Effective Natural Headache Remedies: Holistic Relief

I tried ACV and cayenne in 3 oz of water but didn't see much improvement. I tried acupressure but still the headache persisted. What helped the most was the peppermint oil. Thanks EC Community.

STOP using Cotton ear swabs / Q-tips for Headaches (migraine, sinus, etc.). Sounds crazy- but it works!

I have had terrible headaches as long as I can remember, and for that same amount of time I also like to have clean, clean ears. I'd clean my ears out with 2-3 swabs on each ear thinking ears had nothing to do with the other/headaches. Last few years, headaches have gotten worse. A few years ago I bought a ear microscope like tool to look into ears and gasped when I saw MY clean ears still had wax inside. Then I'd do my best to scrape and remove every little bit of wax that I could (note Don't do this because your ears need to have a certain amount of ear wax to keep them healthy).

An Ear, nose & throat doctor told my sister across the country to stop having sinus headaches just stop using a-tips, she didn't think one had to do with the other, so didn't stop using those cotton swabs, kept having the headaches, then he told her the same thing, she finally listened...and The headaches stopped. (Insert heavenly music here).

The last few years, these headaches of mine were unbearable, and I'd pop over the counter pain pills (which didn't help and I hated taking, but I was in terrible pain), lay down with ice pack after ice pack, during the day and overnight. I'd be writhing in pain, searching online & couldn't come up with an answer for these terrible headaches. I thought it was lack of humidity, so when it's dry I try to keep the humidifier going still.

After doubting the connection of headaches to cotton swabs/Qtips, I finally stopped using them..., which was (still is) difficult. After a shower, I only use Kleenex on my finger to swipe out the water; if my ear feels itchy, I just use that.

I won't lie, it takes an effort to resist using cotton swabs to clean out your ears. It took a few months to feel the results, I think your ears have to grow back a certain amount of healthy ear wax. But, I am still surprised at the result. Maybe I have one headache a month, and nothing like before. I've done nothing else different, So it must be the super removal of earwax triggers headaches, or sinus headaches. I never even thought one had to do with the other.

If this helps even one person out there, I'll be happy & give all glory to His son.

So, try stopping using Qtips. Throw them away (gasp). It's free, only thing to lose is what you've been seeking an answer for.

My sister got headaches when she was pregnant, she ate an apple and the headaches would go away. She I did not want to take medication for her headaches since it gets into the unborn baby's body. It worked well several times.

People, You're not supposed to SNORT Cayenne! Always read many cure experiences to learn things like what type, how much, & how often something is recommended. They are generally talking about professional strength cayenne like the type that comes in 1oz glass bottles with a glass dropper type lid that you can buy in a health food store, tincture section. You use with great caution as it's a very hot substance. Try less first.

I just put a drop or two on the tip of my tongue a little too long, washed it down with my very diluted cayenne water and was looking for something to cool the burn and a tablespoon of coconut oil worked fairly well. 15 minutes later the headache is dissipating.

If it itches after application it is because it was not rubbed it until dry. Take at least 3 minutes to rub it in. If it still itches use less dmso and put a little coconut oil on the area if you can't tolerate the itching. No gloves are necessary, just wash your hands before and after.

Headache:

Rub two, or three drops of medicinal grade Hemp Oil to the painful area. Apply an equal amount an hour, or so later if pain persists. Works well for me on any area of the body where there is muscle tightness involved in the pain.

COLD AIR CONDITIONING... My husband keeps our house at 68, with ceiling fans. My headaches started and then it got worse. Couldn't think or remember where I was going. When I would work outside in the garden, in the heat, the headaches would go away. One night at 1am it was so cold I went and got in my car and turn the heat on. The headache went away. It affected our dog, he was having problems breathing. I also, netted my nose with peroxide and water. It's getting much better. If I go to a building, like today at my vets. It was cold, my head started hurting. The woman next to me said the same thing. We went outside and waited. This is what worked for me.

Thank you for the remedy posting! I had horrible headaches behind my right ear. This helped reduction of pain.
God sent

I love what you did for your girlfriend and am so sorry for all the pain she had to endure.

Just a few tips that you will pick up on the way anyway. Firstly, don't use gloves as the chemicals or fibers will be absorbed into the body with the Dmso. Just wash your hands and nails well and rinse with diluted Hydrogen Peroxide (even 1% dilution will do). No alcohol.

