As debilitating as headaches and migraines are, their symptoms can be debilitating – from light and sound sensitivity to nausea, constipation, fatigue and of course pain. While many turn to prescription medication (which may be costly and have potential side effects) for relief, there are natural solutions which may reduce milder head pain while helping prevent future attacks – the best treatment may be something as simple as water! But there are certain beverages which are especially helpful in relieving headaches while helping to ward them off in future episodes as well!
Your body requires water for a number of reasons, depending on age, weight and activity levels. As a general guideline, experts suggest drinking half your body weight in ounces daily as an ideal goal to prevent dehydration – something which can otherwise trigger or worsen headaches. Water can help fight dehydration as it helps fight headaches caused by dehydration.
Alcoholic beverages like wine and beer contain alcohol, which suppresses hormones that regulate your hydration levels. Furthermore, caffeine may be a headache-inducing substance; be mindful about what you are consuming such as coffee, tea, soda and chocolate as sources of caffeine consumption.
Headaches often stem from inflammation or stress. One effective way to alleviate that inflammation is through diet: including more anti-inflammatory foods like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in your daily meals as well as nuts, seeds and fish is one proven strategy to combat headaches and other forms of inflammation in the body.
If you suffer from frequent or chronic headaches, keeping a food diary and recording when they occur will help identify possible triggers. When patterns emerge in your diet changes should begin to occur. When this occurs make adjustments immediately and eat something healthy at the first sign of pain to see if that helps relieve it.” Dr. Parikh recommends eating something immediately to see if this helps relieve it as soon as possible – this way no headache may develop unnecessarily later.
Dr. Loder suggests using a wet washcloth or cold compress on your head and eyes as a quick detox of your skin to draw out toxins, relieve headaches by increasing circulation to the scalp surface, and bring blood directly to it – two effective solutions in one simple solution!
Lemon juice can be an effective headache treatment, since it acts as an electrolyte and reduces dehydration and headaches caused by lack of potassium. Doing this at home is simple – simply boil some water, squeeze fresh lemon juice into it, add salt according to taste, then enjoy! You could also add slices of ginger for additional benefits including magnesium, riboflavin and vitamin B12.