|
The causes of headaches
are numerous, but whatever the cause it is usually associated with a
great deal of discomfort. There are a number of simple remedies you
may wish to try next time a headache persists; however, an increase
in the intake of calcium may help to prevent them.
For minor headaches, put
a couple of drops of lavender oil on your fingers and massage it
into your temples and the base of your skull. Lavender oil rubbed
into the wrists and the nape of the neck also has a calming effect.
Nagging headaches can be
eased by drinking a cup of meadowsweet tea. This herb is now readily
available and is a natural source of Aspirin. Make your meadowsweet
tea using one tablespoon of fresh herb or one level teaspoon of the
dried herb to one cup of boiling water. Drink one cup of tea as
needed, but no more than three cups daily.
Gastric headaches are
another common complaint, and are usually caused by eating the wrong
foods. Mix one drop of peppermint oil with a teaspoon of honey and
dissolve the mixture in a cup of warm water. Sip slowly while you
sit back and relax.
If you suffer from
migraine headaches, they can also become the bane of your life. The
herb Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is an extremely good preventive
for migraine headaches. Eat three leaves daily of the fresh herb in
a sandwich or wrapped in a piece of bread (it is best not to chew
the fresh leaf), or take feverfew capsules, available from health
food stores, or drink a cup of feverfew tea. Be careful, though:
feverfew can cause mouth dryness and mouth ulcers, irritation and
pain in highly sensitive individuals.
To help to control a
migraine headache, take half a cup of feverfew tea every hour at the
first sign of migraine attack or tension, or one cup every morning
as a preventive. You can purchase feverfew tea from health food
stores or, if you prefer, you can make it fresh from the herb. To
make fresh feverfew tea, use one tablespoon of the fresh herb to one
cup of boiling water. For individual cups, pour in the hot water,
cover, infuse for three minutes, and strain into another cup. If
brewing in a teapot, allow one serve per individual and one for the
pot. Infuse for five minutes in boiling water, then strain into
individual cups. Brew the tea only a ceramic teapot.
Tension headaches are
another common complaint and are usually the result of stress and
overwork. To ease the headache, put a few drops of lavender oil in a
bowl of warm water, wring out a handkerchief in it and apply to the
back of the neck.
Rosemary oil is also
excellent for treating this type of headache, especially one that is
throbbing in the temples and causes squinting of the eyes. Massage a
few drops of the oil on the temples and across the forehead, and
then gently down and around the jaw bone. The nerves of the face
will quickly relax and the headache will ease.
A warm footbath and
massage to the upper back, shoulder and neck will often help. |
