If you are looking for simple and effective natural treatments for headaches, continue reading this article and find out what they are. But first.
Headaches can affect any part of the head, the sides, or occasionally, a single area. There are two main types of headaches when they are not caused by another condition, or as a symptom of another health problem. Primary headaches occur due to hyperactivity of the brain or as a result of hypersensitivity to pain in the blood vessels, muscles, and nerves of the head or neck. Secondary headaches, by comparison, occur when other health problems stimulate pain-sensitive nerves in the head. There are a number of secondary factors that could lead to headaches. Before we get into the amazing natural treatments for headaches here, let’s see the most common headaches causes.
In This Article You Will Find:
Most Common Causes for Headaches
- head trauma
- dehydration
- hunger
- fatigue
- hangover
- polluted air or the presence of irritating substances in the air
- flu
- electronic or wi-fi radiation
- carbon monoxide poisoning
- too high/low temperatures
- excessive use of pain drugs
- medical drug adverse reactions
- pressure from wearing too tight a helmet
- incorrect lighting – too much or too little light can cause headaches
- incorrect posture – can lead to both headaches and toothaches (can be corrected by adopting a correct posture and possibly wearing heel cushions or inserts)
- stress
- panic attacks
- sinusitis
- dental problems
- jaw problems
- excessive consumption of coffee or smoking
- overburdened gallbladder
- liver problems
- ear infections
- high blood pressure
- blood clots
- stroke
- glaucoma
- brain tumors
Usually, headaches go away on their own, but if you notice that they worsen even or are accompanied by other symptoms, it is good to consult a doctor. If you experience a headache that doesn’t seem to stop, here you have 10+ amazing natural treatments for headaches to choose from and heal pain naturally. Let’s get to the remedies.
10+ Best Natural Treatments for Headache
1. Peppermint & ACV Natural Treatments for Headache
Peppermint powder maceration is one of the most powerful natural treatments for headaches. For this, prepare a maceration by adding 4-5 tablespoons of powdered peppermint leaves into a cup of high-quality apple vinegar. Mix the two together and leave to stay like that for 7 days. Stir/shake every day at least twice a day. Strain the maceration and pour it into sealed small amber glass bottles. Use this natural remedy for headaches whenever necessary. Drizzle some maceration onto a piece of gauze and apply it on the forehead, wherever you feel the pain is more intense.
Pad the area with the gauze or just leave it to stay on the forehead while you totally relax (listening to ASMR could be an idea). This is one of the best natural treatments for headaches, no matter how severe the pain because peppermint has been considered for ages a natural pain-killer and a great adjutant for the entire nervous system. You can massage with peppermint essential oils instead.
2. Healing Hot Baths for Headache
Pour hot water into the bathtub, as hot as you can bear, and get in. Fill the bathtub with water until the water level reaches your kidney. Bathe between 10-20 minutes, as much as you can bear in the hot water. If the water turns cold, pour in more hot water. When you start sweating abundantly it’s a sign that this remedy works.
Hot body baths aren’t recommended for those suffering from heart conditions. Instead, you can try hot feet baths. Take hot feet baths for about 20 minutes. The water level should reach only reach your ankles and the temperature needs to remain the same, so whenever it turns cold, replace it with hot water again. After the hot water baths, headaches usually vanish, which makes it one of the best natural treatments for headaches.
3. Wild Chestnut Tincture Remedy for Headache
Peel 15-20 wild chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum), and grind the cores. Put the ground chestnuts into a larger bottle and pour 1/2 liter of 90-95° alcohol over them. Seal and leave the chestnuts to macerate for the next 15 days in a dark place. Shake the bottle well from time to time. Leave the tincture to clear up and then you’re ready to use it. Friction the painful areas with 50 ml (one shot) of this tincture every evening for the following 10 days. Then take on a wool cap and you’re ready for bed. This is one of the most powerful natural treatments for headaches.
4. Horsetail Treatment for Headache
Horsetail is one of the most effective natural treatments for headaches. Here is how to use it. Add 2 handfuls of horsetail into a sieve over a pot with boiling water. When the plant has turned hot and soft, wrap it in a piece of clean gauze and apply it as a compress on the painful area. Wrap a thick comforter over the compress and keep it on for as much as possible, ideally overnight.
5. Cabbage Leaves Remedy for Headaches
Cabbage leaf poultice is one of the oldest natural treatments for headaches. For this, crush a cabbage leaf and apply it to the area that hurts. To crush the cabbage leaves you can use a rolling pin. You can as well use plantain or greater burdock leaves instead of cabbage leaves. Always use white-colored gauze or cheesecloth to tie the leaves in place.
6. Potato Poultice Remedy for Headache
Take a large potato, wash it well and cut it into 3-4 mm thick slices. Apply the potato slices on your forehead and on your temples. Tie them in place with a large handkerchief or scarf. Replace them with new potato slices every few hours. In case of strong headaches, keep the slices overnight. Such as a simple, yet one of the top natural treatments for headaches.
7. Vegetable Stem Cataplasms for Headaches
Gather the stems from tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes in late autumn. Dry them and then chop them as finely as possible. Sprinkle the plants with hot water, spread them in a 1-2 cm thick layer on a piece of gauze, and leave them to cool off. Put a dry piece of gauze over the plants and now your cataplasm is ready for use. Tie the cataplasm across your forehead and around your head and keep it on for as long as possible. This is one of the most effective natural treatments for headaches for rheumatism as well.
