Severe headache at night? Wondering what to do when that nasty headache is disturbing your sleep? If you want to learn about some of the useful home remedies for managing headache, continue reading this article. At the end of this article, I am going to give you a secret weapon to tackle your headache for the rest of your life!

Causes of Headache

Before proceeding with the treatment of headaches, you should first be in a position to understand what causes it. Now, headaches can be divided into two major groups namely primary and secondary headaches.

Primary headaches are those that are caused by overstimulation of pain-sensitive structures in our head. It is not an after effect or a symptom of an underlying disease. Changes in the chemical activity of the brain which mainly includes neurotransmitters are one of the main types of primary headaches. Problems associated with skull, muscles, teeth, neck and sometimes genetic factors can also result in primary headaches.

The most common primary headaches are:

1. Cluster headache
2. Migraine
3. Migraine with aura
4. Tension headache

Some primary headaches can be triggered by lifestyle factors, including:

1. Alcohol, particularly red wine
2. Certain foods, such as processed meats that contain nitrates
3. Changes in sleep or lack of sleep
4. Poor posture
5. Skipped meals
6. Stress

Secondary headaches, on the other hand, is a symptom of an underlying condition and it develops by stimulating the pain-sensitive nerves in the head. Most common causes of secondary headaches are:

1. Acute sinusitis (sinus infection)
2. Blood clots and stroke
3. Brain aneurysm (a bulge in an artery in your brain)
4. Brain tumor
5. Carbon monoxide poisoning
6. Concussion (head injuries)
7. Dehydration
8. Dental problems
9. Ear infection (middle ear)
10. Hangovers
11. High blood pressure (hypertension)
12. Meningitis ( Inflammation of meninges)
13. Secondary procedures like spinal fluid aspiration, anesthesia

Reference: Mayo Clinic

Some common types of headaches

Migraines are one of the major types of headache. It occurs three times more women than men. Migraines are characterized by pain which is moderate to severe, pulsating ( With alternative waxing and weaning of pain) and cause nausea, vomiting, or increased sensitivity to light or sound. It commonly affects only one side of your head but can affect both sides and last from four to 72 hours without treatment.

Tension-type headaches are the most common type of headaches. It is characterized by pain which is felt like a tight band of pain around your head and is capable of causing mild to moderate pain on both sides of the head. Tension headaches are highly variable in severity and can last for 30 mins to a week.

Cluster headaches, which cause severe pain on one side of the head and occur off and on for weeks over the course of a few months. Cluster headaches are often associated with one or more signs and symptoms like tearing, nasal congestion and nasal discharge. These occur on the same side as the pain.

Home remedies for headaches

Now that you know the causes of headaches and how some of the common headaches behave, let’s move on with things you can do at home to control it.

1. Take some over the counter pain killer medications like paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen. One tablet of the latter two medicines or one and a half tablets of paracetamol should do the trick! This is considering the fact that these medicines are easily available or can be stocked up in your medicine cabinet
2. Have a good night sleep. Lack of good sleep and rest can easily be one of the reasons for your headache. Try it out.
3. Drink some coffee or ginger tea. Caffeine can act favorably in relieving your headache in ways which are still not understood.
4. Try cold compression. The cold can pass the constriction of blood vessels, thus reducing the pain.
5. If you are on regular treatment for migraine or any of the underlying causes of headache, continue taking those medicines.
6. Drink some water. Studies have shown that dehydration is one of the most common causes of tension headaches and migraine. Do you really think that you are drinking an adequate amount of water every day? Check out the article by following the link and find out!
7. Avoid alcohol as studies have shown that alcohol can lead to all the three main types of headaches including migraine, tension and cluster headaches. It acts by dilating the blood vessels, increasing the blood flow and by acting as a diuretic agent(increasing  urine)
8. Try out some supplements that contain magnesium, B-complex vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, and some essential fatty acids.
9. If you are still not working out every day, you should start it today itself. Try some yoga, aerobic workouts or activities like swimming, cycling, and jogging. This can not only help reduce your headache but can also improve your overall health and fitness levels.

Alright, that’s it now its time for revealing the secret weapon. If you are confused on which type of headache you are having, or if none of the home remedies mention about helped you, why not talk to an expert Doctor Online at Dofody! It is really easy and you will get his expert advice, a proper diagnosis and a legal prescription. I think talking to the doctor itself can relieve your tension headache!

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Hope this article helped you gain some information about headaches and how you can manage it at home. Help us by spreading the word Dofody in all the ways you can.