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7 remedies for headaches you'll wish you'd known earlier
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Many people say #3 is a migraine miracle. - photo by McKenna Park
An achy, throbbing headache can ruin your whole day. When pain pills and massages fail to work, its easy to get hopeless about finding a solution to your pain.

Luckily, there are several easy remedies to help reduce and erase headaches. No one treatment is a perfect solution for everybody, but with lots of options to try out, youre sure to find a way to get rid of your head pain.

1. Cayenne pepper

Using a spicy pepper may sound like a bizarre way to treat headaches, but it might actually be the answer to your prayers. Several scientific studies have found proof that cayenne pepper brings headache relief by depleting Substance P, a neurotransmitter that helps transmit pain impulses.

For those who dont enjoy spicy foods, don't worry ... you dont have to eat it. Simply dilute teaspoon of cayenne powder with 4 oz. warm water. Soak a cotton swab in the solution and gently apply to the inside of each nostril. Youll feel a slight burning sensation, but your headache should subside in no time.

2. Icing

Ice is especially great for throbbing headaches. You might be having head pain because of expanded blood vessels pressing on nerves but with the help of some ice, coldness can relive some of the throbbing pressure by constricting those vessels. Grab an ice pack out of the freezer, lie down, and hold the pack to the most painful parts of your head, usually the temples, your forehead or the back of your neck.

3. Pierced daith

Some people are calling this piercing a migraine miracle. If youre looking for a long term solution to your frequent headaches, a daith piercing might just be the answer youre looking for.

The daith is a pressure point area towards the inside of your ear, and the piercings can be big and cute or small and unnoticeable. While theres no serious study yet showing a daith piercing as a headache cure, many individuals are finding complete relief.

4. Yoga

Many headaches are caused by muscle tension, which can be relieved with stretching and loosening those tight muscles. Yoga is a great way to do that. In addition to loosening muscles, yoga also helps increase healthy blood flow and decrease stress. Try out these 10 yoga poses specifically for headaches.

5. Peppermint oil

While there arent too many serious studies on peppermint oil, it has been shown to help control blood flow in the body and open up sinuses for better oxygen flow. Many individuals claim the scented oil has been a big relief for their headache problems. Use the oil to rub on your pressure points, or drink peppermint tea. You can also take capsules, chewables or burn peppermint incense to help relive your pain.

6. Cut out sugar

Refined sugar is one of the most underestimated triggers for headaches. Ingesting large amounts of sugar and simple carbs spikes your blood sugar, which causes your body to produce extra insulin to break down the sugar, causing your blood sugar levels to drop dramatically. This sudden spiking and plummeting of blood sugar leads to headaches. Sugar tastes great and you dont have to completely cut it out, but limiting your intake can greatly reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.

7. Drink more water

Your headache pain might be caused by a lack of water. Dehydration headaches occur when you havent consumed sufficient amounts of fluid recently. There are several studies showing causation between drinking water and headache relief, so when that pain hits, sip some high quality H20. Get in the habit of carrying around a watter bottle so you can stay hydrated no matter where you are.

From getting a piercing to picking up yoga, there are lots of easy remedies to give you hope when you feel that awful head pain approaching. Are there any other remedies that have worked for you?
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