A headache is defined as the feeling of pain in the head and neck region. It can be seen as a temporary stand-alone illness, or a symptom of a more serious disease, such as migraines or brain tumors.
Not to be confused with migraines, experiencing a headache is merely a symptom of the more chronic disease where the pain is intensified and may include other symptoms such as vomiting, blurry vision and fever.
The most common type of headache is tension headache where the pain usually lasts from few hours but goes away within the week. It is characterized by a feeling of pressure on either one or both sides of the head, and sometimes intolerance to noise or light.
Headache is a common symptom that may be attributed to a wide variety of causes such as stress, tension, anxiety, allergies, constipation, coffee consumption, eye strain, hunger, sinus, muscle tension, hormonal imbalance, trauma to the head, nutritional deficiencies, usage of alcohol, drugs or tobacco, fever and exposure to irritants such as pollution.
According to a survey in the U.S. in 2017, out of 1018 respondents, 38% of them believe that their headache is caused by biological causes.
There are some essential oils that you can use to treat your headache, not just by relieving the pain in your head but by eliminating the source that is causing the headache.
Stress:
- Rosemary - more info | product
- Lavender - more info | product
Sinus, allergies:
- Roman Chamomile - more info | product
Migraine headaches are caused by restricted blood supply to the brain. Using a warm compress with Marjoram or Lavender essential oils on the back of the neck will increase blood flow to the head.
For tension headaches, you can apply a cold compress using Lavender and Peppermint essential oils on the spot from where the pain is radiating to ease muscle spasms.
For headaches caused by sinuses,try the steam inhalation method to clear sinus congestion. Drip 6 to 8 drops of essential oil into a bowl of boiled water and place your head over the bowl. Inhale through your nose and out through your mouth for 10 minutes.
