Herbal Cures for Migraine Headaches

Many times over-the-counter medication doesn't do much in the way of decreasing the pain of a migraine. Herbal remedies can help combat the symptoms of a migraine headache by soothing the body and putting it in a state that it will be able to relax and heal from the migraine. Herbs are an easy, healthy way to get yourself through a migraine headache.

Symptoms

• A migraine headache often includes being sensitive to light, vomiting, nausea, throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head and sensitivity to noise. A migraine headache can last for a couple of hours or a couple of days.

Causes

• The cause of a migraine headache is often unknown. There could be an unidentified trigger such as cigarette smoke, certain perfumes or colognes, stress, specific foods, alcohol or hormones. The trigger can be different for everyone and often times hard to identify.

Treatments

• Ginger, feverfew, cayenne and peppermint are shown to have both preventative and soothing characteristics to relieve migraine sufferers. Black tea and ginger tea are also good home herbal remedies as they can have a soothing effect and therefore help reduce the symptoms of a migraine headache. Mint, lavender and chamomile work in a similar calming way and can, too, reduce the pain of a migraine headache.

Benefits

• Using herbal remedies provide less risk for aggravating the headache even more. Some over-the-counter medicines can only worsen the symptoms by overstimulating the nerves. The key is to heal your body, and taking soothing herbs can put your body in a place where you will likely be able to sleep and begin the healing process.

Prevention

• Avoiding direct sunlight and cigarette smoke and keeping well hydrated are simple ways to reduce your risk of developing a migraine headache. Keeping your stress level low can also decrease your chances of getting a migraine. Getting the proper nutrition and enough sleep are also ways to keep your body healthy and to try and avoid migraines.