There are Millions of people in the world who suffer from headaches daily. This may be due to many reasons like chronic stress, tiredness, allergies, hormonal imbalances, mineral deficiencies, constipation, improper body condition, less level of blood sugar, increased consumption of alcohol and illegal drug consumption. But the people are not to blame. Often it may be any one of the causes and at other times it may be the combination of these.
To the people who suffer from the headaches often, there are many types of natural headache remedies. Though there are many natural remedies to treat the headache, the use of the essential oils is far better than all of them. This is because the most of the tablets are painkillers and they also cause some problems like damage to the liver and kidneys and they do not treat the root cause of the problem.
But the use of the essential oils serve to treat headache are safe. They deal with the trigger of the headache and reduce the pain temporarily. Additionally, there are no side effects when using the essential oils to treat headaches. The dose of the headaches can be also adjusted according to the intensity of the pain.
Essential Oils To Treat Headaches
Some of the essential oils that can be used in the treatment of the headaches are as given below.
1. Peppermint Oil:
The uses and benefits of the peppermint are sought more due to the permanent cooling sensation on the skin. They will also help to prevent the contractions of the muscles and increase the flow of blood on the scalp when applied.
The forehead and on the temples will be effectively relieved from the tension and headache. The results of a research that was conducted in the year 1996 observed 40 patients in a placebo-controlled study. They were administered with the peppermint oil after half an hour the headache started.
The participants were said to have been relieved from the pain. The peppermint oil was found to be beneficial to treat the headaches properly. It is also a suitable alternative to the common headache therapies. No negative side effects were found in the people after the peppermint treatment.
There was also another study conducted in the year 1995. About 32 normal participants were treated with the essential oil treatment. They did it by evaluating the baseline and measures of the treatments. The best way to treat the headache is to mix the peppermint oil, ethanol and eucalyptus oil.
The doctors advice the people to use a small sponge to apply the oil on the forehead and temples. In this way, the oil will completely be applied with no leftovers. The use of ethanol with the peppermint will reduce the sensitivity that is caused due to the headaches.
To increase the circulation of blood, decrease the intensity of pain and to ease tension, three drops of peppermint oil must be diluted with coconut oil. This can be used to rub on the temples, neck, forehead and shoulders.
2. Lavender Essential Oil:
This essential oil is rich in variety of properties that are therapeutic and curative in effects. This oil will help to relax the mind and eases tension and chronic stress. It can be used for many purposes due to their sedative properties, antidepressant qualities, anxiolytic effects, and anticonvulsant abilities. The use of the lavender is also increasing because it serves as the most needed means to treat the neurological disorders.
Due to the aromatic and external use of lavender oil, the limbic system gets affected. This is due to the fast absorption of the major components, such as linalool. These are speculated to result in depressions and the central nervous system also gets affected. Therefore the lavender oil is being used to treat the headaches that are the result of anxiety and other similar conditions.
The uses of the lavender oil also extends to the relieving of restlessness and insomnia. The levels of serotonin will also be regulated. This will help to reduce the pain and the nervous system will be prevented from the migraine problems.
According to the results of a research completed in the year 2012 it was proved that lavender essential oil will relieve the headaches that are caused by migraines. Fifty participants were conducted to undergo the placebo effect in the clinical tests. The patients inhaled lavender oil for twenty minutes when they had the migraine. The severity of the migraine was also recorded. The symptoms were also recorded once in an hour.
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The change from the control of the groups was considerable. Of the 130 cases of the headaches in the group, only 90 of them responded totally to the inhalation of the lavender oil. Thirty out of the seventy said that the headache were relieved due to the placebo. The people who responded to the use of the lavender were higher than the group that responded to the placebo treatment.
To decrease the muscular tensions and also to boost the mood the sleep must be made to be proper. Therefore few drops of the lavender oil has to be diffused at home. The lavender oil can be also applied at the back of neck, foreheads and temples to ease the stress and tension. Ten drops of the lavender oil must be added to the hot water that has been kept for taking bath. Inhaling the aroma of the lavender oil deeply will add to the extra benefits of using the lavender oil.
3. Eucalyptus Essential Oil:
The oil that is prepared by the eucalyptus serves as the expectorant. It will refine the body and will remove the toxins. The nasal passages are also cleared and thus the sinus pressure will be eradicated. This will also balance the hormonal changes and will increase the stability of the mind.
