Types of Headaches and Home Remedies

Headache is a common problem and may affect people of any age. Headache may be throbbing, irritating, and pulsating. People suffer from different types of headaches due to different causes. It is important to identify the real cause of a headache to get proper treatment. Depending on the type, you can follow certain home remedies for headache that can provide you relief from the throbbing pain.

Types of Headache

There are many reasons for headache, the types of headaches we will discuss here are:

• Primary Headache

  • Tension type headache

  • Migraine

  • Cluster headaches

• Secondary Headache

Tension Type Headache

Tension type headaches occur commonly in young individuals. Pain may occur in episodes or irregularly. A person may not experience tension headaches daily. Women suffer from tension headaches more commonly as compared to men.

• A person suffering from tension headache may experience mild to moderate pressure in the sides of the head, forehead, and back of the head.
• A person will have a tight feeling around the head.
• The neck and shoulder regions are also sensitive to touch.

Cause of Tension Headaches

Tension headaches may be caused due to the following reasons:

• Improper rest
• Improper posture
• Stress

Treatment for tension headaches:Tension headaches can be relieved by taking over-the-counter pain medications. People suffering from tension headaches can also get relief by managing stress and taking proper rest.

Migraines

Migraines are the types of headaches that affect mostly one side of the head, but not always. There is throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head. In many cases, a person may experience some warning signs before the beginning of a migraine headache. It mainly affects women.

• It may start as a dull pain that increases slowly and becomes pulsating and throbbing.
• The person develops a sensitivity to light, noise, and odours
• This type of headache occurs with nausea and vomiting
• A person may feel blurred vision during the attack of a migraine headache

Causes of Migraine Headaches

The causes of migraine headache are not known, but it is believed to get triggered due to environmental and genetic factors, stress and smoking. It may also occur due to imbalances of the stress hormones that regulate pain.

Usually, migraine gets triggered by missing a meal, disturbed sleep, long travelling, stress, caffeine or menses.

Treatment: People suffering from migraine headaches must consult a doctor to get the proper diagnosis and treatment of different symptoms with headache abortive and preventive medicines.

Home Remedies for Headaches

Headaches can also be easily treated by using effective home remedies. Some home remedies for reducing the attacks of headaches are:

• Ginger helps to get rid of the headache quickly. Drink ginger tea regularly to get rid of a headache naturally. It also reduces inflammation. 
• Apple is also a natural remedy that helps to get rid of recurrent headaches. Eat one apple daily to boost the immune system. 
• Massage your head using coconut oil or almond oil. It provides nutrition to the brain and helps to prevent recurrent attacks of headaches. 
• You can also use eucalyptus oil for doing massage on your head. It provides relief from headaches and also increases blood circulation in your head. 
• Take a warm glass of milk and add a pinch of cinnamon powder. Drink it daily at night. It helps to get good sleep and also relieves headaches. 
• Eat a well-balanced and healthy diet to get rid of your headache. A healthy diet boosts the immune system and reduces episodes of headache. 
• Take three cups of water and add one cup of apple cider vinegar. Boil the mixture and take steam of this water to get rid of chronic headaches. 
• Flaxseeds also help in boosting the immune system. Take one teaspoon of flaxseeds and put it in a glass of water. Keep it overnight. Eat the flaxseeds and drink the water. 
• Take a few basil leaves and boil in a glass of water. You can take steam of this water or drink it daily to boost your immune system and prevent recurrent headache attacks. 

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches do not occur commonly, but they produce severe symptoms. These types of headaches are commonly seen in young people. Cluster headaches more commonly occur in men. 

Cluster headaches got their name because they can occur frequently and two or three times a day. Some people may not experience episodes of cluster headaches for many years. These types of headaches occur during the daytime.

• The person suffering from cluster headaches will experience severe pain in the head. The pain may occur on the side or behind an eye. The pain may spread to the nose, cheeks, forehead, and temples.
• The person feels as if there is a throbbing of the arteries, and the scalp has become hard and tender.
• The pain may last for 15 minutes or may last as long as three hours. The average duration is half an hour to one and a half-hour.
• The recurrence of pain may occur twice or thrice on the same day.
• The person will feel sensitivity to light and may feel sweating all over the head.

Cause of Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches may be caused due to loss of sleep, seasonal changes, and abuse of tobacco and alcohol.

Treatment: Anyone suffering from cluster headaches must consult with a doctor to get the right treatment and prevention tips.

Headaches of different types may be caused due to different reasons. Right diagnosis and treatment are important to get rid of recurrent attacks of headaches. Therefore, you must visit a doctor to get the right treatment, and you can also manage your lifestyle and diet to reduce the recurrence of headaches.

Secondary Headaches

Secondary headaches are related to another medical conditions, such as:

• Sinus congestion
• Head injury
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Infection
• Medication overuse
• Disease of blood vessels in the brain
• Trauma
• Tumor