Home Remedies For Migraines: Procedure, Recovery, Risk & Complication

Migraine is a severe headache that can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. Some very useful home remedies are outlined below.

1. Water:

   Dehydration may aggravate migraine pain. If you tend to get migraines you should be observant about drinking sufficient water every day to keep yourself well hydrated. For women and men, the requirement of water intake is about 9 glasses and 13 glasses respectively.

2. Magnesium (Mg):

   Magnesium deficiency can result in migraine pain. So, daily intake of 400-500 mg of Magnesium in the form of fruits or vegetables can reduce the frequency of migraine up to 41.6%. It is also effective in reducing menstrual-related migraine pain. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, sweet and white potatoes, whole grains, brown rice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, yogurt, almonds, etc. are some of the best sources of Magnesium.

3. Pepper mint:

   Peppermint is a natural substance which is used as a muscle relaxant and painkiller, as it has a calming and numbing effect on your body. It has an analgesic effect that reduces migraines. You can take peppermint in the following ways

   • Drink tea with peppermint in it
   • Take a hot water bath with 5-10 drops of peppermint oil in it
   • Apply peppermint oil to your forehead
4. Cherries:

   Cherries are rich in anthocyanin that acts as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent which relieves pain from migraines. Consume 15-20 cherries every day or drink cherry juice to reduce the chances and frequencies of recurring migraine attacks.

5. Ginger:

   Ginger is a good anti-inflammatory substance that suppresses the severity of the pain and also gives relief from nausea that is accompanied by the migraine pain. Either chew raw pieces of ginger or have ginger tea to get relief from the pain or to get rid of migraines.

6. Lavender oil:

   Lavender oil has a specific scent that helps to reduce headache and treat migraine. You can breathe the scent of lavender oil to get relief from migraine pain.

7. Acupuncture:

   Acupuncture is a medical treatment involving the insertion of fine needles into specific points in your body. It helps in reducing the pain.

8. Sleep adequately:

   Taking adequate amounts of sleep is important to avoid headaches. As per the studies done by researchers, it has been observed that people with less than 5-6 hours of sleep suffer from frequent headaches.

9. Manage stress:

   Stress can be managed by doing yoga. Yoga helps to relax your mind and body, and provide relief from stress. Doing yoga regularly can prevent frequent headache problems.

10. Avoid alcohol:

    Alcohol through the process of vasodilation, widens the blood vessels which results in easy flow of the blood. Alcohol also leads to frequent urination tendency in a few people which results in dehydration and eventually headaches.

11. Biofeedback therapy:

    Biofeedback therapy is a relaxation technique which is used to manage stress. It is highly effective in the case of migraine headaches.

12. Add foods like cashew, almond, and milk to your diet:

    Almonds are a good source of magnesium which helps to prevent headaches. If magnesium is deficient in the body it leads to headaches.

Summary: Migraine can be treated by avoiding alcohol, and stress. Take biofeedback therapy, sleep adequately, apply lavender oil, Acupuncture, Take cherries, ginger, peppermint, magnesium. Drink plenty of water.

• The remedies are safe and generally don’t cause any harm to the user if not used in excess or unless the person is allergic to any particular ingredient. But the excess use of any of these remedies should be restricted.
• Excess magnesium accumulation in the body may result in serious side effects like irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, breathing irregularities, coma, and in very severe cases even death.
• Taking too much ginger can cause heartburn, acidity, stomach problems, mouth irritation, gas, and nausea.
• Cherry is rich in fibre so if it is taken in excess may result in bloating, gas and diarrhoea.
• Peppermint should not be given to children under 8 years of age. If taken in excess might cause heartburn, allergic reactions and headache in adults.

Migraines are triggered by various internal and external factors. Stress, fatigue, menstrual cycle, sleeplessness, change in weather conditions and food habits, skipping meals, dehydration, certain perfumes are a few of the triggers which can lead to migraines. Avoid these triggers at all costs.

Generally, migraine pain usually takes 48-72 hrs to recover from, in normal cases. In case if the condition is chronic, a person may experience pain for more than 15 days a month. So getting relief by using these home remedies depends on the severity of the disease. Normally it should take a few hours to get the required relief by using these natural home remedies for migraines.

Result of the remedies may not be permanent as the migraine pain is triggered by various factors that may become unavoidable on some occasions.

Generally, you do not need an expert’s guidance while using these home remedies.