No one likes headaches and no one likes running out to get medication when their head feels like it is about to explode. So we put together a short list of things you can do from your home to help relieve your headache, naturally.
Get an Ice Pack
Never underestimate the power of a cold compress or an ice pack to your temples, eyes, or neck. It can provide instant relief to the burning pain behind your eyes or in the back of your neck, as well as become a helpful distraction from the ache. But why does this work? The cold actually helps constrict blood vessels and reduce inflammation in the immediate area, which can temporarily relieve headache pain!
It’s backed by studies as well, such as this one from the Hawai’i Journal of Medicine & Public Health found that applying ice packs to the neck for 30 minutes significantly reduced pain in people with migraines.
Or Try a Warm Compress
If you know your headache is caused by tension, then a warm compress to your back and shoulders should help your muscles relax. A warm compress could be as simple as a heated towel. People may be able to get the same effect from a tepid shower or bath. If you have them, a heated blanket or back pads also work wonders, but be careful to not burn yourself! Use the old rule of 30 minutes on, and 30 minutes off.
Get Hydrated
This may be the first thing you try, and if it is, good! Hydration is essential for your brain’s health and for helping your muscles flush out any acid that may be contributing to their pain.
On top of that, drinking enough water may help prevent headaches or reduce their severity by reducing your risk of dehydration. As a study in the journal Antioxidants notes, even slight dehydration may alter how people think and function, making them feel worse, with or without a headache.
Staying hydrated may be as simple as carrying a water bottle around and sipping on it throughout the day. Eating foods high in liquid, such as fruits, smoothies, or soups, may also improve hydration.
Get Some Magnesium in Your System
Magnesium is well-known in its headache-stopping properties. A 2015 review published in the journal Nutrients suggests that people who regularly experience cluster headaches or migraines may be more likely to have low magnesium levels. Adding magnesium to the diet, as a supplement, may help reduce headaches or prevent them in these cases.
Additional studies have shown that treatment with 600 mg of oral magnesium citrate per day helped reduce both the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
If you don’t have any magnesium supplements laying around, don’t worry about running to the store. Instead, give us a call at IV Revival. One of our registered nurses will come right to you and will hook you up to a hydrating IV that’s rich in headache-fighting magnesium. You’ll start feeling better in no time at all. Give us a call today at 602-755-9525 or visit us online to book your appointment.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Did you know that alcohol allergies can cause headaches? For example, if you’re allergic to red wine, one of the top symptoms is a headache!
Of course, drinking too much alcohol can also lead to dehydration and headaches as well, so limiting your consumption can help reduce the frequency of headaches you experience. Even with light or moderate drinking, alcohol may lead to mild dehydration symptoms in some people or make headaches worse.
Additionally, alcohol has also been shown to cause tension and cluster headaches in many people, due to how it affects blood vessels. Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it widens blood vessels and allows blood to flow more freely, which can cause headaches.
Get Some Sleep
Not getting enough sleep is one of the most common causes of headaches.
For example, one study compared headache frequency and severity in those who got less than six hours of sleep per night and those who slept longer. It found that those who got less sleep had more frequent and severe headaches.
However, getting too much sleep has also been shown to trigger headaches too! So try and find your happy medium with sleep and stick to it as often as possible. For maximum benefits, aim for the “sweet spot” of seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Finally, if all of this doesn’t work for you, try mobile IV Therapy. Our registered nurses will come right to your door and recommend what vitamins and nutrients should go in your IV to help ease your discomfort. Give us a call today at 602-755-9525 or visit us online to book your appointment.