9 Surprising Natural Remedies for Migraines

Perhaps you suffer from serious migraine headaches, or perhaps you are not sure if you are having migraines or just ordinary headaches. If you are uncertain of the difference between the two, I am about to share some useful information about them.

First, let’s discuss the difference between a normal headache and a migraine so that you are fully aware of which one affects you.

Headaches and Migraine Headaches: What is the Difference?

A headache is a very unpleasant pain in your head. Leading to aching and pressure, headaches can be very mild or somewhat moderate regarding your level of pain. Headaches typically cause pain around your temples, forehead, and at the back of your neck.

They have many forms, including:

• Tension headaches: the most common
• Cluster headaches: affect one side of the head
• Sinus headaches: moderate headaches that have symptoms of sinus infection

Migraine headaches are incredibly severe and intense and are characterized by more than just a pain in your head.

Some common symptoms include:

• Throwing up
• Experiencing considerable pain behind one of your eyes or ears
• Temple pain
• Seeing flashing lights and/or spots
• Being incredibly sensitive to sound or light
• Temporarily losing your sight/vision

A migraine headache occurs after certain changes take place in your brain. These changes cause a great deal of pain and typically come with being particularly sensitive to smells, light, and sound (1).

Who Experiences Migraines and What Causes Them?

According to the National Headache Foundation, up to twenty-eight million people in the United States suffer from migraine headaches. Women are usually more likely to get these nasty forms of headaches than men. Migraines can be extremely intense, lasting anywhere from four hours to three days and sometimes even longer(2).

The causes of these headaches have been debated for a long time, and many explanations have been offered as to why migraines occur. Something makes a cascade of biochemical reactions active, which leads to the trigeminal nerve becoming too excited and an inflammatory response.

The trigeminal nerve has control over the sensations in both your head and face and is commonly known as a major pathway for pain. The overexcitement of the trigeminal nerve affects other nerves, which causes the pain and other symptoms you feel from a migraine.

Many factors cause migraines, including:

• Deficiency of magnesium
• Fluctuation of hormones
• Release of nitric oxide
• Having extremely low levels of serotonin
• Inflammation of the maxillary nerve
• Issues with how different cells transport calcium ions
• Neuropeptides

Many other factors are also assumed to trigger these migraines, leading to pain and discomfort. It is good to be aware of these factors so that you can try your best to avoid them when possible.

• Foods: Many foods can lead to migraines or help trigger them, including anything salty, aged cheese, and processed foods. Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and anything containing monosodium glutamate can cause them as well as skipping meals (3).
• Weather: Changes in the weather can lead to a migraine. The most common changes that cause these headaches are humidity, barometric pressure, and temperature.
• Stress Levels: If you are under a great deal of stress with work, at home, or in your personal life, this can definitely trigger a migraine (4).
• Changes in Sleep: If you have any type of change in your normal sleeping pattern, such a change may cause a migraine. Sleeping more or less than normal can also trigger a severe headache.
• Hunger and/or Dehydration: Being hungry or dehydrated can most definitely give you a migraine. Being sure to eat every few hours and drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day can help you avoid a migraine.

Now that you know the nature of migraines, the symptoms to look for, the main causes of migraines, and the different factors that could trigger these awful headaches, here are several proven natural remedies you can use to rid yourself of migraines, temporarily or for good.

Natural Remedies Known to Cure Migraines

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is a popular home remedy that cures migraines. As many headaches just result from inflammation, having a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce or fully cure the pain from a headache.

You can either consume these as whole seeds, or you can purchase ground flaxseed, which can be used in a variety of ways. You can sprinkle flaxseed on your morning waffle, throw some in your smoothie, or bake it in whatever you are making for dinner.

Flaxseed tastes good on most things, so you can add this seed to your diet in many different ways.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are great for many things, but they are especially great for curing migraine headaches (5,6). Lavender oil is one of the most popular types of essential oils to use. This oil smells amazing and is also highly effective for treating headaches.

Lavender oil relieves both stress and tension and also works as a sedative, an antidepressant, and calms you.

Peppermint oil is another common essential oil used for treating migraine headaches. This oil contains what is known as vasodilating and vasoconstricting properties, which help control blood flow in the body.

