8 Ways to Get Rid of a Headache ...

Headaches are often caused by dehydration. They occur because the body is lacking something. Your body doesn't tend to lack ibuprofen or aspirin. More than likely the cells within your body need more water to move toxins out of the body. A build up of toxins will cause you to feel sluggish and not quite up to par. Drinking a couple of glasses of water won't instantly make your headache go away, but it can be a great start to getting closer to easing the pain.

Some headaches are caused by tension. The neck and shoulder muscles are the ones that tense up during stressful situations. These muscles usually cause mild headaches, but they have been known to cause some intense headaches as well. As an exercise, try pulling your shoulder down as you tilt your head away from this same shoulder. You should feel the muscles at the base of your neck stretch a bit. Do this on both sides and make sure to stretch slowly to avoid injuring yourself.

Deep breathing exercises can release a lot of tension in the body. Close your eyes and breathe deeply a few times. Be sure to inhale and exhale very slowly. Meditation works well for some people. This might be difficult if you are easily distracted by things going on around you. I find closing my eyes and breathing deep is much easier to concentrate on then to try and meditate.

I've found that a cold pack, whether it is a gel pack from the freezer, a bag of peas, or a sock filled with chilled rice, works wonders. I've heard some people like a warm pack instead, but I find that warmth tends to make my headaches worse. I recommend starting with a cold pack and then switching to warm if the cold makes the headache worse or seems to not be helping at all.

Sometimes all you might need is some fresh air. If you walk outside and immediately feel the headache subside, then the ache might actually have been caused by your surroundings. Walking is also a great way to relax and release a bit of stress that may have been building. I like to take the dog along with me. She always makes me laugh and sometimes a walk and laugher are the perfect headache remedy.

This plant contains small daisy like flowers with the ability to get rid of headaches. Feverfew is sold in health food stores as a tea and is great with a lot of honey. I don't recommend drinking a lot of Feverfew tea, since it is supposed to cause headaches after you suddenly stop drinking it. This only seems to happen when people drink many cups of Feverfew tea each day for multiple days.

There are days where my headaches are so intense that all I can do is take a pain killer, drink a huge glass of water, and take a nap. Pain killers were made for a reason and I find that some headaches are just enough reason to take these pills out of the medicine cabinet. Taking too many over the counter pain meds for a long period of time is hard on your liver and kidneys, so try to take them only when necessary.

Sometimes all that is needed is a gentle touch. It just isn't the same when you try to rub your own temples to get rid of a headache. You aren't able to relax as much as if you let someone else do it for you. A light circle on the temples with just the fingertips is often plenty to make a mild headache go away quickly. Having someone massage your shoulders and/or neck could also work if the headache is caused by tension.

Headaches are never any fun. I try to avoid them as much as possible. I hope these 8 ways to get rid of a headache come in handy for you next time you feel one coming on. Some of my headaches are weather related. Too much humidity causes me to have headaches, so I stay indoors as much as possible during the high heat of the summer sun. What ways do you find work best for getting rid of a headache?

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