. One 125 milligram capsule or tablet a day should do.

Make sure it is standardized for 0.2 percent parthenolide, the main ingredient that reduces pain and frequency of migraines. Ginger. Mix some powdered ginger into a glass of water and drink. That daily approach worked for a long-time migraine sufferer in Denmark, who swears ginger soothes the pain and nausea of her headaches. You can also munch on fresh, raw ginger, or cook with it to harness it benefits.

Rely on vitamins and minerals. You know you need a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to keep your body running smoothly. But a little more of the following vitamins and minerals may mean the difference between a migraine and no pain.

Vitamin D and calcium. This dynamic duo has helped those with migraines. Drink vitamin D-fortified milk for a double dose of protection. Magnesium. A deficiency of this mineral may contribute to migraines. Studies show that large doses of magnesium supplements can lessen the number and the severity of these painful headaches. You can also find magnesium in oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, broccoli, peas, and skim milk.

Riboflavin. Taking 400 mg of this B vitamin daily could cut the number of migraines you get in half. It has been shown to relieve headache pain as effectively as aspirin – without any side effects. Get some extra riboflavin in pasta, bread, grains, broccoli, spinach, almonds. If you are past 50, take notice of headaches that start when you begin to exercise and go away when you stop. This could be a sign of heart disease, even if you have no other symptoms. Be sure to mention it to your doctor.

Folk remedy. The next time you feel tension creeping up your neck and lodging in your head, try this headache remedy. Mix peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and rubbing alcohol in a small bowl. Gently sponge the fragrant concoction over your forehead and temples, avoiding your eyes.
You should feel better in no time.

Kathleen Ross, Alberta, Canada