What helps against headaches? The best remedies for headaches

What helps with headaches? Let me guess: You have a headache right now and don't know what to do? Here you are right! We tell you what really helps against headaches!

By the way, you are not alone with headaches! Because every adult suffers from headaches several times a year.

In Germany, four to five percent struggle with daily headaches. And 70 percent suffer from recurring headaches.

Most often they are caused by malnutrition and lack of sleep. Stress and tension also cause the unpleasant feeling and throbbing in the head.

Medication can help you in the short term. However, home remedies against headaches have always proven their worth.

Because we know how unpleasant the throbbing in the head is, we have collected here the best tips and answer the question "What helps against headaches?“

In addition to the best tips for headaches, we also have some wonderful advice to help you prevent new pain.

Causes of headache

What helps against headaches? First of all, you should find out what exactly causes the pain in your head. There are a number of possible causes. The same reasons do not always have to be responsible for the throbbing in the head.

Very often, by the way, it is a mix of at least 2 different causes.

These are the most common reasons for headaches:

• Stress - professional and private overload for several hours to days can be manifested by headaches
• Lack of exercise - Especially at poorly equipped PC workstations and long sitting times possible are often a reason for headaches
• Dehydration - your body reports a lack of fluids through headaches and fatigue
• Lack of oxygen - especially in poorly ventilated rooms or in the office you often get headaches
• Stimulants such as alcohol and nicotine cause headaches
• Lack of sleep - sleep disturbances or restless sleep can also lead to headaches
• Weather changes - especially problematic for weather-sensitive people
• Typical woman: hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle or menopause promote a throbbing in the head

In addition, persistent, severe and previously unfamiliar headache may also report a completely different cause.

Physical events that can lead to headaches:

• Injuries to the head or spine in the cervical region
• Inflammatory processes in the brain or teeth
• Colds and other viral diseases
• Organic diseases with the consequence of reduced uptake of oxygen in the blood
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Tension in the neck and shoulder area
• Allergic or pseudoallergic reaction
• Contact of the respiratory tract with irritating substances
• Certain contraceptives
• Eye disease or hypoglycemia in diabetes

If the pain in the head keeps returning, you should see a doctor after a few months at the latest. He will find out what the cause is.

Based on this diagnosis, therapy is possible. If the pain occurs only briefly, home remedies for headaches often help. Here, too, prevention is better than cure.

What helps against headaches? Tips against headache

But now it's down to the nitty gritty and quick help for your headache.

Many of these following tips will improve your well-being even without a headache. They may even have a preventive effect in the long run. These tips have been proven for ages in over 90 % of headache cases.

1. exercise helps against headache

Modern professional life requires less and less movement. We sit all day and that can cause tension. What helps against headaches directly at work?

A break in the fresh air refreshes you quickly. Depending on the intensity of the pain, a walk can give your head more oxygen. Can't go for a walk at the moment because of work? Then stretch against tension.

Stand and turn your head first far to the right, then to the left. Slowly tilt your head in both shoulder directions while facing forward. But be careful: do these stretching exercises very gently! This way you avoid accidentally pinching nerves.

Have a look at our Office gymnastics exercises over. They help against all kinds of tension.

2. coffee as a home remedy for headaches

Every coffee drinker and many a doctor recommend coffee for headaches. It even works for migraine attacks, very good also for tension headache.

For this, choose a strong type of coffee and prepare it as a mocha or espresso. Add a squeeze of lemon.

However, the refresher does not work for all sufferers. But if you don't drink much coffee anyway, the "Start Pilot" will get you away from pain and get your circulation going.

The pep cup of coffee can be well combined with exercise in the fresh air. Both are recommended even without complaints to increase performance and reduce stress.

3. massage technique for cluster or tension headache.

What helps against headaches that occur acutely and in certain places? Put your fingers on the pain points.

Often they are located on the forehead, between the eyes or temple. Keep the finger pressure the same for at least half a minute. Repeat the massage technique as often as you like.

You can use this home remedy unobtrusively at any time, no matter where and no matter how often. Even at a meeting with business associates, the pressure of a finger often relieves the pain after only a few minutes.

Does this technique not work? Then ask your doctor or an alternative practitioner about acupuncture. This helps even with recurring complaints for months.

4. cold water helps against headache

What helps against headaches, if not water? Maybe mom's cold washcloth on your forehead comes to mind.

In fact, the coolness relieves the pain in the head. Especially in combination with a few minutes of rest while lying down.

You can also drink cold water. Very often, your body reports a lack of fluids with the throbbing in your head.

