Headache is not a pain it is discomfort and it becomes worse with the level of stress you are coping up with. Over 50% of the adult population in the world suffers from headaches. It can be a tension headache, migraine, caffeine headache, exertion headache, sinus headache, hormone headache, hypertension headache, rebound headache, or a post-traumatic headache. While tension headaches cause mild and moderate pain, migraine causes severe pain.
From experience, you might know that a headache doesn’t leave you easy. It comes back eventually as the medicine leaves the system. Therefore, taking a painkiller every time you have a headache is not the solution.
Suffering from a headache? Is it unbearable? There’s a perfect solution to your problem. If you are looking for a permanent solution and don’t want to go for over the counter medication, perhaps tea can be the potion you are looking for!
For thousands of years, tea has been used for different medicinal purposes. The herbs in the tea have loads of medicinal properties which make it an all-natural remedy to cure headaches. A study showed that tea has a great ability to soothe tense, nervous headaches. It also revealed that the caffeine present in tea can relieve you from aches and pains instantly just like a painkiller would do.
Many types of teas help headaches and stress such as Green tea, White tea, Black Tea, Oolong tea, and herbal teas. While some are caffeinated which help in aiding migraines, others are decaffeinated.
1.) Peppermint tea
Peppermint is best known to combat nausea and aid digestion which can be helpful during headaches and migraines. It also helps in soothing an upset stomach. A study found that peppermint oil is as effective as paracetamol in treating tension headaches. Another research showed that peppermint helps in decreasing inflammation and treating headache pain by boasting active ingredients including phenols and flavonoids. Peppermint can also be added to other teas and brewed. If you would like to buy peppermint tea in the market, make sure it contains original peppermint, not just artificial flavorings. Peppermint tea also has fewer side effects than its oil, so drinking it will help you in reducing pain and discomfort without any kind of harmful effects.
2.) Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is often considered as a powerhouse for its calming and soothing properties. Chamomile tea helps in giving the sleep you want by increasing the time spent in deep sleep cycles. Since it has a natural sedative effect, it reduces inflammation and increases relaxation too. A study that examined the effects of chamomile oil (or tea) on migraine without aura showed that its typical application can help reduce the symptoms of pain, photosensitivity, and nausea after just 30 minutes. Since Chamomile tea is made from the Chamomile flowers, people with ragweed allergy may have trouble with chamomile. So, it is better to try it out before using it as a remedy for the headaches.
3.) Ginger tea
Ginger is one of the popular natural ingredients that is being used to combat nausea and headache for centuries. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help you in reducing inflammation caused pain and decreasing tension, thus diminishing the feeling of throbbing and pounding headaches. They work the same way an over the counter pain killer would do. Ginger is also rich in antioxidants that help in eliminating free radicals and toxins which are responsible for recursive headaches. A study showed that ginger can be more effective than sumatriptan (a common prescription pill for migraine pain) in treating migraines. This study was tested on 100 patients with acute migraines. Results showed significantly fewer migraine symptoms only just after two hours of ginger consumption. Ginger tea is made from the ginger root and isn’t a tea. You can make your tea by adding ginger to the water but it needs to be simmered for a pretty long time. If you don’t have that much time, you can directly buy the tea from the market. But make sure you purchase the one that contains natural ginger and not artificial flavorings.
4.) Clove tea
Cloves are the best source for fighting pain. Due to its cooling and pain-relieving properties, you can use cloves for throbbing headaches. It also helps in relieving migraines. The studies too proved that cloves work the same way the benzocaine in oral procedures does. Cloves also work great in decreasing inflammation and improving blood circulation. So, there are chances drinking clove tea may interact with certain blood thinner medications. If you take any medications, check with your doctor before having clove tea. You can make clove tea by just steeping them in water for a few minutes. Or else add them to other teas and brew.
5.) Green tea
Green tea possesses many health benefits. It has a wide range of recognition in the weight loss industry due to its compounds that help in accelerating fat burning. Green tea is also considered as a popular detox tea thanks to its highly concentrated levels of antioxidants. Not to mention it treats migraine symptoms too by boosting your overall health. A systematic review of green tea showed that it helps in improving mood and increasing alertness. These symptoms help improve headache symptoms. But note that these results may vary from person to person as green tea contains caffeine. So, if you are someone who can have triggered headaches due to caffeine, you should stick to herbal tea.
Caffeinated Tea or Decaffeinated Tea
Caffeine amounts in your tea can decide how it will affect your headache. Different teas have various levels of caffeine levels it depends totally on your preference.
You can opt for decaffeinated tea if you like. There are several decaffeinated teas as well. These can be beneficial for your health. One of these teas is herbal teas. Since they are naturally decaffeinated, they can help you in relieving headaches without triggering any new kind of symptoms like upset stomach, nausea, etc… which can be caused by drinking caffeinated teas.
Get A Reprieve From Headache Pain
One of the best ways migraine sufferers can help relieve pain and prevent headaches is to drink enough water and stay hydrated. The next time you feel a minor headache or migraine coming on, reach for a piping hot cup of tea.
This natural remedy doesn’t just help soothe the pain associated with headaches and migraine attacks, it also tastes great. Choose a tingling and effervescent peppermint tea or go for calming and floral with chamomile. Steep a few fresh cloves in boiling water or you can add three feverfew leaves to hot water and reduce the pain of migraine headaches and other headaches. Whatever the tea you choose, you will feel better fast and will love the flavor.
It is always important to drink enough water and stay hydrated when you have frequent headaches and migraines. So, the next time you feel like a minor headache or a migraine is coming on, reach out for a hot cup of tea. This tasty cuppa helps you in decreasing inflammation and increasing relaxation. It helps you in calming down and soothing the headache pain.
So, choose an effervescent, strong, and tingling peppermint tea or go for a calming, soothing, and floral with chamomile tea. Make your tea by steeping fresh cloves or add three feverfew leaves in boiling water. Whatever tea you drink, you will feel better fast and fall in love with the flavor.
Also make sure you avoid all the headache triggers like stress, alcohol, etc. Stay away from the bright lights and smells which may trigger migraines.
Find a tea of your choice that matches your flavor from the list above and drink it whenever you are finding relief from a bad headache.