8. Simple Vinegar Remedy for Headaches
If your headache is caused by an injury to the head, immediately prepare a compress with vinegar and the pain will go away. In case your headache is caused by a cold or flu, here is a remedy for you. Combine 2 grated potatoes with 1 tbsp of vinegar. Spread the mash on a piece of gauze and apply it to the forehead. Renew the compress every 2-3 hours. This is the simplest yet one of the most effective natural treatments for headaches.
Read Also: 5 Natural Remedies for Migraines
9. Powerful Herbal Tea for Headaches
Drink unsweetened basil tea throughout the day instead of water and you’ll see the headache is gone in a short time. The reason is essential oils in basil are amazing for food poisoning and have powerful nerve tonic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Read more about basil essential oil here.
The following herbal tea is also amazing for headaches. Steep a pinch of dried yarrow and a tsp of dried nettle in 200 ml of hot water for 5 minutes. Strain the tea and then add 1 tsp of Swedish bitter to it. Drink 1 cup of this tea in the morning and another one in the evening. This is undoubtedly one of the best natural treatments for headaches.
10. Mustard Seeds Bath Remedy for Headaches
Add 2 tsp of mustard seeds in a washing basin filled with hot water, then get your feet in the basin. The higher the water temperature, the better, but at the same time make sure it’s bearable. Rub your feet on the mustard seeds on the bottom for the next 5-10 minutes. As simple as it sounds, this is one of the most powerful natural treatments for headaches.
Simple Home Remedies for Headaches
- Have 2-3 slices of raw garlic every day.
- Wash your abdominal area 2-3 times a day.
- Anoint your nose and ears with cotton swabs soaked in beetroot juice.
- Hold your left palm on the back of your neck and the right one on the celiac plexus for 10-15 minutes.
- Rub your head with onion or garlic, especially the forehead, ears, and nose areas.
- Soak a handkerchief in fresh whey and apply it to the forehead.
- Cut one onion finely and smell it for as long as possible; the more tears it will bring to your eyes, the faster the headache will go away.
- Boil 1 cup of whole wheat in 5 cups of water, until the water drops down to approx 1 cup. Leave the cup covered overnight and then drink the decoction first thing the next morning. Do this once a week until you feel better. You can eat the boiled wheat as is, or mixed with honey. This is one of the simplest yet most effective natural treatments for headaches.
10 Natural Treatments for Headaches (Acute)
- Drink 1 cup of hot water.
- Eat 2 garlic cloves.
- Apply a cabbage leaf on your forehead.
- Rub dill oil on your forehead.
- If your headache is caused by stress, pet a cat.
- If the pain lingers more than expected, drink 2 tbsp of fresh potato juice, 30 minutes before mealtime for the following 3-4 weeks.
- Apply a lemon slice on your temples for 15 minutes. You can use onion slices instead.
- In case of acute headaches, rub/massage your ears with your palms. This massage helps with toothache as well.
- Press your head on a glass window, or a tree (oak; birch) to eliminate static electricity and ground yourself.
- Apply lilac leaves on the painful areas.
3 Home Remedies for Chronic Headache
- Onion seeds. Grind 20 g of onion seeds until you obtain a fine powder. Put the powder in 200 ml wine vinegar, stir and leave to macerate for the next 2-3 days. Shake the bottle daily. Keep in a cool place. Whenever you have headaches, add a few drops of this macerate in each of your nostrils. This is one of the best natural treatments for headaches.
- Mums remedy. Place a bowl with hot water in which you add 8-10 mums (Chrysanthemums) next to your bed, a few moments before bedtime. Eating an orange before bed also helps.
- Herbal sachet. Fill a small bag with dried thyme, wormwood, peppermint, geranium, and hop flowers, and keep it under your pillow while you sleep.
Home Remedy for Headache Caused by Stomach Issues
If the headaches are caused by unsolved stomach or bile issues there is a simple and effective natural remedy for this. This is a 30 days cure and here is how to make it at home. Prepare a herbal blend with equal parts of white lilac flowers and wormwood herb. Steep 1 tsp of this herbal blend in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drink throughout the day and your headache will vanish.
Home Remedy for Headache Caused by High Blood Pressure
If your headache is caused by high blood pressure, here is what you can try. Prepare a tea with 7-8 finely chopped mulberry tree branches. Boil them in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes, cover, and leave to infuse for 1 hour. Drink 3 cups of this decoction a day instead of water for the next 2-3 months. This is one of the most powerful natural treatments for headaches caused by high blood pressure.
Home Remedy for Headache Caused by Intracranial Hypertension (IH)
If the headaches that you suffer from are caused by intracranial hypertension (HI), then the best advice we can give you is to start a 1-month grapes juice cure. On the first few days drink 1 cup of fresh grape juice three times a day. Then increase the dose to 2 cups three times a day until you drink 3 liters of grape juice a day (this is the maximum). Decrease the quantity back down. While doing this grapes juice cure, avoid eating fatty foods, meat, and drinking cow’s milk or alcohol. This is one of the most effective natural treatments for headaches caused by IH.
Massage & Remedy for Back of the Neck Pain
Massage and friction the back of your neck, right down to your shoulders. Target especially the back of your ears area for 10-15 minutes when experiencing aches. Have a few valerian drops and then take a hot bath with 1 cup of sea salt added in or pine essential oil. Then off to bed.
Read Also: 14 Natural Painkillers for Every Pain
We sure hope these amazing natural treatments for headaches will really help you as they did for so many others. Let us know what home remedies have helped you heal headaches by leaving a comment in the comment section below. Stay healthy, naturally!