Migraines are usually caused by uneven and poor blood flow, so using peppermint oil for treatment can be very effective.

Specific Changes in Your Diet Can Completely Cure Migraines

Making specific changes in your diet can completely cure you of migraines. You need to become aware of certain foods that have been linked to migraine pain and then do your best to avoid them.

Many people claim that once they eliminated these foods from their diet their migraines vanished for good. If doing this seems scary or almost impossible, you can try eliminating the foods one by one until you notice a difference and find out which of these foods (or perhaps all of them) are triggering the migraines.

The most common foods that trigger migraines include:

• Chocolate
• Avocado
• Citrus
• Peanut butter
• Bananas
• Onions
• Bacon
• Hot dogs
• Anything containing monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Certain red wines
• Anything containing tyramine
• Dairy

Try isolating these foods one by one and see which one cures you of your migraines (6).

Home Scalp Massages Can Cure Migraines

Performing a quick scalp massage on yourself at home can also be an effective way to get rid of a migraine. The key is to target and massage the occipital nerve, which is in the very back of your head at the base of the skull. Massaging your hands and feet on your reflex points can also totally cure you of a dreaded migraine (7).

Feverfew is a Popular Remedy for Severe Headaches

Feverfew has been around for a long time for treating fever, but it is also known to help alleviate or fully rid you of migraines. Countless studies have proven that feverfew is, in fact, a natural cure for severe headaches. Many people take feverfew with white willow, which, in combination, acts like aspirin.

Ice Packs Reduce Inflammation

Ice packs are effective in reducing inflammation, which is a common cause of migraines. Many people assume that applying heat is the proper way to cure a nagging migraine, but this assumption could not be further from the truth. Heat can actually increase the symptoms you feel from a severe headache, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to do.

Always go for cold when you are experiencing a migraine because it is anti-inflammatory. Applying ice packs is an excellent remedy to try if you are experiencing a great deal of pain from a headache.

Stretching is a Great Cure for a Migraine

Stretching exercise is another very easy and effective way to get rid of a severe migraine. Certain stretching exercises actually target headaches and can quickly eliminate the pain.

Here are the best stretches for a headache:

• Neck stretch: Stretch with chin forward, upward, and then stretch the neck toward each shoulder
• Shrug your shoulders up and back for a nice stretch that can quickly alleviate pain

Add these to your daily workout, or do them as soon as you wake up in the morning to avoid headaches or get rid of one (8).

Working Out Can Wipe Away a Migraine

Working out or exercising can wipe away a migraine within minutes, and physical activity can actually cure your headache. Simply working out is more effective than taking any kind of migraine medication, which is good news for you!

Try working out either three days a week for one hour each day, or work out five days a week for at least fifteen to thirty minutes each time. Instead of working out when you already have a migraine, try fitting exercise into your daily schedule so that you can avoid the headaches altogether (9).

Consuming Riboflavin Is Another Effective Natural Remedy

Riboflavin, or vitamin B₂, is great for curing your migraine headaches. This vitamin is actually found in several foods, including:

• Lamb
• Liver
• Venison
• Lean beef
• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Tempeh
• Low-fat milk
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Mushrooms

When you consume at least 400 mg a day of riboflavin, headache pain can be reduced pretty quickly. Be sure to add any of these foods to your meals each day to help avoid the pain that comes from a severe migraine.

Stop Suffering From Migraine Headaches Today

Migraines can make your life a nightmare, so it is great that so many natural ways are available to help you get rid of your migraines quickly and at home. You no longer have to spend a lot of money on over-the-counter medication when you experience a migraine.

The remedies mentioned above are the most popular ways to cure a headache without medicine from the store.

You can also get rid of a headache in countless other natural ways. All you have to do is go online and research other natural remedies for migraines and try them out. Every remedy works differently on each individual. That being said, you should try out each remedy and see which one is most effective for you.

Using essential oils may work better for you than exercise or cutting out foods, such as chocolate or wine. There is a cure for migraine headaches, so you do not have to suffer from them for the rest of your life.

Try to add exercise into your daily routine, start eliminating certain foods from of your diet, and try essential oils and massages to get rid of these painful headaches. I know you will find a cure that works best for you, and you will wipe away migraine headaches from your life for good!