It was proved in the clinical tests that inhaling the eucalyptus oil will reduce the intensity of pain of a person and also the blood pressure. The researched studied fifty patients who had undergone the knee replacement surgery. The emotions will be balanced using the eucalyptus oil treatment. The formation of edema is prevented. The inflammations are also decreased by the anti-inflammatory properties. It is these properties that will help to eradicate the symptoms of the tension, worries and anxiety.
A research was conducted in Israel about the efficiency of eucalyptus oil when applied on the patients who were suffering from the respiratory problems which resulted in cough, discomfort in the throat and anxiety headaches. The overall condition of the body was improved and it thus helped to be freed from the other symptoms.
The study also proved that the oil exhibited anti-inflammatory properties when treated on the people suffering from the respiratory disorders. It decreased the effects of the microbial agents which eradicated the pressure of sinus that is resulted due to the inflammatory syndrome.
Four drops of the eucalyptus oil is diluted with the carrier oil, and applied topically on the parts of the body. This will eradicate the accumulation of nasal particles and will filter the airways, thereby eradicating the tension caused by sinus which causes headache and migraine.
4. Rosemary Essential Oil:
This oil was being used traditionally in the folk medicines to treat the problem of headaches and the bad circulation of the blood due to their stimulating and analgesic property. It will provide a soothing effect. The concentration and the level of alertness of the minds of the people will be also increased.
The stress and the other emotional disturbances will also be countered using the rosemary oil. The process of the bowel movements and also the symptoms of the empty stomach will also be monitored as these will also reflect the bad mental conditions that triggers headaches.
A research was conducted in the year 2013. It was specifically targeted on the people who were suffering from the withdrawal symptoms of drug abuse. The symptoms are mood swings, nausea with vomiting, muscular pain, headaches, increase in body temperature and sleeplessness. The treatment using the rosemary will prove to decrease the signs if they are consumed orally for five weeks. This will help to reduce the tension and muscle aches, lessens pain, enhanced sleep cycles and also fits.
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A drop of rosemary oil can be taken orally by adding them to milk, water and other beverages when the people experience headache and migraines. Mixing two drops of the rosemary oil will help to decrease the headache. Adding few drops of peppermint oil with one spoon of coconut oil will be the most effective form of the oils that can be used for treatment.
5. Helichrysum Essential Oil:
This is probably the best known oil to use on the skin. It has the ability to heal the wounds. They are rich in the excellent anti-inflammatory properties. The presence of the analgesic property has made this invaluable oil to be one of the best oils to use to relieve the headaches. The topical application of the oil will help to soothe the nerves. The oil must be applied in combination with the other oils or alone to be completely relieved from the headache.
6. Roman Chamomile Essential Oil:
This oil is prepared from the roman chamomile. It has explicitly large amounts of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory aspects that are employed to treat the pain caused in the neuralgic system. They are also able to relieve the person of the common feelings of depression and anxiety. If the headache is caused by stress, then the roman chamomile will work the best to clear it.
7.Ylang Ylang Oil:
The aroma of ylang-ylang is very tropical, woody, fantastic, floral, crispy, erotic and mind blowing. This can be used in the diffuser. The few drops of the ylang ylang oil can be applied on each temple and also on the forehead. This oil is very powerful and strong. This oil will be also mixed with the other oils to enhance the benefits and also to reduce the headache. But care must be had as the increased use of the Ylang-Ylang will also result in headaches.
8. Spearmint Oil:
The aroma of the spearmint oil is very aromatic than the peppermint oil. This is the most recommended oil belonging to the mint family to relieve the headaches. The amount of menthol is more than it is found in peppermint. This oil will not be harsh like the peppermint. But the taste is very sweet. The women who are pregnant must avoid the use of the spearmint oil as it will cause some discomfort in the mucous membranes.
9. Other Essential Oils:
The use of the essential oils apart from used to treat the headaches and migraines will also provide aroma. Besides the common forms of the essential oils that were used, there are also many other oils that can be used to obtain the similar effects. They are tulsi oil, sandalwood oil, neroli, wintergreen oil, frankincense, bergamot oil and ginger oil. These oils can be used in their diluted form after mixing them with the carrier oils like coconut oil. This is to prevent the oils from causing harm to the body.
There are so many essential oils in the market. The wide variety of the options are very effective. But the people must try individually try each oils to know which suits them the best. This is because some people may develop allergic reactions to use some oils. Moreover the reason for the headache also depends to eradicate the problem. The advice from the doctor is also very valuable and the people must never neglect them.