What to do if a headache hurts: folk recipes and medication for headaches

There are 2 forms of headaches (cephalalgia): primary (as an independent disease, migraine) and secondary (as a symptom of another ailment).

Pain triggering factors

The main culprit for the occurrence of primary headache, doctors call hereditary predisposition. Based on the characteristics of the transmission of genes responsible for the pathology (along the female line), women are most vulnerable to this disease. The most frequent provoking factors are: stress loads; intoxication: hangover, food poisoning, etc.; some types of food additives: nitrites, aspartame, monosodium glutamate; food addictions: eating a lot of chocolate, nuts, eggs, cheese; tobacco smoking and hookah smoking; meteorological dependence, drops in atmospheric pressure; taking certain types of medications; being in the mountains; disruptions in the hormonal background: migraine during pregnancy, menstruation, menopause.

Some pathologies of internal organs can cause cephalalgia:

• vascular disorders: high blood pressure (BP), vascular dystonia;
• viral infections: acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections;
• inflammation of the meninges: meningitis, encephalitis, arachnoiditis;
• other inflammatory foci: lesions of ENT organs, especially the sinuses of the nose, oral cavity (teeth, gums), sinusitis, etc.
• trauma (fall, blow) and / or head tumors, concussion;
• pinching of the basilar artery with cervical osteochondrosis;
• chemotherapy or long-term antibiotic therapy (taking antibiotics);
• anesthesia, spinal or epidural anesthesia;
• some endocrine diseases.

According to the mechanism of occurrence, primary cephalalgias can be pain:

1. Voltage. It occurs as a result of muscle spasm of the neck and head. There are felt "constricting", aching, but not sharp pain impulses.
2. Hypertensive, appearing with increased blood pressure. It is pulsating, mainly localized in the temples and occipital region. It is manifested by soreness of the skin of the scalp when touched, light-headedness, with a feeling of weakness, dizziness, nausea.
3. Migraine associated with burdened heredity. It manifests itself with various provoking factors.
4. Cluster - very intense, mainly in the temples and eyes. This is a hereditary pathology that can manifest itself at any age. The attacks are sudden, irregular, and excessively painful. Pain is caused by malfunctions of the central nervous system (decreased activity of the hypothalamus, anomalies in the structure of nerve highways). Creepy cluster headaches, as well as coughs, are more common among men.

General recommendations for headaches

When cephalalgia occurs, it is recommended that you follow several rules to reduce the intensity and frequency of seizures.

Let's list them:

1. avoid stressful situations, mental and physical fatigue. Master auto-training, relaxation, breathing exercises. Try meditation, yoga - perhaps these methods will increase stress resistance, help to maintain calmness and peace of mind.
2. Give up smoking and hookah smoking. Nicotine and tobacco tar destroy the entire body, disrupt the work of the heart, and lead to severe oxygen starvation, which is the most destructive for brain cells.
3. Review your diet, food habits, exclude alcohol. Minimize the consumption of smoked, fatty, spicy foods, semi-finished products, food with synthetic additives.
4. Limit the time spent at the computer regularly, take a break every 40 minutes. Combine the rest time with a small warm-up, open the window, breathe in fresh air.
5. Eliminate annoying factors: bright lighting, noise, overly active activities. In sunny weather, wear sunglasses, go hiking.
6. Do sports without undue zeal, dosing the load. Do not use stimulants, energizers, depleting forces and overworking the body.

In order to more accurately answer the question of what should be done if a head hurts, you need to understand the mechanism of development of pathology, if possible, identify and eliminate provoking factors. Only in this case can a stable and long-term remission be achieved.

Headache: what to do and how to help

Traditionally, migraines are treated with triptans (Sumatriptan, Naratriptan, Zolmitriptan tablets). They block serotonin receptors. For the relief of an attack of cephalalgia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are suitable: paracetamol, analgin, aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac.

For spastic pain, the use of antispasmodics is indicated. If the migraine is the result of a spasm of the head vessels, No-shpu is prescribed (the international name of the active substance is Drotaverin), Papaverine. Combination preparations consisting of several components bring the maximum benefit.

This pharmacological group includes Migrenol, Solpadein, Pentalgin plus, Citramon, Spazmalgon. Along with drug therapy, the use of drug-free techniques is shown. The first place is taken by massage and self-massage.

There are 2 types:

1. Acupressure. Try to massage the active points: the occipital fossa, ears, infraorbital, palmar and glabellar regions. On the hands, this is an area 2 cm below the palm, the gap between the thumb and forefinger.
2. General massage - shoulders, neck area. The technique helps to relieve spasms, normalize blood circulation. This massage is especially indicated for patients with cervical osteochondrosis.

And if the head hurts often - what to do? With frequent and severe headaches, you need to seek medical help, because a visit to a medical facility is a mandatory step. In most cases, it is possible to identify the root cause of cephalalgia after obtaining and evaluating data from laboratory and hardware diagnostic procedures.

How to help yourself without medication and get rid of headaches without pills

Rest and relaxation is an affordable and effective remedy for headaches. It is better to take a comfortable position with your head tilted back slightly. Try to relax as much as possible, ventilate the room, but the body should remain warm, take a nap if possible. If the root cause of cephalalgia is overwork, then after such a rest, the headache will pass. Hiking in the fresh air is useful, they normalize the effects of physical inactivity and hypoxia after office workdays. If possible, walk home from work.

