Headaches can ruin your day, but sometimes they are rarely serious. The headache was cause by the stress, lack of sleep, poor eyesight or eye strain, skipping meals (Low blood sugar can trigger headache), food allergies (Preservatives, food flouring, nuts or cheese can cause headaches in some people), caffeine and alcohol (You may get headaches if you suddenly cut down on your coffee or tea), neck and shoulder strain and infections from colds or from sinus problem.
The most common type of headache is a tension headache. As many 90% of adults have tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among women than men. Migraine headaches are the second most common type of headache. An estimated 28 million people in the US have migraine headaches. Migraine often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as tension or sinus headaches.
Instead of popping a pills, try these alternative headache treatment.
Deep Breathing
This brings oxygen into your lungs. When you inhale, imagine filling your whole tummy with air, then exhale. Do this 10 t0 15 times to ease your headache.
Acupuncture
The Chinese believe illness is caused b a blockage in the body's energy network. Acupuncture stimulates specific point on this network and experts say that it only takes 20 minutes to work.
Aromatherapy
Try lavender, peppermint or rosemary oil, sweet marjoram, eucalyptus, roman chamomile, and lemon essential oil. For tension headache, make a hot compress. Add three drops each of lavender and sweet marjoram into a bowl of hot water. Rinse a washcloth in it and place it over your eyes. Heat improves blood flow and relaxes muscles.
Acupressure Massage
Try this massage to help to reduce your pain.
- Place your index fingers under the top bone of your eye sockets near your nose. Apply pressure.
- Slide your fingers to the top of your eye sockets. Apply pressure. Move your fingers to the side of your eye sockets toward the outside of your eye. Apply pressure again.
- Press your fingers between and about 1/4 inch above your eyebrows. Apply pressure. Slide your fingers up 1 inch, and apply pressure.
- Move your fingers up your forehead, applying pressure about every inch. Work your fingers in a straight line up over the top of your skull, continuing to administer pressure to points about every inch.
- Massage at one inch points in a straight line down the back of your head toward your neck. Continue down your neck with the massage until you reach your shoulders.
Tips and Warnings
- While applying pressure you can move your fingers in tiny circles to create a massage effect, but don't pull the skin or scoot your fingers around.
- Do acupressure massage daily to prevent recurrence of the headache. If you can't do it every day, do it at least several times a week.
- Do not do this massage for longer than 15 minutes. You might release too much energy and cause nausea or another headache.
