What is the best essential oil for a headache?
There is an average of 45 million people suffers from headaches every year in America. It is a common condition faced by many people especially women. In fact, the number of women having a headache in America doubles that of men. Therefore, is it necessary to find the suitable and effective treatment to calm the condition down? Essential oils for headaches play an essential part in life as it one of the first choices to control headaches.
Essential oils are made from roots, flowers, leaves, stems, barks and other parts of a plant. They are high – concentrated fluid which is often used in aromatherapy. This therapy often refers to essential oils can be used to promote circulation via sensory stimuli as well as easing anxiety, depression and stress.
Causes of a headache
This condition is often caused by pain-sensitive parts of your heads which is overactive throughout a specified period. Some typical reasons for a headache are a tension headache, migraine headache (also called trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia) and tension headache.
However, several underlying diseases can cause primary headaches such as exercise headaches, chronic headaches, and cough headaches. The main reasons for a primary headache are alcohol, poor posture, stress, lack of a sleep and secondary headache.
Moreover, headaches also indicate some specific symptoms for certain types of diseases such as brain tumor, blood clot dental problems, acute sinusitis, meningitis, ear infection, and hypertension.
What are the uses of essential oils to prevent a headache?
Mostly, one might think about over – the – counter painkiller rather than essential oils when he/she encounters a headache. However, essential oils are more efficient and safer than painkillers. They comprise a large number of useful ingredients as well as health benefits such as boosting the immune system.
Due to hormonal change every month when they have the period, women suffer from a headache twice time more than men. Headaches can be triggered by estrogen fluctuations especially before and after the periods. Moreover, the hormonal imbalances during pregnancy or menopause might trigger a headache as well. Thus, using essential oils to relieve tension and ease the pain is necessary.
The following essential have been highly recommended to prevent or to ease the pain of a headache.
1. Lavender essential oil
This a well – known essential oil that contains a bunch of health benefits. It is one of the most common essential oils to be used to treat a headache. Lavender essential oil is packed with many antioxidants enzymes such as catalase, glutathione and superoxide dismutase. These antioxidants can help the body to free radicals, thus ease the headache’s symptoms.
Moreover, lavender essential oil acts perfectly as a sedative, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant and calming agent. Thus, it serves a beneficial treatment for the symptoms of a neurological disorder. Due to linalool and linalyl acetate, aromatic and topical of lavender essential oil can influence the limbic system. Furthermore, it can swiftly absorb through the skin and treat depression. Thus, lavender oil can be used to treat anxiety disorders.
Apart from these above health benefits, lavender also contains several elements that can minimize the effects on nervous system and migraine attacks. Also, it can be used for insomnia. Regarding a study conducted by Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine, lavender essential oil can impose immediate improvements on ten people (each gender half) who suffer from insomnia.
You can rub the oil on the back of your neck. After that, rub it on the lateral side of your forehead before inhaling the scent. Besides, add several drops of the oil into your bathwater is also an excellent choice to reduce the symptoms.
2. Rosemary essential oil
Rosemary has a woody, and it belongs to mint species thus it can boost nerve growth factors and improve brain function. Moreover, it also comprises of good sources of antioxidants and antidepressants.
Rosemary essential oils are often used for improving personal orientation as well as a calming agent. It can reduce headache attacks and stress as well. Regarding Addiction and Health, rosemary oil can be used a therapy to ease the withdrawal syndromes. For example, you can inhale the scent of rosemary essential oil to reduce the opium withdrawal symptoms of muscles aches, fever, nausea, headaches, and insomnia.
Drink your tea with 1 – 2 drops of rosemary oil when you encounter a headache. Or you can mix this oil with 1 – 2 drops of coconut oil and rub the mixture on the forehead and the back of your neck and
3. Peppermint essential oil
Peppermint essential oils bring us tons of health benefits such as cooling sensation, inhibiting muscles contractions of the body. This plant is a hybrid species of spearmint and water mint. It contains menthone which accounts for about 10 – 30% of the peppermint and menthol (from 35 – 45%)
The essential oil can help to ease digestive issue, avoid bad breath and reduce the symptoms of a headache.
Here are several useful functions that peppermint can bring you:
Soothe headaches, clear respiratory system, reduce stomachache, reduce tight muscle and boost energy.
To reduce the headache symptoms, you can dilute 1 – 2 drops of peppermint oil with several drops of coconut oil and rub the mixture on the back of your neck and your forehead.
4. Eucalyptus essential oil
Tasmanian blue gum which is also known as Eucalyptus tree is the primary food source for koala bears. The essential oil is extracted from the leaves.
Eucalyptus essential oil can clean your body by eliminating harmful microorganism as well as toxins. These harmful bacteria can cause you sick, cold and flu. To relieve the symptoms, you can use a diffuser and put several drops of the oil and take it before going to bed.
5. Chamomile essential oil
Chamomile essential oil can calm the body, relieve the symptoms of a headache as well as ease the muscle. Moreover, this oil can be used an excellent treatment for premenstrual syndrome symptoms like depression, back pain, hot flashes, headache, and constipation.
Chamomile is one of the most useful essential oils for a tension headache, yet, it should not be used for pregnant women as they carry the risk of miscarriage.
You can add several drops of chamomile into a container and add some drops of carrier oil such as coconut oil and pour the mixture into the bathwater. Take a hot bath. Alternatively, you can inhale the scent of chamomile essential oil as well.
6. Helichrysum essential oil
This oil is not common essential oil in America, and it costs much higher than other essential oils. However, you should understand several health benefits of helichrysum essential oil such as easing headache pain and reducing migraines. Thanks to its active antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, helichrysum essential oil can be used for wound healing, moisturizing skin and supporting the nerves since it is good for relieving a tension headache.
Dilute 1 – 2 drops of the essential oil by mixing it with a carrier oil and rub it on the back of your neck.
7. Rose essential oil
Though this essential oil is not as common as other types of essential oil, it also plays an important role in getting rid of a headache. Rose oil can calm the nerves system, relieve the headache symptoms and get your body a deep sleep.
There are many ways to use rose essential oils. You can choose to rub it on your back of neck, temples and your forehead or to take a hot bath with the oil adding into your bathwater. Also, you can inhale the scent of rose essential oil as well.
Reference: https://carekees.com/essential-oils-for-headaches/