7 All-Natural Remedies for Headaches

 

Headache Information

Although headaches can be due to a wide variety of causes, such as drug reactions, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), tightness in the neck muscles, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, stress and fatigue, the majority of recurrent headaches are of two types: tension headaches (also called cervicogenic headaches) and migraine headaches. There is a third, less common, type of headache called a cluster headache that is a cousin to the migraine.

Avoiding Headache Triggers

• Stress.
• Emotional factors such as depression, anxiety, frustration, letdown, and even pleasant excitement.
• Keeping a headache diary will help you determine whether factors such as food, change in weather, and/or mood have any relationship to your headache pattern.
• Repeated exposure to nitrite compounds can result in a dull, pounding headache that may be accompanied by a flushed face.
• Eating foods prepared with monosodium glutamate (MSG) can result in headache. Soy sauce, meat tenderizer, and a variety of packaged foods contain this chemical which is touted as a flavor enhancer.
• Headache can also result from exposure to poisons, even common household varieties like insecticides, carbon tetrachloride, and lead.
• Foods that are high in the amino acid tyramine should also be avoided, such as ripened cheeses (cheddar, brie), chocolate, as well as any food pickled or fermented foods.