8 Essential Oils for Treating Headaches
Your day is going along as usual, work, running errands, and suddenly you feel that oppressive and familiar feeling seeping through - a headache. Over 50% of people today suffer from some kind of pain that does not go away quickly and often causes them to reach out for painkillers to get rid of this negative feeling which affects both our mood and our functioning.
If you are among the people who suffer from headaches regularly or even occasionally and don’t want to be dependent on chemically filled drugs every time one hits you, you can use these following 8 essential oils to treat the problem in a natural, simple and pleasant way.
1. Tension Headache
Tension headaches are among the most common headaches. They are hard on all those who experience them and are known to cause a decrease in mood and in one’s ability to perform basic functions. To solve this problem, add 10 drops of mint oil into 28 ml (about 1 ⅙ cup) of a carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut, mix well and massage the neck and shoulders with the oil. Thanks to mint’s research-proven soothing effects, you can get rid of the pain and continue your day without problems.
2. Stress Headache
The stress we feel has a direct effect on our overall wellbeing and often causes terrible headaches that cause a feeling of paralysis and inability to perform various tasks. These annoying headaches can be eliminated by using fragrant oils, such as frankincense, lavender, citrus or neroli oils, which can work miraculously.
You can use these oils in a number of ways, such as putting 2 drops on a tissue and sniffing it, using a diffuser or rubbing it into your hands with a carrier oil, like jojoba. Smelling the fragrance for a few minutes will help to relieve the pain.
3. Migraines
Migraines tend to attack people without warning, usually on one side of the head, and they cause the senses to blur because of their intensity. These severe pains and their accompanying symptoms can be eliminated with lavender oil, which, apart from its wonderful fragrance, helps calm the mind, regulates levels of serotonin and improves the quality of sleep.
To take advantage of lavender’s benefits and get rid of migraines, take in its intoxicating aroma straight from the bottle. In addition, you can mix 1 drop of oil into an odorless facial cream, and massage the jaw, temples, and neck to relieve the pain.
4. Hormonal headache
Hormonal pain, which primarily affects premenstrual women, can be quite difficult for those who experience them. These sensations can be dissipated with essential geranium oil that affects hormonal glands and helps regulate the levels of estrogen hormones in our body. You can add 5-8 drops of this wonderful oil to a bath to enjoy its beneficial effects or mix a drop of it along with 1 teaspoon of carrier oil and massage the stomach with it.
5. Dehydration Headache
With today's hectic lifestyle, many of us have days when we forget to do the small stuff, like drinking enough water. As a result, headaches caused by dehydration form, but happily they can be treated naturally. Drinking water will quench your thirst, but to get rid of the headaches caused by dehydration, you should mix 2 cups of cold water with 1-2 drops of mint, orange or mandarin oil. After that, soak a piece of cloth or a small towel in the mixture, squeeze the excess water and put the compress on your forehead while you rest.
6. Sinusitis Headache
If you have regular sinusitis or colds/flu that cause your nose to clog, Melissa oil can make you feel great. This oil helps calm the brain, as well as relieves headaches that result from the accumulation of phlegm in the throat, nose, and sinuses. You can smell the fragrant Melissa oil for a few minutes to enjoy its effects, or drip a few drops of it into the diffuser and let the steam do its job.
7. Chronic headache
Some people suffer from headaches on an almost daily basis because of the use of various medications or other causes of the unpleasant phenomenon. These pains can be relieved with chamomile oil that has especially calming effects on the body and mind, as well as on chronic headaches that usually last for several days. Adding 4 drops of chamomile oil to a bowl of hot water and inhaling its steam can do wonders with chronic headaches, and using it in a bath is good for those whose headache lasts several days at a time.
8. Undefined headache
If you don’t suffer from one of the headaches listed above, but rather are attacked by an ordinary run of a mill headache, you can use rosemary, mint, lavender or a mix of them to help make the pain better. Just place 1 drop from each of these oils in a diffuser or mix 3 drops of the desired oils with 10ml of carrier oil and smell the fragrance for a few minutes to relieve the pain.