Got a headache? You probably don’t have to go far to find a remedy.
Here are some common remedies that you can conveniently find in your kitchen to help ease your headache, whether it’s pain induced from an impending deadline, an argument, your boss, that traffic jam you’re in the heart of, or whatever’s bugging you today.
Rub your head with thyme and rosemary oil
A simple cure for headache pain, just dab a couple of drops of thyme or rosemary essential oil on each temple, and your forehead. Rub gently, then sit quietly and let these natural remedies sink in.
In a 2010 study, researchers discovered that thyme and rosemary oils contain carvacrol, a substance that acts as a COX-II inhibitor, which is similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.
Seek vitamin B2
In another head study, 59 percent of participants cut migraine frequency in half by taking 400 milligrams of vitamin B2, or riboflavin, every day for three months. Of the volunteers who took a placebo, only 15 percent reported fewer migraines.
Vitamin B2 can be found in almonds, certain fish, sesame seeds, and some hard cheeses.
Butterbur extract
The butterbur herb is effective for migraine relief; physicians often recommend it for migraine pain. Multiple studies found Petadolex, an over-the-counter butterbur extract, significantly reduced migraine attacks compared to placebos.
Related: 6 Foods That Can Trigger a Migraine
Recommended dosage is 75 milligrams twice a day, for a month, then 50 milligrams twice a day from then on.
Drink water
It’s the simplest, and maybe most effective home remedy for headaches: hydration.
‘Dehydration leads to the loss of fluid from the brain, which causes it to pull away from the skull and stimulates pain receptors, which can impair your ability to concentrate, make you irritable, and worsen an existing headache,’ explains Rashmi Kulkarni, MD, and family medicine specialist at Gwinnett Medical Group’s Covenant Family Medicine.
Photo Credit: gpointstudio/Shutterstock; Maciej Czekajewski/Shutterstock
