Holiday Headache Help

The three most common headaches I have had to deal with are migraine, stress, and sinuses, and I have had a battle with each one. The follow information is not from a medical doctor. These are remedies that work for me that I want to share with others. I hope someone will be able to find relief from the annoying and sometimes debilitating pain that headaches cause.

The actual cause of a migraine is elusive even for M.D.'s.

But I began to notice a pattern with mine, just about a week before my monthly cycle the sharp knife like pain would cut across my brain. For a long time I did not put the two together, but after many years of pain I believe my source of migraines are from a hormonal shift. I believe it is caused by a serotonin dip or drop off. I came across information that suggested 5Htp and I began to take one a day. I saw immediate results; no more pain was of course the biggest one for me.

Stress headaches hit me when dealing with five kids who are arguing, talking, and amped up from a long day at school, plus tax season, any holiday or other event that increases the amount of focus I needed to be able to exert would bring on a stress headache.

The tightness and dull ache would begin to increase with strength and I would have a full blown stress headache.

The first action I learned to take was to quickly reduce all noise, TV, radios, computers all gets turned off. If I am out shopping or doing errands, I try to just finish up the most important and head home. When I would get home the kids are sent to rooms for a little quiet time and I take a couple of good old fashioned aspirin, a hot shower and rest quietly for at least 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes I try to meditate and visualize myself handling all that I need to do in love and peace. This really works for me; everyone is calmer and the headache is gone.

Sinuses headaches are the ones I deal with every fall and spring and I tend to forget all about them until I am side swiped by one. I start taking one or two garlic tabs a day. Garlic is antiviral and helps to avert an infection. If I get a sinus headache I take a hot steamy shower, also use a little nasal spray that is actually just water. I also will take an allergy tab at night if the pain is too much, so that I can rest.