Does the pain have to go away really quickly? Then you can hold your head under cold running water or splash cold water on your face with both palms.

Admittedly: A cold shower is not for everyone. But it helps with headaches and stimulates your circulation at the same time.

5. heat against headache

Tense muscles are also caused by stress. A warm full bath and a few minutes in 38 degree water are now optimal.

The headache disappears due to the heat. Rest and not moving also effectively drives it away.

Treat yourself to bath additivesthat improve blood circulation. Pamper yourself with fragrance additives.

In too much of a hurry for a full bath? Then let the air stream of your hair dryer circle around your shoulders, back of the head and neck for a while. Keep your posture as relaxed as possible. Otherwise, new tensions will form during the massage.

6. off to the dentist for headaches

Yes, you read that right. An incorrect load in the Pine can namely be used for Headache be responsible. Have you had pain for a very long time and especially in the morning?

Then you might cramp in your sleep or clench your teeth very hard. The growling head in the morning is the result.

If this is the case with you, the dentist will give you a bite splint. It protects your teeth and prevents headaches.

7. relaxation as a remedy for pain in the head

What helps against headaches in stressful situations? Relaxation, right now, will give you relief.

Do some breathing exercises before you move on to the next stack of files.

Ask therapists about autogenic training. This will help you unobtrusively in any place, often before the onset of stress headaches.

Also popular is progressive muscle relaxation. Even better than all Attempts to relax is a short sleep. In the process, your "battery" recharges. After 20 minutes of complete switch-off you feel pain-free and full of energy.

8. oils against headache

Better than a tablet are soothing oils. Peppermint oil* Apply to noticeable pain points. It gradually takes effect there. The muscles relax and the cold sensors come into action.

Other antispasmodic oils are also suitable for the same effect. As an allergy sufferer, you should not start with the head. It is best to test the oil on other parts of the body. Do not start when the pain occurs. Because nothing would be more counterproductive than skin irritation, which relieves your previous discomfort.

Lavender is also known to work against headaches. It relaxes the body and thus provides pain relief. Do you already know our delicious lavender limo?

9. go to the eye doctor for headaches

Very many are short-sighted or long-sighted and often don't even know it. Because if it has always been like that, you don't know the difference.

But then, in order to read, you have to make an extra effort. And that is one cause of headaches.

If you get a headache especially when you are working or reading a book, you should see an eye doctor. He will do an eye test and tell you if your eyes are okay.

10. herbs and spices for throbbing in the head

Eugenol with antiseptic and analgesic properties is contained in vanilla extract. The ancient Egyptians already used it to get rid of headaches. Gentle, occasional pain can also be relieved with a little turmeric.

Moreover, these home remedies even help against other ailments:

• Three times a day, one teaspoon of mineral clay from the health food store in a large glass of water, preferably with meals. This detoxifies your body.
• Prepare a cooling pack from mineral clay and water. Put it on your forehead. Rest with it for at least an hour.
• Willow bark extract in a capsule contains salicin. The analgesic effect is similar to that of aspirin or ASA.
• Against headache due to draught helps Cinnamon* well. Apply a mixture of one teaspoon Cinnamon* and a teaspoon of water on your forehead.
• Chew a piece of ginger root for an acute headache. Less spicy for sensitive palates is this variant: Grate one centimeter of ginger finely and stir it into about 200 ml of fruit juice. As a preventive measure, you can even use it to alleviate or immediately combat an incipient migraine attack.
• Milk thistle and bitter clover, cowslip or thyme, also motherwort, chamomile, fennel or cayenne pepper are effective against often severe pain. You drink the tea from these herbs several times a day for a month. After that, migraine attacks remain more gentle.

11. eye yoga helps with headaches

Those who stare into the PC for hours at work, favors headaches. This is where eye yoga can help.

There are two great exercises that you can do anytime and anywhere.

1. Roll with your eyes. Without moving your head, look to the left and to the right. A total of 6 times. Then close your eyes and roll them up and down 6 times.
2. Look near and far. Direct your gaze to the tip of your nose. Then look as far as you can into space. Do this 6 times and then close your eyes to relax.

12. herbal and vegetable juices for headaches

What helps against headaches, if not drink? And that is vegetable juice. By the way, they help best when you mix them yourself. Because purchased juices are heated to be preserved. In the process, many good ingredients are lost.

