Headache and Migraine

Headaches are one of the most common health complaints, and have a very wide range of causes and indications, ranging from the mild to more serious diagnoses. Common headaches include sinus headaches, tension headaches, and the most severe form, migraines, which are often recurrent and debilitating, lasting up to 72 hours, and can result in temporary blindness. Depending on their severity, headaches and migraines can be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, a throbbing or pulsating pain, light, smell, and sound sensitivity. Women are more commonly affected by migraines than men, and they can have hormonal causes or triggers. Traditionally, some essential oils that have been popular in treating headaches include peppermint, lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus and rosemary.

Sufferers of chronic migraines or headaches are those who experience more than fifteen headaches per days and/or per month, and pain that lasts longer and is more intense than regular headaches/migraines, for a period of three months or more. These kinds of migraines can be triggered by light, sound, and food, and will typically be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, and can affect vision and speech.

Varieties of mint and menthol oils, such as eucalyptus, have been used to treat migraines and headaches for centuries, applying topically the temples, or vaporizing, to relieve pain. A cold or hot compress with drops of neroli oil can also help to relieve headaches and neuralgia – although in some individuals it can increase headaches, so should be used with caution. Native Americans used Wild Ginger root to treat nerve pain and headaches; hibiscus and honeysuckle, both used in traditional herbal medicines dating back to the Roman era, are also used in the treatment of headaches.