If you suffer from headaches frequently but are alarmed at the side effects pain relievers and medications could have, there is no need to worry anymore. Tea is an effective way to relieve headaches and offers great solutions for untimely head pain. Try out some varieties of herbal tea and enjoy its immense benefits. You will find noticeable relief in pain with few or no side effects. Consult the expert pain doctor at Advanced Headache Center to know more about how herbal teas can work wonders for your headaches and what blends to use for maximum benefit.
How Can Tea Help With Headaches?
Tea is one of the best natural remedies for headaches. There are many different teas, over 20,000 of them, that can relieve migraines and other head pain. While tea cannot make a bad headache go away completely, it alleviates the symptoms and offers comfort. Tea is not only good for its healing properties, but the warm beverage also helps regardless of the type of headache you are suffering from.
Health Benefits of Tea
- Boosts the immune system
- Fights inflammation
- Helps to ward off cancer and other diseases
- Helps to sleep soundly
- Promotes a positive mood
- Keeps away stress with its soothing effects
- Lowers the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
There is plenty of evidence that regular intake of tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness. Doctors recommend tea for its plant compounds called polyphenols, antioxidants and give tea its medicinal properties.
How Herbal Teas Treat Headaches?
Tea can help to prevent headaches or reduce their frequency. Some teas even shorten the headache or migraine duration as they reduce inflammation and offer analgesic relief. Herbal teas for headaches work effectively as they are full of antioxidants. They are nutrients that interact with the body in different ways, such as:
- Blocking or alleviating pain signals
- Relaxing tense muscles
- Reducing inflammation
- Relieving stress
- Causing blood vessels to contract or expand
Suppose your headache results from stress or tension, an herbal tea with calming effects can provide surprising relief within a short time. Sometimes headaches occur when blood vessels in the head expand rapidly, causing a throbbing or pounding sensation on the sides of the head. At this time, tea can constrict the blood vessels slightly and reduce the intensity of pain.
What Type of Tea Is Good for Headaches?
- Pure teas: Ardent tea lovers prefer to use tea leaves, including green, black, and oolong varieties. Green tea can have a positive effect on migraines and other headaches and also helps medications work better. White tea leaves have low caffeine content, making them a good choice for people who suffer from headaches that result from excessive use of caffeine.
- Herbal teas: Herbal teas come from various leaves, flowers, herbs, and spices that provide soothing natural compounds. Not only do they give off a wonderful aroma when they are soaked or boiled in water, but they also provide considerable relief from throbbing and distracting head pain.
- Fruit infusions: You can create your own fruit and herbal tea and treat your taste buds to a delicious experience with all the necessary ingredients for headache relief. You can try a popular infusion at home: chamomile, orange peels, fresh ginger, mint leaves, and cinnamon. This aromatic and flavorful tea is an efficient way for people to relieve their headaches if they are not big tea drinkers.
- Mild teas: Mild teas are a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day to prevent migraines and other headache triggers. They can be enjoyed either hot or chilled, depending on the flavor you prefer. You have to steep a few tea leaves or herbal ingredients in the water to prepare a mild blend of your choice.
The best tea for headaches depends on the type of headaches you usually suffer from. The factors that trigger migraines can be different from the causes of tension or sinus headaches.
Insomnia and stress are triggers for migraines, and a good cup of herbal tea can help you enjoy a sound sleep at night, preventing migraine attacks. If you notice a specific tea blend working for you, it means you have discovered your natural remedy for headache relief.
Caffeinated Tea and Headaches
Everyone has different triggers when it comes to headaches. While for some, tea works as a pain reliever, for others, it can initiate headaches. Some people feel a headache coming on if they drink caffeinated tea as it is a common trigger of migraines and can also cause withdrawal headaches.
Keeping a diary of what you eat or drink right before the headache starts can help to know more about what brings them on. Stay away from caffeinated teas such as green, white, and black tea and switch to herbal blends with curative properties. Also, consult an best headache doctor near me, who will guide you more in this regard and help you find a good tea that works best for your pain relief.
Best Tea for Migraine Headaches
Several types of teas can work well for your migraine headaches. They will alleviate migraine symptoms such as pain, nausea, and restlessness without causing any harmful effects.
Some of the best teas for migraine headaches include:
- Ginger: Ginger tea reduces inflammation and feelings of stress. It also alleviates nausea significantly and gives you the strength to deal with migraine pain in a much better way. Make a fresh pot of ginger tea at home using fresh ginger. Cut three or four round slices of peeled ginger root and simmer them in water at low heat for about 30 minutes. You can add some honey or lemon slices to make the tea more flavorful and enjoy this fragment brew to treat migraine symptoms.
- Peppermint: Mint and peppermint tea are good for relieving headache pain and soothing nerves. It also fights nausea and aids in digestion which is helpful during migraines.
- Feverfew: It is an herb with a long history of medical use for its healing properties. This aromatic blend can prevent migraine attacks and also reduce the impact of the pain. It can also prevent migraines from happening in the first place. This tea is brewed by adding one tablespoon of feverfew leaves per cup of water and simmering them for 30 to 60 minutes. Adding chamomile blooms, lavender flowers, or lemon balm can make the tea even more fragment and therapeutic.
- Chamomile: Chamomile is known for its curative properties and helps to reduce headache pain. It is used for treating insomnia and anxiety that can lead to various types of headaches, including tension-type headaches, migraines, and stress headaches. Its relaxing effects provide pain relief.
- Herbal migraine blend: You can also create your own herbal migraine blend by combining selected flowers and herbs. Some of the best herbs and flowers with headache healing properties are skullcap flower, passionflower, feverfew, ginger root, lemon balm, and chamomile.
Why Is Professional Headache Treatment Important?
Professional headache treatment is significant for knowing more about your condition and its causes. Consult your migraine specialists before using any herbal tea to understand which tea or blend will suit your specific symptoms. Tea has unbelievable medicinal properties, but some people can have allergic reactions like mouth irritation, stomach ache, and low or high blood pressure. Also, tell your doctor if you are using any blood thinner like aspirin or pregnant or breastfeeding to avoid any complications.
Your headache may also be a symptom of some urgent health problem, and it must be diagnosed accurately for lasting relief. If you have been experiencing recurring headaches or migraines and the pain continues to increase, seeking immediate medical help is necessary.
The expert pain specialist at the Advanced Headache Center uses state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and multidisciplinary approaches to know more about your recurring headaches. The doctor will develop the most personalized treatment options and recommend the best tea blends for headaches to relieve your symptoms.