Juices that help against headaches:

• 300 ml carrot juice, 50 ml celery juice, 10 ml parsley juice and 100 ml spinach juice.
• 300 ml carrot juice and 200 ml spinach juice
• 300 ml carrot juice , 100 ml beet juice and 100 ml cucumber juice
• Chop 3-5 basil leaves and boil them with 250 ml of water

Therefore, you should not immediately take pills for headaches

What helps against headaches? The first resort is often a tablet. But these drugs only combat the current pain.

You don't even find out where the cause might be. Many people ignore the pain in the head for months, even years.

It is possible that tablets will no longer help you. Even changing the type of tablet no longer leads to pain relief. Also, because of the undesirable side effects, be careful when taking tablets.

Your stomach and digestive tract suffer. There are sometimes incompatibilities or interactions with other medicines. If at all, be sure to consult your family doctor before taking any medication. He knows your medical history and other medication. Interactions and side effects can be avoided in this way.

Medications do not eliminate the cause of headaches. They only ensure that we no longer feel the pain.

Prevent headaches: 3 great tips against headaches

What helps against headaches? Prevention is best. Incorporate one or more of the measures into your everyday life. Then you will suffer less from stress. Your body will stay in balance. This means that headaches hardly stand a chance.

Curb stress if you want no more headaches

Get involved with relaxation techniques. Yoga, autogenic training and similar measures also prevent other diseases.

At least don't organize yourself too tightly in your private life. Practice relaxing hobbies every day. This will prevent most causes of headaches. With a less stressful daily routine, you will also get more sleep and good Organization at work. This keeps young and healthy.

Sensible diet prevents headaches

A balanced blood sugar level prevents headaches. If it drops due to starvation, it alerts your head and it already starts to pull and throb. At the same time, your mood is in the basement.

Regularly include whole grain products in your diet. These keep blood sugar levels stable for a particularly long time.

It is better to eat several small portions. This allows your body to digest more easily. Headaches due to fatigue can be avoided in this way.

Drink at least two liters of fluid daily. This is what your head needs to function without pain. Water, unsweetened teas or juices in between are best.

Moderate yourself when eating fatty and sweet foods. Red wine, ripe cheese or foods with glutamate promote the development of headache. Pork and wheat also contain the triggering biogenic amines.

An active life prevents headaches

Walk a lot and get some fresh air. This gives your head plenty of oxygen. In addition, you will be less likely to get tense if you exercise regularly.

If you are physically fit, regularly practice endurance sports such as running or cycling. A circulatory system in motion also keeps the oxygen saturation in the brain high. This means that headaches don't stand a chance.

Good condition solves another problem at the same time: you will absorb more fluids, your body really demands it. Also, headaches due to lack of water will not even appear.

The most common types of headache

According to the symptoms, mild and severe, acute and persistent headache can be divided into different types of pain.

Migraine

This type of pain, which is partly genetic and partly stress-related, is particularly severe. Very often women are affected by migraine.

Simultaneously with the appearance of the first throbbing and pulsating, affected persons become nauseous. They are very sensitive to noise and light for hours to days. Medical treatment can relieve the symptoms of migraine. Unfortunately, no cure has yet been found.

Tension headache

Tension headache makes itself felt as a dull squeeze around your complete head area.

What helps against headaches of this kind? You can have massages, reduce stress or resort to the home remedies described later.

Cluster headache

Here you literally get attacks of headache. For hours to days, this headache settles on one side of the face.

Usually the eye swells on this side. You feel restless at the same time until the seizure series disappears for months.

Medication headache

Statistically, sufferers take tablets much more often than home remedies for headaches.

However, the constant use of pills can turn the pain in the head into a chronic problem. Only controlled withdrawal from medication can help against the constant sensation of pain.

Only then can your actual pain in the head be diagnosed more accurately.

Classification into primary and secondary

According to the possible cause, the known approximately 220 types of headaches are additionally divided.

Primary headache is the problem itself.

In secondary headache, on the other hand, your body warns you. The warning indicates organ or skeletal disorders or other severe stresses.

Our conclusion

As you can see, there are many answers to the question, "What helps headaches?" Most types of headaches are harmless. Nevertheless, the pain burdens your everyday life. With tips and home remedies you can get rid of them effectively. Even better, you can prevent them in different ways. What always works and we all do too little is exercise and drink plenty of fluids.

To browse further:

• Can healing clay help you with diarrhea? Find out!
• Are sleep disorders normal during the menopause? Find out!
• Can selenium help with hair loss? I'll tell you!

* Advertising & affiliate links: Our website is financed by advertising and affiliate links. As a partner of linked stores (e.g. Amazon) we earn from qualified sales.
Read more