A Headache

How To Get Rid of a Headache

Here you will learn how to get rid of a headache using the most current techniques and remedies available today.

Headaches are one of the most common ailments that people suffer from. There are many types of headaches and different headache cures for each type.

If you want to know how to get rid of a headache, you need to start with knowing what type of headache you have first.

What we will do in this article is identify the most common different types of headaches and the best headache remedies for each.

 
Causes for Headaches

Headaches have a variety of causes some of which include: tension from stress, eyestrain, inflammation of the sinus areas to more life threatening conditions like cancer, tumors, aneurysms, encephalitis, and more. With a headache that is a result of a head injury, the cause is evident, but with many other types of headaches the cause is more elusive.

Before we get too far here, it is important to know that any headache, especially one that is severe or re-occurring is nothing to second guess. What we offer here is for informational purposes only. Yes these are headache remedies that have worked for many people, but it is always a good idea to seek out the advice of a good physician who will diagnosis you properly and provide the proper treatment. This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

All that being said, here are the different types of headaches and remedies for each. These are in no particular order.
 
Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches. These are triggered by some external event. The triggering event can be just about anything including: smells, aromas and perfumes, stressful situations, depression, grief, job or relationship conflicts, hunger, dehydration, eye strain, bright light, muscle or back strain, cigarette smoke, alcohol, certain foods, poor posture, arthritis, sounds or noise strain, and more.

The best way to get rid of a headache caused by tension is to try and identify the triggering event, especially if you get these types of headaches frequently,and stay away from whatever has triggered it. Some people even keep notes or a “headache diary”. If you get headaches frequently keep track of them in a diary so that it will be easier to pin point the cause.

Relaxation, meditation, yoga, taking a nap, lying in a dark room and even drinking water can often help for the tension headache. Messaging your back, neck and temples can help and this will relax the muscles and increase blood flow.

Believe it or not drinking coffee can sometimes help with a headache. If you drink coffee regularly and stop suddenly, your body actually will react in a way where many people get headaches. Your body has become used to the caffeine and is going through a slight withdrawal. Drinking coffee will give your body the caffeine it wants and often the headache will go away.
 
Rebound Headaches

Rebound headaches can occur with people who take over-the-counter pain medications on a regular basis. Usually these people are taking the maximum, or more than the maximum recommended dosage. As the body begins to develop a tolerance for the medication the headaches will worsen.

The best way to get rid of a headache caused in this manner is to eliminate the pain medication. The medication is not solving the problem, only adding to it. You need to seek out another remedy.
 
Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches have been described as the worst type of headache. These are headaches that come in groups of 3-4 per day lasting from 30 min to an hour on average. Episodes can last for a period of days and then they can stop for a period of time before returning. They can be very painful and come on without warning.

Cluster headaches will often occur on just one side of the head. The pain from cluster headaches can be extremely sharpand radiate from the eyes to the forehead, temple and cheek. Cluster headaches are less common than migraine headaches. It is not exactly known what brings on cluster headaches. Some scientists believe they may be triggered by alcohol, histamines or even smoking, but this is not certain. The best solution for cluster headache treatment is to seek out medical treatment from a physician.
 
Migraine Headaches

Unlike the cluster headache migraines don’t have periods of reprieve and can go on for hours. They can be very painful and affect as many as 28 million people in the United Sates alone. The pain can be so severe sufferers are often unable to perform their daily activities. There is a theory that migraines may have hereditary origins.

Migraines are often accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbances or nausea. Sufferers of migraines sometimes have an “aura” (warning symptoms that start before the headache). This aura has been described as feeling like pin pricks, or pulsating or dull throbbing pain. The migraine will affect the eyes and also areas of the head. There is such a thing as abdominal migraines as well and migraines that are brought upon by severe menstrual cramps.

It is generally considered that many migraines are triggered by foods. Therefore it is highly recommended that if you want to know how to get rid of a headache of the migraine type to pay attention to types of food being eaten.

Here are some foods that have been known to trigger migraines: caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, certain additives like nitrates, often found in processed meats, MSG, yellow food coloring, tyramine ( found in many dairy products). Other migraines triggers include: hormonal changes, changes in barometric pressure, and menstruation.
 
Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches occur when the tissue inside the nasal passage of the airways becomes inflamed. The most common triggers are: allergies, infections, dry air, and cigarette smoke. The pain usually can be felt at the front of the head, under the eyes, the upper cheek area, around the bridge of the nose and even up into the forehead. The pain can even make the sufferer feel like they have a toothache. The pain often intensifies for sufferers when they bend forward and when they first wake up in the morning.

This type of headache has often accompanied my sore throat, post nasal drip and nasal discharge. Decongestant nasal sprays are not considered to be the best remedy here—they can actually worsen the symptoms. If they are used for prolonged times they can actually cause what is called “rebound”. Rebound is a reaction to the nasal spray where it can actually cause the congestion to worsen.

The best solution for how to get rid of headache in the sinus region and to relieve sinus pressure relief is to determine what has caused the problem and seek out medical attention that will remedy the cause. (If the headache has been cause by allergies the treatment will be different than if it is caused by a bacterial infection.) Often humidifiers can help. A nasal sinus irrigation can also help with many sufferers of sinus headaches.
 
Hang-Over Headache

The cause here is obvious, too much alcohol. Most often the best remedy how to get rid of a headache caused by alcohol is to drink plenty of water. Alcohol will dehydrate the body. After a night of heavy drinking, if the body has not had enough water this can cause a pounding headache. Drinking lots of water and sleeping it off usually does the trick.

Conclusion :

In conclusion, if you are looking for a fast solution on how to get rid of a headache, there are a number of very effective cures and treatments. But it is best to determine first what type of headaches you have and what caused it, so that the correct, most appropriate headache remedy can be applied.