Whether it’s allergy season or a friend of yours decided to get a cat – something the inside of their car, their clothing, and the splitting headache you have as a result proves – when your allergies decide to gang up and bring you down with a headache, you need help. Fast.
Sure, an Advil, a dark room, and time are a solution, but you may not have that liberty at work. Even more so, you could kill that headache in half the time with a healthier solution. Don’t call in sick or accept the pain; grab these natural remedies and get relief for your headache fast.
- Water
Before you break out the natural herbs and get to mixing like an alchemist, the solution to your allergy headache could be simple. The human body is meant to consume around eight glasses of water a day, but who ever does?
The majority of the country is chronically dehydrated, and our brain will remind us of how stupid this is by giving us a killer headache. Even if you’re well hydrated on soda, coffee, or energy drinks, these high sugar beverages in fact dehydrate you, and can’t serve as a substitution. If you feel your head begin to pound, before you go to medication or complicated solution, drink a glass or two of water. If it works, you’ll notice instant relief. If it doesn’t, it’s time to break out the heavier guns.
- Almonds
If you haven’t eaten in a while, your body will retaliate with a headache, and when you’re battling allergies, it has even less strength to fend off the side effects. Getting a boost of wholesome energy via nuts allows your body the power it needs to naturally handle and eliminate the pain. Even more so, almonds especially are full of salicin, a natural pain reliever often found in over-the-counter pain killers, so when regular food isn’t enough, go for a few almonds to take off the edge.
- Fish Oil
While it tastes about as great as it sounds, if you can get past the wretched flavor, fish oil is a life saver. Its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids are designed to reduce blood clotting, get rid of inflammation, and most importantly, bring down your blood pressure.
These are all advantages which make it recommended for the heart, but it also feeds the brain. By steadying out your heartbeat and reducing the swell of your veins, the real punch behind a headache is eliminated, giving you relief. You can take fish oil in capsules, but who wants to wait around for those to dissolve when your brain is trying to kill you? Mix a tablespoon of fish oil into a glass of orange juice, grit your teeth, and chug on for relief.
- Ginger
A drink flavored with a little ginger is a great way to relax after a long day – and it’s the first thing to turn to when your eyes are beating out of your skull. Pick up a bottle of ginger juice and mix it with an equal amount of orange juice for a sharp, sweet bite that tastes lovely and gets right to work fighting a migraine. It accomplishes this by reducing nausea so your body can better fight the headache, and helps with the inflammation of blood vessels in your head, taking off the aching pressure.
- Ice and Heat
If you’re somewhere private or the headache is bad enough to risk letting your coworkers know about your problem, find the nearest bucket and ice pack. By filling the bucket with hot water and soaking your feet, you’re drawing your blood down your legs and away from your head, allowing the veins to lessen their inflammation and provide relief. At the same time, press a cold ice pack to the back of your neck; this will also ease inflammation and numb the base of your skull, cooling the blood as it circulates to your brain and lessening the pressure.
- Peppermint Oil
While eating a little peppermint will take away the nausea that makes an irritating headache into a vicious migraine, to actually wage war on the throbbing cranium itself, all you need is peppermint oil and a candle. The candle will slowly burn the peppermint, releasing its aroma into the room and into your nostrils. You can also rub the oil itself on your chest and forehead for more immediate relief; the uncomfortable, oily feel will be worth it. The scent will encourage better blood flow and reduce the pressure at your temples, easing away the headache as soon as you begin breathing it in.
- Cloves
Cloves are an excellent spice to add to a meal, so when you have a headache trying to put you down, you can take comfort in how easy they are to locate. Any local store will carry them, and in an emergency, you can ask your neighbors for a bottle of it with high odds of finding some. Then, crush a few cloves and place them inside of a napkin. By breathing in their scent, you can benefit from their anti-inflammatory properties, which will lower your blood pressure, calming you and reducing the headache.
- Lavender Oil
Ever wonder why lavender is the fan favorite for detergent or fabric softener? It’s a naturally calming scent that lowers our blood pressure, and because of its very poignant nature, it takes very little to make a noticeable impact.
By pouring lavender oil onto a towel and inhaling it gently until the headache dissipates, you’re encouraging those aggravated blood vessels to reduce their swelling and cease their assault on your brain. While it’s not edible, you can pour it into a bath, allowing the hot water to strength the smell and also slow your heartbeat further until the headache leaves.
- Cayenne
When your headache has gone atomic, it’s time to make a choice. It’s you or it. This isn’t going to be pretty, but you gotta make it out of this, soldier, so now you choose the nuclear option for this nuclear problem.
Roll out the cayenne pepper.
In the same way that a hard shot of caffeine is encouraged to knock a headache back on its heels, cayenne offers that same shock to the system but with more effectiveness. Unlike coffee, it also serves as a natural anti-inflammatory. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which is a chemical used naturally to cancel out pain in the human body.
Taking a heavy whiff of this may solve the problem, but it also may burn out your sense of smell; don’t go overboard. Instead, mix a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder with a half glass of water, soak two cotton balls in the substance, and then press them to your nostrils. You will feel a burning sensation, but this will ease as the headache eases, and you’ll be left with no pain.
When allergies spark a headache, heavy medication and the day off isn’t what you have to seek out. With these natural and easy-to-find remedies, you can kick your headache to the curb and get back to your day feeling even better than before.
