How to Stop Headache Immediately at Home
How to Stop Headache Immediately at Home
By Dr.Ravindra Patil
Nearly everyone experiences head pain once in a while. Headache is considered to be the second most common type of pain in human beings after backache. Luckily, most headaches are due to minor conditions and can be cured not with medicines but with home remedies. Your mother and grandmother may have more treatment suggestions for headache. And the surprising part is, most of them will be effective most of the times.
But alas, all headaches are not so benign. Some headaches need specialist doctors for treatment. We list out the special types of headaches which need a doctor’s treatment. All other types of headaches are likely to be relieved with the treatments suggested in the subsequent paragraphs. But first let us see the headaches for which you need to consult a doctor.
Table of Contents
Special types of Headaches
These headaches need a doctor:
- Tension headache
- Cluster headache
- Migraine headache
- Hemicrania continua
- Thunderclap headache
- Allergy or sinus headache
- Hormone headache (also known as menstrual migraine)
- Caffeine headache
- Exertion headache
- Hypertension headache
- Rebound headache
- Post-traumatic headache
- Spinal headache
If you have headache which is severe and recurs again and again, it may be one of the above and you must consult a doctor.
Now let us see home remedies for ordinary non serious Headaches
Ease the Pressure on your Scalp or Head
This can be done by any of the following methods. Choose the method which suits you and which you can easily implement.
Use a heating pad
Electrical heating pads or a hot water rubber bag applied to the forehead or temples may often relieve your headache. Keep the temperature setting to ‘mild’, not ‘hot’.
Apply a cold compress
Paradoxically, a cold compress on the head or neck can also with pain relief! You may also take a cold shower or a warm water shower. Or take a bath.
Massage the back of your neck
You can do it yourself. Pressing the back of your neck with your index finger can help relieve a headache. This works because the muscles in this area tighten when you experience stress. A few minutes massaging your forehead, neck, and temples can help ease a tension headache, which may result from stress. Or apply gentle, rotating pressure to the painful area.
Acupressure
Pressing certain the pressure points on the back of your hand can help with headaches. This point is located between the base of your thumb and index finger. However, take advice from a trained person.
Hydrate
Drinking water or herbal tea can help with headaches.
Dim the lights
Turning down the lights can help reduce headaches.
Take a nap
After you take a nap, you may awaken refreshed!
Other home remedies include…
Try not to chew
Chewing sometimes increases certain types of headaches.
Get some caffeine
The age old remedy of tea or coffee cannot be forgotten.
Practice Relaxation
Whether it’s stretches, yoga, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation, learning how to chill out when you’re in the middle of a headache can help with the pain. You might talk to your doctor about physical therapy if you have muscle spasms in your neck.
Take Some Ginger
A small recent study found that taking ginger, in addition to regular over-the-counter pain meds, eased pain for people in the ER with migraines. Another found that it worked almost as well as prescription migraine meds. In many Indian families, ginger is always added to regular tea.
Try some herbal Tea
Many special herbal teas are available for curing a headache.
Use Meds in Moderation
There are plenty of medicines for headaches but use them in moderation. To get the most benefit with the least risk, follow the directions on the label and these guidelines:
- Avoid ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) if you have heart failure or kidney failure.
- Do not give aspirin to a child under age 18.
- Take painkillers as soon as you start to hurt. You’ll probably beat it with a smaller dose than if you wait.
- If you get sick to your stomach when you get a headache, ask your doctor what might help.
- Ask your doctor what to take to avoid a rebound headache, which is pain that sets in after a few days of pain relievers.
- And be sure to talk to your doctor about what headache symptoms you should not treat at home.
Types of Pain
Knowing the type of your pain greatly assists diagnosis. There are four types of pain that can be present individually or can be present at the same time which can cause a mixed pain pattern. With several types of pain, there are various unique treatment options to suit the intricacies of each type.The Four Major Types of Pain are…
Nociceptive Pain
Typically the result of tissue injury. Common types of nociceptive pain are arthritis pain, mechanical back pain, or post-surgical pain.
Inflammatory Pain
An abnormal inflammation caused by an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system. Conditions in this category include gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
Neuropathic Pain:
Pain caused by nerve irritation. This includes conditions such as neuropathy, radicular pain, and trigeminal neuralgia.
Functional Pain:
Pain without obvious origin, but can cause pain. Examples of such conditions are fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.
If you describe your pain precisely to your doctor, it will assist him/her in diagnosis and treatment of your condition. Also, when describing your pain to your doctor, keep these in mind:
Provocation and Palliation
What were you doing at the onset? What do you think provokes your pain? What in your opinion alleviates it?
Quality/Quantity
What does the pain feel like and how often? Is it sharp, dull, stabbing, crushing, throbbing, nauseating?
Region/Radiation
Where is the pain located? To be specific, point to the location of the pain or draw it on a face diagram. Does it radiate anywhere? If so, where and to what side? Is it equal if both sides are involved? The more specific you can be the easier it is for the doctor to make a diagnosis.
Severity Scale
How much does it hurt on a scale from 1-10?
Timing
Does the severity or character of the pain change based on time of day, activity, weather, time of year, or position?
When to Call Your Doctor
OK, you have tried all home remedies but your headache is not relieved, or is getting worse. It is time to call your doctor. Also, gGet medical care right away for:
- A headache that follows a head injury
- A headache along with dizziness, speech problems, confusion, or other neurological symptoms
- A severe headache that comes on suddenly
- A headache that gets worse even after you take pain medications
When is Emergency Medical Attention Needed
In some cases, a headache may require immediate medical attention. Seek immediate medical care if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms alongside your headache:
- Stiff neck
- Rash
- The worst headache you’ve ever had
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Fever of 100.4°f (38°c) or higher
- Paralysis in any part of your body
- Visual loss
It is commonly thought that a simple symptom like a headache never requires the consultation of a neurosurgeon in a super specialty hospital like Samarth Neuro and Super Speciality Hospital of Miraj, District Sangli. Surprisingly some headaches may need the services of that hospital, and also the opinion of an expert neurosurgeon like Dr Ravindra Patil, who is the founder of that hospital.