Calling a migraine a headache is akin to saying a transmission problem is a minor car issue. Migraines, like transmission problems, are severe, can impact your whole body, and may put you out of commission until they’re treated.
Migraines come with symptoms like severe head pain, visual changes and seeing auras, sensory sensitivity, and nausea and vomiting.
While there’s no “cure” for migraines, there are plenty of effective ways to treat and prevent these often debilitating headaches. Your doctor can prescribe you medications, but if you’d rather take the natural route, here are some of the top remedies that can help you treat your migraine headache.
1. Ice or Heat and Rest
You want to get rid of your headache as quickly as possible, so you can get on with your day. A quick way to make that happen is, ironically, to slow down and rest.
Find a quiet, dark spot where you can lie down. Set a timer if you’re worried you might fall asleep and you have someplace to be later. Then, grab a cold or hot compress and place it over your forehead and eyes. Give your body the time it needs to fight the trigger that caused your migraine and recover.
2. Caffeine
As soon as you catch the symptoms of an oncoming migraine, drink some caffeine. Yes, the ingredient can be a migraine trigger for some people. However, you already have one coming on, so it’s worth giving it a shot.
When you have a headache, the blood vessels in your body tighten up or swell, which increases the blood flow around your brain and the surrounding nerves. The extra push on those nerves causes pain, which turns into a headache.
Since caffeine has vasoconstrictive properties, it narrows the blood vessels, quickly relieving the pressure on your nerves. Take your normal migraine-relieving medicine or supplement with a caffeinated beverage for an extra boost.
3. Acupressure and Massage
Applying pressure at specific pain points can alleviate your migraine symptoms. If you can get in to see a professional acupressure or massage therapist, that is the best avenue. But usually, by the time a migraine kicks in, you don’t want to go anywhere.
If you’re applying these techniques yourself, gently press around your temple and under your ear along your jawbone. You’ll feel discomfort in those trigger points, and if you push lightly, you can slowly relieve the tension there.
Acupressure therapists suggest firm, circular pressure applied to the hand at the LI-4 point. This is the area of skin and tissue between your left thumb and index finger. Rub the area with your right hand for up to five minutes and see if your migraine symptoms begin to subside.
4. Natural Herbs to Prevent or Reduce Migraine Symptoms
You’ve heard of essential oils and natural herbal remedies for various ailments. If you haven’t tried them for your migraines yet, you’re missing out.
Plants have been a part of medicinal use for thousands of years, long before synthetic medications became the “normal” way to treat conditions like migraines. In fact, since migraines are a neurological condition, anything that helps the brain function more effectively can reduce migraine symptoms.
For that reason, neurologists suggest that if you get frequent migraines, you should take daily doses of vitamins and supplements, including:
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin D
- Feverfew
- CoQ10
- Magnesium
You should be able to find these in a multivitamin, or you can add them to your daily health routine to try to prevent future attacks.
Getting Rid of Existing Symptoms
However, if you already have a migraine, you want natural herbs that eliminate the symptoms quickly. Keep lavender and peppermint essential oils, candles, or topicals on hand. Breathing them in can reduce headaches and nausea. Drinking ginger tea or taking supplements also helps with nausea and vomiting.
The menthol in topical peppermint oil may also soothe migraine symptoms. Apply small amounts to the forehead and neck, and let the cooling sensation do its job.
If those over-the-counter remedies don’t help, consider talking to your doctor about natural prescription solutions, such as medical marijuana and psilocybin. In most states, you’ll need a doctor’s approval, but both of these treatments are all-natural and effective for preventing migraines and alleviating the pain from an existing attack.
Conclusion
When you suffer from migraines, it’s hard to push through your day and complete your normal activities. Migraines affect the brain and become so painful that they’re debilitating. But with these simple natural remedies, you can prevent an attack or reduce the symptoms and get back to enjoying your life.