Also, do the same for her forehead or any other area so that she doesn't burn.

You can also apply a thin layer of an organic cold pressed oil like coconut or castor oil to her skin before application of Dmso. You can use your clean finger or a wooden spoon or stick (like an ice-cream stick) to apply the Dmso.

Please keep us posted on your experiences and good luck and good health to you both.

So many people suffer from headaches, yet not much is known about the real causes of such headaches.

I've recently noticed that I tend to get headaches after fasting for a prolonged period of time (24 water or juice fast). I have started taking activated charcoal pills in the morning or in the evening of such fasts. I'm taking 2 to 3 pills at the time. Each one contains 280 mg of activated charcoal made from coconut shell fiber.

I've noticed tremendous improvement in the frequency and intensity of such headaches. If the headache doesn't go away within a couple of hours, I simply take another 2 charcoal pills.

I started doing this even when I'm not fasting but when I just get a headache for whatever reason. This actually works 90% of the time.

This experience tells me that most of my headaches arise from toxins released during a fast or from toxins absorbed through food. Activated charcoal is the best detoxifier there is. AC works thorough "adsorption" rather than "absorption" (adsorption is more akin to a magnet, whereas absorption works like a sponge).

I also highly recommend taking activated charcoal when attempting to do any sort of detox regimen. Many times people are trying to detox too quickly and overload their liver and other organs of elimination with freed up toxic waste. This is very counter-productive, leading the toxins to be re-absorbed into the body, instead of being eliminated. Side effects such as Herxheimer reactions can be avoided if the detox is gradual and charcoal is consumed along with the detox regimen.

I believe activated charcoal is one of the most underrated heroes of medicine. Our environment and food is so toxic these days that regular detox with the help of charcoal is a must.

I hope this helps some people who have been suffering from headaches without finding a reliable cure.

Blessings to all!

After years of suffering with (what I thought were mild migraines) severe headaches, I discovered a ‘fix' for myself after looking on Earth Clinic for help with a sore throat. Apple cider vinegar in a cup with a teeny pinch of cayenne powder or chili powder (depending on what you may have in your cabinet). I was going to gargle with this mixture to help rid myself of an on coming sore throat. Once I got the cup close enough to put it in my mouth, I naturally took a small breath. THAT did the trick!!! Just inhaling that mixture cleared my sinuses so much that I didn't have any type of headaches for several years. Prior to this I was taking 6-10 extra strength Excedrin per day (which didn't actually get rid of my head aches, it just dulled them). I fully stand behind this method for both sinus headaches AND gargling to help alleviate sore throats. God Bless Earth Clinic!!!

Menthol for Occipital Headaches

I have had trouble with headaches for a long time. I realized a few months ago that they are likely occipital headaches. They begin at the base of my neck and radiate through my head to the back of my eyes. I even had an electric shock pain in my neck one day that helped me hone in on the connection to my occipital nerve. My chiropractor uses menthol on my neck and back when she works on me. I decided to try that at home.

Stopain, which I can get in the pain section at Stuffmart, has 8% menthol. I get it in a roll on bottle. I keep one in my purse and one at home. I apply it to the base of my skull and along my spine at the first inkling of pain and repeat every few hours. This has worked better than anything I have ever tried.

I am seeing an orthogonal chiropractor next week for the first time, hoping to get to the root of the issue. Meanwhile, this menthol roll on is awesome. It is also soothing for my foot/ankle when it flares up with pain from a break/sprain over the winter.

~Mama to Many~

I so agree about water for headaches. Any pain goes away when you drink at least two big glasses on warm to bearable hot water.

Any results on the DMSO and ACV....

The peppermint oil remedy works, using it now. Feels great.I rubbed my temples and third eye. Instant relaxation.

I've had a smashing headache for the last 3 days (dec 17) and a headache since Nov 25. I believe it is from a BP med the doc was having me try out. I stopped the med this morning but still had a headache. I tried this oregano oil behind my ears, on my temples, a little under my nose and one drop under the tongue. I also soaked my feet in hot water for about 15 min. The headache is very mild and is slowly going away. And yes, I stopped the BP med as well. ~jill

I've never heard anyone suggest SNORTING cayenne pepper for a headache or to clear sinuses, but adding some to any kind of smoothie, juice or tea is a better way to take an ample amount without it burning or creating a queezy feeling in your tummy. Many people get results with cayenne hot sauce or powdered cayenne, but clear liquid cayenne tincture is nicer to add to something you're going to drink, then shake or stir well. Start with the smallest recommendation, diluted in order not to burn, then gradually increase if necessary, to test efficacy for headaches or sinus conditions.

