HEALTH

 

Headaches: Everyone can relate to that painful throbbing feeling that shows up at the worst possible time (like before your first date or that huge history test). You immediately reach for an Advil or Tylenol to ease the pain. But you don't have to pop pills to ease the pain—there are a few alternative ways to get relief for those inconvenient migraines that don't require medicine.

1. Drink water. The quickest and easiest way to relieve headache pain is drinking water. It sounds too good to be true, but most headaches are caused by dehydration. 

2. Give yourself a scalp massage. To relieve pain, move your fingers in circular motions, applying pressure at the back of your head near the base of your skull. 

3. Breathe deeply. Your body becomes stressed and tenses up when you are in pain. Breathing deeply will help release that tension and relax your muscles.

4. Drink a cup of coffee. Headaches are caused by the blood vessels in your brain expanding. The caffeine in the cup of coffee can help reduce the size of the blood vessels. Ginger tea also has the same effects.

5.  Take a hot shower. Let the hot water fall on the back of your neck—the heat will help relax your tensed muscles and ease the headache pain.

6. Apply ice cubes to your temples. The cooling ice will help your mind and body relax and the cold will temporarily numb the ache. 

7. Meditate. It can take the attention away from the throbbing pain in your head while practicing deep breathing to relax your body. It may not be the quickest relief but will help to distract you. 

What's your go-to headache remedy? Let us know in the comments below! 

by Leah V. | 7/22/2017