Simple Natural Home Remedies for Heaches

Ever since I was in high school I have been cursed with a regular headache and/or a migraine. These are generally caused by a number of different things like poor posture, poor diet, and overall tension and stress.

Now, of course, all these different things can be corrected over time. Sit up straight, drink less caffeine, and try to relax more right? But of course, these changes won't necessarily be done overnight so what can you do to help in the meantime?

Well being a broke college student I've searched the internet high and low many different times looking into natural home remedies for these headaches and migraines. Below I've shared the ones that have worked the best for me and are relatively simple and inexpensive. If you know any others that are not mentioned below share them in the comments!

One of my favorite ways to get rid of a nagging headache is to use essential oils. I absolutely love essential oils and use them all the time for different home remedies. They are a completely all-natural way to help with headache relief and they make your home smell great too! There are a few different ways you can use essential oils to get rid of a headache or a migraine. Below I list the different ways to use the oils and which ones are best for getting rid or easing off a headache.

Diffusing Oils

Diffusing essentials is my absolute favorite way to help fight off a migraine. To do this you will need an oil diffuser or burner. This method will diffuse the scent all throughout your room or home so make sure you really like the scent of the oil your choice because it will stick around for a while. The fact that this method helps to diffuse the scent all throughout the home or room is one reason it is my favorite to use for a migraine. Light and sound really get to me when a migraine hits so putting a few drops of whatever oil I pick that day and crawling in bed under the covers for the nap always helps to relieve or help to ease off a migraine.

Topical Use

The second best way to use essential oils for pain relief is topical. This way needs a little precaution, however. Not all essential oils can go directly onto the skin so please make sure to do some research on your oils before applying them directly to the skin! If you do decide to go this route there are different places on the neck, head, and face depending on what kind of a headache or a migraine you are having. The photo above from Dr. Axe (draxe.com) give a little bit of a guide to some of the places. When I'm suffering from a tension headache or am out and about when a migraine strikes I like to dab whatever oils I have on hand to my temples, the back of the neck, and just behind the ears.

Which Oils to Use

After years of trying a number of different oils and oil blends for headaches and migraines, I have found my favorite few that have become my go-tos for just this. All the oils listed below are relatively eased and inexpensive to get your hands on. I do recommend going to your local health shop and smelling the different oils before purchasing, however, the better the smell is to you the better your body will react to it. Plus who wants to spend money on something they think stinks!?

• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Eucalyptus
• Ylang - Ylang
• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Orange
• Tangerine

These oils have been the most effective I've found to help relieve the pain of headaches. Like I said before make sure you like the scent and play around with them! Use a single oil or make your own blend have a little fun with it a create or find a scent you really like or find relieving and watch how it helps the next time a headache or a migraine strikes. Below I have put a link to my all-time favorite essential oil brand (their oils are high quality, all profits go to charity, and they're affordable!) and an inexpensive diffuser I've been using for years.

Another one of the best was to help ease away a headache or a migraine is drinking some herbal teas. I prefer to drink mine hot but you can do it whichever way you like the best. You can find many herbal teas that match some of the essential oils that I recommend above like peppermint and lavender teas. I really enjoy mint tea and find it the most helpful if I decide to go the tea route. Taking a trip to your local farmers market is always a good way to find some locally sourced herbal teas!

To add an extra pain relief boost to your tea throw in some fresh finely ground ginger, honey, or cinnamon. All three of this help to relieve some of the symptoms and pain of headaches.

Do note if you have a ragweed allergy it is best to stay away from any chamomile teas. These two plants are in the same family and drinking chamomile tea with a ragweed allergy may cause you to suffer from headaches even more.

Using a compress is one of the easiest ways to fight off the pain of a headache or a migraine. A cold compress placed on the back of the neck can help relieve some of the pain of a migraine by helping to reduce the inflammation and numbs the pain a bit. The same can be done to a washcloth in hot water, I find this way best when I have a sinus headache or pressure. It has also been shown that soaking your feet in warm water for a few minutes can also help to reduce the pain.