There are a number of ways in which you can stop your headache. The effectiveness of any method will largely depend on the type of headache you are suffering from.
Headaches or migraines are one of the most common chronic pain problems. Some of them go away on their own and the others may require treatment.
Going to bed and taking a rest until the headache subsides may not always be possible but you can do a lot to stop it. You just need to be aware of these remedies.
But before you get into treatment part first understand headaches in different perspectives.
Table of Contents
- What Causes Headache?
- Treatment Depends on Type of headache
- Ways to Stop Headache
- Precautions and Tips
What Causes Headache?
Headaches can affect anyone at any time at any age. Headache is a very common chronic pain as you can understand from the WHO statistics. It states that 50% of the world population will experience headache in any given year.
So, what causes headaches?
There are a number of factors that can cause headaches.
Primary headaches are caused by some underlying health condition or structural problem in the head including muscles, nerves and blood vessels of the head or neck. Even some chemical activities can cause headaches. Following headaches generally are primary headaches
- Migraines
- Tension headache
- Cluster headache
Secondary headaches as the name suggests are symptoms of some other health issue that sends pain signals to the brain. These include:
- Alcohol hangover
- Dehydration
- Bruxism or teeth grinding at night
- Glaucoma
- Concussion
- Blood Clots
- Flu
- Pollution
- Stroke
- Panic Attacks
- Bleeding around brain
Treatment Depends on Type of headache
There are many different types of headaches and they are classified differently by different medical authorities.
Some of the most common types of headaches are
- Migraines
- Cluster headaches
- Tension headaches
- Sinus headaches
- Rebound headaches
- Chronic progressive headaches
- Hormone headaches
Read details of causes and symptoms of these 7 types of headaches.
Each type of headache is dealt differently and different remedies are prescribed.
Ways to Stop Headache
Depending upon the type and severity of the headache which may range from mild, moderate, severe to debilitating suitable treatment can be given.
Home Remedies for Headache
There are a number of different home remedies for headaches such as
- Water to remove dehydration
- Fiber rich foods such as fruits and vegetables
- Teas like Ginger tea
- Chamomile and other essential oils
- Ice application
- Eating foods rich in vitamin B6 such as pistachios and sunflower seeds
Read more about detailed home remedies for headache.
Alternative Remedies to Stop Headache
Some of the following alternative remedies which include behavioral changes and physical activities are also effective in stopping and preventing many types of headaches.
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Relaxation
- Alternate heat and cold therapy
- Releasing jaw tension to deal with bruxism stops headache
- Physical exercises
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Reflexology
- Aroma therapy
So, as you can visualise a wide range of natural options are available to stop headaches. Do experimentation to check which method of headache treatment works best for you.
Over the Counter Drugs for Headache
There are at least a dozen different OTC medications available to stop your headache.
In fact in the last few decades these medicines have been used and abused. Read the labels for possible side effects before dashing to buy one.
They are available in different brands and fall under the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).
These include:
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
- acetaminophen
Then there are different combinations of these generic drugs branded by different pharma companies to stop your headaches.
These drugs may interfere with other drugs you may be already taking. So check the tables and best consult a doctor who can prescribe the right drug for headache for your specific case history.
Precautions and Tips
Since most headaches are neither contagious nor life threatening people don't take them seriously.
Some headaches may temporarily be relieved by taking one or more of the above measures but their underlying condition may not get cured. That is why you need proper diagnosis of your headache particularly if they are disturbing your lifestyle frequently.
Doctors can do blood tests, x-rays and brain scans such as MRI or CT scans to understand the actual cause.
If there is a serious underlying condition then it needs to be fixed and your headache will hopefully go away for good.
Once a real cause is known or eliminated you can stop your headache with one or more of the above options.