Recurrent Headache - How It Can Be Treated Through Ayurveda?

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms experienced by most people. While a headache is not a disease per se, it is a manifestation of some underlying disease and can affect the quality of life. The underlying cause could range from something as innocuous as a hunger headache to a slightly more severe one like migraines to underlying neurological and vascular conditions like temporal arteritis. Common forms including a sinus headache, tension headache, cluster headaches, and migraines.

Ayurveda believes that the body goes through disease if there is an imbalance in one of the key components of the body, Vata, pitta, and Kapha. Restoring the balance will take care of not just the symptom but restore overall body health. Relief, therefore, is longer lasting with Ayurvedic solutions. Depending on the type of headache, the imbalance varies, and treatment would differ and is aimed at restoring the lost balance.

Massage: Using natural oils like peppermint oil, lavender oil, or castor oil to massage the forehead or the temples can produce great relief. This also causes improved circulation and nerve stimulation, leading to pain relief.

1. Add substances that produce cold-like khus khus, buttermilk, ghee, and coconut water. Try castol oil and shikakai for hair wash and see a headache vanish.
2. A mixture of green tea with a lemon squeezed in is one of the quickest relievers for a headache.
3. A paste or lemon rind that is applied externally on the forehead and temples also provides relief from a headache and a soothing effect for the affected individual.
4. A paste of cinnamon mixed with any essential oil or plain water can also be applied on the forehead and/or temple region for relief from the pain.
5. Watermelon juice with sugar reduces the heat produced by the body and relieves a headache.
6. Crush some ginger, add it to water, and bring it to a boil. This contains a lot of oils from the ginger, which is very soothing for the stomach. This has pain-relieving properties and helps in relieving headaches.
7. A glass of warm water with honey in the morning on a daily basis takes care of chronic headaches. It is advisable to drink this on an empty stomach daily.

In addition to the above remedies to relieve the headache, the following measures should be followed for prevention and/or reducing the frequency of headaches.

1. Diet: Eating right by avoiding headache-inducing substances like cheese, chocolates, eggs, etc. On the other hand, going hungry can lead to hunger headaches.
2. Exercise: The neck, shoulders, and scalp should be eased frequently through regular exercise. This also improves blood flow, thereby reducing headaches.

Try these measures and see your headache disappear. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.