Tension Headaches And How To Get Rid of Them Naturally

What Is A Tension Headache?

You may be surprised to find out that tension headaches are actually more common than you think and occur to people more than people experience having the common cold. Luckily, there are natural remedies for this dreaded tension headache and and we have discovered what they are and have even found a means to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Tension headaches, also known as tension-type headaches are basically the most common headache that there is. Tension headaches have been described as a diffuse pain that ranges in pain from mild to moderate. They typically radiate from the eyes or the head as well as the other muscles that you would find in your upper torso. The tension headache has been further described as like having a large rubber band over your head making you feel weak and in need of a bed for rest.

Furthermore, tension headaches can happen to anybody. It does not matter if you are a teen or an adult, these headaches can hit you at virtually anytime. It has actually been estimated that nearly half a million Americans who suffer from tension headaches are children and adolescents.

Discovering The Most Common Symptoms Of A Tension Headache

Considering that there are a number of symptoms, it is best to be knowledgeable of the matter in order to further establish if you do indeed suffer from tension headaches, or if the pain and discomfort in your head is from another matter altogether. Here are the three most common symptoms, do you suffer from any of these?

• Having the sensation of there being a tight rubber band or rope around your head. You may have felt this before, sometimes the feeling is that it is around the top of your head reaching down below your chin. The feeling can also exist as if around the top of your head like one would wear a headband.
• Experiencing tension around your neck or shoulders. That’s right, a tension headache is not necessarily only experienced around the areas of your head, they can also be experienced around your neck and shoulders as well. These discomforts on your upper body can sure reach the top of your head as well which in turn cause tension headaches.
• Throbbing in your head. This may be one of the more common symptoms that one may experience. You often see people massaging an area of the head that seems to be throbbing, sometimes you feel this on your neck too and not only on the head.

How Long Do I Have To Suffer With This Crazy Tension Headache?

Tension headaches have varying degrees of seriousness and that makes the question of how long a tension headache will last, almost impossible to answer. The short answer however is this, anywhere between a half hour to an almost unbearable entire week!

Since there is such a wide time frame of how long a tension headache can last, it is known that what causes them may be connected to a number of root causes. These are:

• Dehydration
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Strain in your eye/s
• Alcohol and/or substance abuse
• Stress
• Low blood sugar
• Bad posture

There is a popular medicine for tension headaches called Excedrin Tension Headache. Many people swear by it, but you will likely easily find a whole slew of other people who will not agree to it. Many of whom are doctors. The Excedrin Tension Headache medicine is not natural, plus it contains a large amount of caffeine in it which can make you nauseous if you happen to be sensitive to it.

Most people tend to lean towards relieving their tension headaches the natural way and do away with chemicals that may be harmful for them.

Remedies For The Tension Headache, The Natural Way

Let’s start this section by reviewing the top 2 things you can do for yourself in order to cure or relieve yourself from these awful tension headaches. Here they are!

Diet

This may seem obvious to a large number of people, but you will be surprised to learn that many people have no idea that there is even a relation between what you eat and drink to you having tension headaches.

Your first step would be to find out if you have any food allergies or perhaps ingredients that don’t sit well with you. There are tests that you can take online but if you want a real serious and thorough exam, have your blood test done by a doctor. You’ll be surprised how many different types of foods cause tension headaches.

After removing the additives in meals that have caused you tension headaches. Your next step is to stop eating processed food. You should start eating meals that contain more nutrients instead. Sometimes, a tension headache is caused by having blood sugar imbalances which is why it is better to feast on meals that with whole food ingredients.

Another helpful tip is to keep in mind that you need a decent amount of fiber in your diet. Having fiber will sort out constipation and will help your body naturally avoid waste from building inside of you. If you are not too sure where or how to increase your fiber build up, grab some flaxseeds, and chia seeds that next time you’re in the supermarket. Acacia fiber with at least 10 oz of water is very helpful as well.

You may also want to avoid a number of dishes that you are probably very comfortable eating. Heck, you might even be slightly addicted to some dishes with these ingredients. But they certainly do play a role in tension headaches and could help you out if you want to feel better. These are dairy products, caffeine, and sweeteners found in alcoholic drinks. We know it is hard to avoid these, but do keep in mind that there are tons of alternatives nowadays, it is not too hard to find healthier food.

Hydration

This is relatively common, and you’ve likely heard people suggest to drink water for people who may be suffering from a tension headache. It is true and those people are correct, dehydration is one of the leading causes of tension headaches. Lacking water will hurt the muscles around your head, neck, and shoulders and as these cramp up and become tight and unlubricated, the tension in your head will start to increase.

Beyond the tightness that one might experience from lacking water is that your waste will also build up in your body as you do not have enough fluid in your body to make the waste go away.

So the next time you hear the saying that you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, don’t laugh at it. The people who do drink that much water are much healthier than you and even better, do not suffer from tension headaches!

The Natural Remedies to Ridding Yourself from Tension Headaches

Now that we know that eating a proper diet and drinking loads of water and the best things you can do for yourself in order to rid yourself from a tension headache, let’s dig deeper and discuss the beautiful options in terms of herbs, supplements as well as homeopathic remedies that exist in order to heal ourselves naturally from tension headaches.

Naturally, these are also dependent on the severity of your condition and though they may prevent a tension headache, it will ultimately depend on your condition as a whole.

Here are a few herbs that will relieve your headache tension:

Butterbur – The Butterbur herb has been used to treat asthma, fever, and tension headaches to name a few. The extract is known to reduce how serious tension headaches can get, and they also lessen the number of times that you have it.

Feverfew – Feverfew has also been used for treating fever and stomach aches and can even be used when treating an insect bite. But since it has properties in it that relieve pain, it can also help in alleviating a person’s tension headache.

Ginkgo Biloba – This wonderful herb in a brilliant circulatory stimulant, particularly because of what it does for the brain. It will help to make sure that your blood is what is good for you and will keep the fluidity of it in good condition. Ginkgo Biloba is even used to treat altitude sickness.

Part 5: Alleviating Your Tension Headache with Massage Therapy

Of all the natural remedies that exist in order to cure tension headaches is the amazing touch that massage therapy has to offer. By simply applying specific pressure on to exact body parts, the hands are able to do incredible things to the human body, things that will put your body at ease and will give you optimum relaxation.

Massage therapy has been used to treat a number of conditions. Some of these include sleep disorder, headaches and migraines, pain and discomfort, depression and anxiety, and of course, high blood pressure.

Massage therapists are well trained professionals who are knowledgeable and experienced in a variety of techniques and can probably give you what you want or what your body needs, but they can only read so far when it comes to body language so it is best to speak with them in order to address your issues or concerns. Don’t worry about telling a professional how to do their jobs, massage therapists actually prefer to be told if their clients have injuries, or delicate body parts that need to be treated with finesse.

Conclusion: Chemicals Are No Longer Needed To Treat Tension Headaches

With diet, hydration, herbs and massage therapy being options for getting rid of tension headaches, there really is no reason why one would need to go back to ingesting chemicals. And though this may be argued by a population of people, it remains best to speak to a trusted doctor about this so as to really feel secure in the decisions that you make for yourself.

You could also give any of these natural remedies a go the next time you find yourself suffering from a tension headache and you will find that there can be instant relief found and had by following any or all of these suggestions listed here. After all, there certainly is no harm in any of these and worst comes to worst, your headache will still be there, but it will not get any more severe, that is for sure!