YES, it works. May take a little while, maybe a couple hours for full recovery, and I also did some of the breathing exercises, but drinking water is well worth remembering to try! I realized after reading here that I had not drunk much water that day.

My naturopath tools me that a headache affecting the top of the head is usually your liver. You may want to try doing liver flushes.

The breathing technique helped. Although not cured, and the nostril part increased my headache. (I have one that is worse on the left side of my head for some reason, and blocking the right side of my nostrils made it super bad, so I stopped! ) But I did the other exercises a second time and there is definite improvement. Thank you!

Laughter is the best medicine. The first time I tried cayenne I was pretty shocked with the firey punch, and I only put a 1/4 teaspoon in 8oz water and applied with a qtip. I could feel the pain of your directly applied mega dose! I am trying ACV right this minute on a bad one and I can say that ACV mixed with belly laughter (and earlier homeopathic nux v) seems to be easing the pain behind my right eye radiating from my right shoulder.

I had a killer headache yesterday. It was in my neck and radiating to my eye. I get these sometimes and I think they are PMS related. Aspirin and Ibuprofen sometimes help but I don't really like to take those very often, and like I said, they only sometimes help. Tylenol does nothing for my headaches.

So, before bed I sprayed my neck well with magnesium oil spray. It did itch some but wasn't awful. I then put an ice pack under my neck and laid down. I would say that in 30 minutes or so my headache was mostly gone. And I didn't wake up with the headache either. (Sometimes my headaches last for days.)

Atmospheric pressure changes can have an enormous effect on your whole body. During a career of flying airliners, with pressure changes several times a day, it can be debilitating. The problem is that sinuses have very small drain holes that can be easily plugged with mucus. This traps a volume of air in your sinuses and when the atmospheric pressure rises or falls, creates pressure, negative or positive, in your sinuses that can cause a whole range of symptoms. Sometimes it just makes you feel tired and worn out; sometimes headaches; it may feel like your eyeballs or teeth are going to be pushed out of your head. Look at a picture of a skull to see how close your sinuses are to things you really don't want to be pushed on. Things it's like eyes, teeth, brain. The material between your sinuses and these other things is extremely thin. I have more than once had a dentist trying to inject Novocain in my gums, pop through into a sinus cavity and have the Novocain run out my nose. That's how thin it is and how easy it is for that pressure to push on surrounding things. The trick is keeping those little drain holes open.

Hi to everyone.

Thanks from Earth Clinic and everyone posting here and sharing experiences and feedbacks who helps everyone else to have the courage and right directions to try new useful remedies ..

If you find this story long, please go directly to " What I did "

My girlfriend started having some strange feeling in her legs and arms for some month, she complained about being so tired just after some little activities ( at extent of standing for a while, or even walking ), I've been researching and trying many different remedies even here on Earth Clinic with no success yet, she is so frustrated for what she is tackling with, so do I, but the most bothersome or disastrous situation she is ( or I better say " she was ") dealing with, was headaches that started out of the blue! and lasted for a long time, and as I recommended here to not use any medications, specially pain relievers which reduces the reduction of internal pain killers which are called endorphins, she tries not to have them, but in spite of danger of side effects from headaches, we had no choice to disobey the rules and offer her some pain killers ..

Sometimes the pain increased so much that she told me she can't even move the parts on her face cause it makes the pain worse whilst she was crying and asking me for help, I was so miserable cause I couldn't do anything but standing by her side and let the pain go all by itself cause nothing actually worked on her, not even pain killers could totally disappear the pain without a trace, and pain killers after all, can give no cure but some temporary relief, what we were not really interested in without finding the real underlying cause, and rooting many new problems by the side effects of drugs ..

Long story short, I read many stories and information about DMSO, its effects, the risks and consequences of using it, I summed everything up and decided to use it after all ..

What I Did

So I bought :.

1 bottle of DMSO with the purity of 99.5% ( in a glass container, cause it is used as a solvent, and as it enhances the absorption of materials by the body, I was afraid to buy DMSI in a plastic container, maybe I'm too cautious ).