To avoid dehydration, drink one or two glasses of clean water in small sips, and rest. Stretch your shoulders, massaging your head in a circular motion from your forehead to the back of your head.

The massage will relax the tense temporal, frontal, occipital regions of the head. You can breathe over the steam with lavender oil added. Menthol balm helps well (apply to the temples and the back of the head). All these methods are effective and time-tested many times over. If cephalalgia is not a consequence of any serious pathology, then it is quite possible to recover from it with the help of these means, without resorting to pharmaceutical preparations.

Exercise for headaches

Swimming, fitness, yoga, walking and jogging are especially helpful for headaches. Physical exercises are also directed at eliminating basilar insufficiency. They must eliminate the pinching of the artery in the cervical spine, which will contribute to the normalization of blood circulation in the blood vessels of the brain.

The complex of activities includes walking, head rotation, hand waving. If dizziness occurs, it is best to lie on your back or stomach. Monitor your well-being, if it has worsened, take a short break, make a slower pace and decrease the amplitude of the exercises performed.

Headache in children

The causes of headaches in children and adults are almost identical. Often migraine attacks occur as a result of stressful situations, lack of sleep, overwork, after long sessions at the computer. Problems with the spinal column, osteochondrosis, scaliosis can aggravate the disease.

It is necessary to find out the root cause of the headache in the child. Try to alleviate the condition with the help of folk remedies without resorting to drug therapy.

During pregnancy

Migraines in early pregnancy are common. During this period, a number of complex changes take place against the background of the restructuring of the hormonal background. The nature of the pain is usually weak or strong. Folk remedies, walks, sufficient in duration and good rest will help to alleviate the attacks.

If the pain is intense, or manifests itself at later stages, then it is necessary to urgently seek medical help. The root cause of such pain may be the pathology of pregnancy or the development of preeclampsia. Preeclamsia is accompanied by high blood pressure, edema, and protein is detected in urine tests. This condition is extremely dangerous for the life and health of the mother and the fetus; it requires the intervention of the attending physician and monitoring the patient's condition.

What to do with a headache: drug-free techniques

Let's figure out what to do with a headache without resorting to medication. The first step is to ensure maximum peace and relaxation. Aromatherapy gives a significant and quick effect, because essential oils can be quickly absorbed into tissues and improve the functioning of the whole body.

For cephalgia use:

• mint;
• sandalwood;
• lavender;
• eucalyptus;
• lemongrass;
• rosemary;
• angelica;
• basil;
• coriander;
• linden;
• clary sage;
• sweet oregano;
• yarrow.

Even with headaches, water procedures are especially useful, because water is able to relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation, and eliminate tissue hypoxia. It will be advisable to take a course of brine baths. They are offered at the resorts of Odessa, Israel, in the sanatoriums of g. Saki. A hot bath can help. It relaxes, relieves tension and spasms. When the vascular circulation is normalized, the pain will subside. But a hot bath is strictly contraindicated at elevated body temperature and blood pressure, some diseases of the skin, etc.

Traditional medicine has accumulated many useful recipes for pain relief. To relieve symptoms, phytotherapy methods (herbal teas), a cold compress on the frontal region, decoctions, tinctures, and diet therapy have proven themselves well.

Compresses

Apply an ice pack to your forehead. It will help normalize blood circulation and act as a distraction. They also make a potato compress. To do this, chop raw potato tubers on a fine grater. Warm milk is added to the resulting substance. Then the fabric is impregnated and kept on the forehead for several hours.

A mixture of salt water with ammonia and camphor oil helps a lot. All ingredients are taken in equal volumes. You can leave such a compress overnight. To reduce the headache, a cabbage or burdock leaf is applied to the temples. Before use, knead it so that the juice stands out a little.

Teas and teas

What to do in case of severe headache against the background of nervous overload? To stop the headache after nervous stress, it is useful to take a decoction of soothing herbs. Motherwort, medicinal chamomile is suitable. In some cases, rosehip or linden flowers, dill seeds, oregano, mint, rosemary will help. The pharmacy network contains mixtures of medicinal herbal raw materials. Broths are taken orally several times a day, you can courses.

Tinctures

Treatment of cephalalgia with tinctures is a common practice. They are sold in convenient packaging, are easy to use, and give a quick effect. For headaches, a tincture of peony evading, mint, eucalyptus, valerian, hawthorn, ginger is often used. You can read many positive reviews about the 25 drops tincture.

Food

With persistent cephalgia, it is necessary to carefully select the diet. Minrenous attacks can be triggered by the use of soy and dairy products, tomatoes, dates, figs, prunes, chocolate.

It is best to use natural, home-made dishes. Preserves, sausages contain flavorings and other harmful food additives. Moldy cheese is harmful, it can reduce the diameter of the blood vessels and provoke headaches. Monitor the condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Digestive tract problems interfere with the absorption of nutrients, which can worsen headaches.

Why is alcohol prohibited for persistent headaches? The fact is that alcoholic beverages poison the body, disrupt cerebral circulation, increase blood pressure, and impair the nutrition of brain cells. All these factors only provoke the appearance of cephalalgia. A migraine attack is triggered by red wine.