Headaches are incredibly common, with about 75% of people experiencing at least one headache each year. However, while they are common, they can be a real pain (pun intended). Headaches impact your daily life at work and at home and can sideline you if they happen often.
If you find yourself suffering from chronic pain, you might want to try out one of these suggestions to help alleviate your symptoms. Read on for the best cures for headaches out there.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
This is the most obvious and common tip to get rid of a headache. An over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen can typically take care of your headache pain relatively quickly. However, if you are taking these medications constantly, you could develop resistance to them and they could wreak havoc on your stomach.
Massage
The benefits of getting a massage or many—relaxation, stress-relief, injury recovery, muscle soreness relief, you name it and massage can help. However, did you know that massage could also help with headaches?
There is promising evidence that massage therapy can cure headaches. And even if it doesn’t, there are so many other benefits that you can enjoy from a massage that it’s completely worth trying.
Drink More Water
You might roll your eyes at this one, but it’s true. So many ailments are tied to a lack of water and headaches are one of them. Chronic dehydration is a common cause of headaches and is easy to resolve.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Poor sleep or a lack of sleep has so many negative impacts on our health. A lack of sleep or fitful sleep can cause headaches in people, especially those who sleep less than six hours. However, too much sleep can also cause headaches. Your best option is to figure out the optimal amount of sleep for your body and stick with that.
Drink plenty of water during the day, eat water-rich foods, and if you experience a headache, drink a glass (or two) of water. If you are dehydrated, drinking water can usually alleviate your headache pain in a few hours.
Hot or Cold
Migraine pain may be relieved by a cold pack or ice. Put a cold pack or ice bag wrapped in a towel on your head for 15 minutes and then take a 15-minute break. Repeat as needed to help reduce your pain.
Tension headaches, on the other hand, can be better treated with heat. Use a heating pad or hot compress on your forehead or neck, depending on where you have pain.
Since tension headaches are caused by tense muscles, the heat will help them relax. A hot shower or warm bath also may help with this.
The Best Cure for Headaches
The best cure for headaches is the one that works for you. Not everyone will respond the same to all treatment methods, so experiment with a few different things to see which work best for you.
Did you find these headache tips useful? If so, we have more! Check out some of our other health and wellness articles.
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