How to Relieve a Headache

I often get sinus headaches. I have found that many times these sinus headaches are brought on when I eat milk and/or cheese. I get both sinus headaches and cluster headaches (cluster headaches form under one eye). Because I often struggle with sinus congestion, headaches and cluster headaches, I have found some tips to relieving the pain naturally.

I often use tea to relieve a bad headache. Peppermint seems to work well for me. One website recommends these herbs for relieving headaches: Feverfew, Peppermint, Lavender, Skullcap, Wood Betony, and Gingko Biloba. You may want to find a tea that has some or all of these ingredients in it for great headache relief. Also, your local natural food store may have some teas made specifically for headache relief.

If I have severe sinus congestion, I often run a humidifier. The air where I live is dry and the humidifier works well to relieving the sinus congestion brought on by a drier environment.

Sometimes massaging my temple will relieve sinus congestion. This massage helps relieve the congestion and therefore relieves the headache.

There is also two pressure points at the base of the neck (to the right and left of the sinus column). A chiropractor showed my husband and I how pressure can be put on these points to relieve headache pain caused by sinus congestion. This is something you will want to research before trying anything.

My favorite way to relieve my sinus headache is to take a brand new tube sock, add rice to it, and tie a knot in the top of the sock. Long grain white rice works best (you don't want instant rice....sorry Uncle Ben). You can optionally add herbs for extra relief (lavendar, peppermint, etc.) Then take the sock and zap it in the microwave for a minute or two. My husband zaps it for about a minute, flips it and then zaps it for another minute on the other side. I think a little less time would be efficient (perhaps, 45 seconds on each side). Then, apply the sock on your eye or forehead (wherever the sinus pressure might be), within minutes (alright, a half hour) you will find that you have sinus relief. This method also works well for muscle aches.

Another way to relieve a sinus headache is to discontinue eye strain. I have found that putting my glasses on or removing myself from playing on the computer or watching TV has helped relieve a headache.

Other tips I have heard include starring at the sun for a few seconds or minutes (I believe I read about this in a book called "Natural Cures") and relaxing. One of my friends with slight headaches says her headaches are relieved by not focusing on it. Sometimes, breathing in a cup of soup or Chai helps me.

I also like taking a hot bath or shower. Sometimes, my husband will massage my back. The relaxing helps my headache by taking the focus off of it. Plus, who doesn't like a back massage?