Headaches and migraines adversely impact the quality of life of the more than 47 million Americans who frequently suffer from these symptoms, not to mention the costs in lost work hours and medical expenses. Many of these patients will almost immediately take pain-killing medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, and antidepressants.

But before you hit the medicine cabinet, you can first try these safe, affordable, and doable yet effective treatments. You will soon be able to control your headache and migraine symptoms, allowing for long-term management.

• Get a massage.

Massage improves blood circulation and thus relieves pain caused by headaches. This provides temporary relief, but if it means less reliance on painkillers, it’s certainly a good option. Try rubbing your temples or, better yet, getting a full neck, head, and back massage.

• Soak in a Jacuzzi.

Soaking in a hot tub will help tremendously with migraines or tension headaches. Just ten minutes of relaxation in a hot tub or spa with hot water and jets that stimulate the muscles, especially in the neck and back area.

• Stretch your muscles.

The reason is to relax tight muscles, especially around the neck area, which will lessen the tension in the head. Test neck range of motion, shoulder shrugs, and neck isometry; do these stretching exercises 2 times a day for 20 minutes each session.

• Do yoga.

Yoga combines the benefits of body positions, mental meditation, and breathing exercises, all of which can help reduce physical and mental stress. You will then be more relaxed and therefore less prone to headaches.

• Practice aerobic exercises.

There is no need to participate in aerobic exercises that will contribute to the headache. Brisk walking, biking, and swimming are recommended as soon as you spot the signs of a headache. Better yet, make these exercises part of your fitness plan.

• Apply heat and cold.

This is so safe that even pregnant women can use it. Apply a heat pack to the back of your neck to relieve neck tension, while placing an ice pack on your temples can ease a throbbing headache.

• Avoid nitrates and nitrites.

What you eat also influences your tendency to have frequent bouts of headaches or migraines. Avoid nitrites and nitrates in processed foods, caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol, especially when you have a high susceptibility to these foods.

Using natural herbs to relieve headache

Many people turn to alternative medicine when it comes to treating headaches. The reason for this is that headaches affect many people and traditional ways of treating them can be harmful if used in excess. For example, taking too much Tylenol or other pain relievers can cause a liver problem. For this reason, when it comes to headaches, some people turn to herbal remedies.

One of the most popular herbal remedies when it comes to treating headaches is lavender. Lavender is used in aromatherapy and is one of the few essential oils that can be used directly on the skin. It also comes in pill form as well as a tea. This can help ease the pain of headaches.

Another popular herbal remedy for headaches comes from ginger root. Ginger has been used for centuries to treat nausea, but it can also be used in a tea to treat the discomfort of headaches, especially those resulting from menstrual cramps.

You can try a variety of different herbal remedies for headaches, but be sure to document each one you try. If you see a doctor about your headaches and are taking medication, you should talk to your doctor before trying herbal remedies for headaches. While natural herbs are generally harmless, you must be sure that there will be no interaction between the herbs and the medication you are currently taking.

If you suffer from migraines, like millions of other people, there are natural herbal remedies to treat these headaches. Migraine headaches are one of the leading reasons people miss work in the United States, and millions of people suffer from this disabling disease. What is so concerning about migraine headaches is that no one knows what causes them, even though they are thought to run in families.

Rosemary is another popular herb that can help treat migraines. You should sprinkle rosemary on your food to see if it has any effect on your headaches. Anytime you use natural herbs to treat headaches, it’s best to grow them at home and use them as fresh as possible. One theory about headaches is that they are the result of environmental hazards such as toxins in the air. By growing your herbs at home, you can eliminate the use of pesticides and make them safer for consumption.

Work with different herbal remedies to treat your headaches until you find the one that works best for you. You can also discuss herbal remedies to treat headaches with your doctor, as he or she may have more insight on how to combat the pain of bothersome headaches other than the use of medication.

When your symptoms persist, you can call a doctor. We suggest avoiding over-the-counter pain relievers when possible because they can make your condition worse, especially when you have underlying medical conditions.