While a very bad headache or a migraine started and were going to intense.

Used DMSO this way :.

First I put on some gloves, so I didn't need to disinfect my hands, washed her forehead ( where I was going to rub and apply the DMSO ) with alcohol 99.7%, dried the area, again washed the same area with alcohol mixed with hydrogen peroxide diluted to very low degrees to not hurt her forehead (cause hydrogen peroxide causes oxidation of skin or any living tissues once its in contact with them ) however after applying and washing her forehead she told me the area started burning and itching for awhile ( about 10 minutes then disappeared ), so when the itching and burning went away, I rubbed DMSO ( poured it on a soft tissue to not contaminate the bottle ) on her forehead, while it left some trace of wetness on her skin, asked her not to touch it or don't let it to be in touch with anything, she told me her forehead started burning and itching ( which disappeared in 10 mins ), in 15/20 minutes of no new events, suddenly she told the pain is going to decrease to a tangible degree, and after 25 minutes the pain went away completely and the pain hasn't even knocked on the door after 2 days without any traces yet . (DMSO totally absorbed )

Thanks from everyone, helping me help my dear yalda ..

P.S. Just to mention, I'm drinking one teaspoon of DMSO mixed with diluted Apple Cider Vinegar everyday, I'll post those results either in future ..

I get headaches if I eat foods that stop up my digestion, like a large portion of cooked meat, cooked eggs (raw are fine), too many nuts. Anything that gets the digestive tract moving again fixes the headache; the headache tends to accompany constipation. So instead of taking aspirin, try taking a colon cleanser.

For headache or any other pain, get a very strong hematite magnet & place it wherever you have pain. Hold it there until the pain subsides which should be very soon.

Dear Mama to Many,

Over the years I have grown to recognize the first symptom of a sinus build up: a tooth on either side of my jaw, usually the molar, becomes achy. If I attend to it promptly by making up a pan of spicy tomato broth and sipping it at intervals, it helps the sinus drain within an hour. I am so glad you are feeling better.

I had one of my worst headaches ever over the weekend. I had a terrible pressure behind my eye. It was really a mystery to me. I had no idea the cause, and it was not one of my usual headaches. I was even considering going to the ER. I have heard of people having severe head pain and then dying with an aneurysm. But I didn't want to be dramatic. (Maybe I should have been.)

I did try several things and nothing was helping.

I started to think about how pain can radiate. I started to think that maybe I had a tooth infection or a sinus infection. I had no symptoms of anything, other than a headache, but a cold has been going around. I decided to just start treating everything, just in case.

I did some oil pulling with coconut oil (in case it was a tooth infection.) I put hydrogen peroxide in my ears. I gargled with cayenne. Then I put 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide and boiled cooled water to the top of my netti pot. I used the netti pot. Then I gently blew my nose. I suddenly had horrible pain in my ear (on the same side of my head as the pain behind the eye.) At the same time, I could feel fluid coming out of my ear. The pain almost took my breath away.

I got to the couch and my daughter heated up a rice sock for me, which I held over my ear while trying to think of what to do. But the pain resolved on its own (or with the help of the warm rice sock) in less than 15 minutes.

Now I think I had an ear infection, or at least a build up of fluid in my ear that was causing pain that radiated. I had no ear pain at all. I think the gentle nose blowing caused a perforation in the eardrum, and relieved the pressure. (Thus the feeling of fluid coming out at the same time as the intense pain.)

That was three days ago. I have not had the pain in my head since.

I repeated the netti pot a couple of times (much to my daughter's horror!) because I didn't blame the netti pot and figured I should continue to work on any infection that may be around in my head.

Once my son had a terrible toothache when he was sick with a sinus infection. This seemed odd as he was only 17 and has excellent dental health. I read here on Earth Clinic about someone who had tooth pain from a sinus infection because the root of the tooth became inflamed. (We treated that with garlic by the way and it worked!)

The moral of the story is to keep searching for the root of the problem, even in unlikely places. And blow your nose very, very gently! :)

~Mama to Many~

Yes Thank you EC and Thank you Bonnie for the laugh - your humor echoing through the years - now 2015! I've been with this head ache for two days and looking for a remedy here on EC. Laughing with your post has helped relieve a big piece of the tension! As others have shared - yes, sorry for your experience, but thank you so much for sharing it in such a humorous and healing way!