Headache - Types and Treatment

Headache is a very common symptom faced in many diseases and troubles a lot of people today. The causes could be multiple and today in this blog, I will refer to the commonly found ones leaving out many head injury related or brain related diseases, etc.

For simplicity purposes, let us divide headaches into 2 categories depending on the region where the pain is present as these are the most common reasons that I have found.

• Type 1 - Pain above the eyebrows on the forehead
• Type 2 - Pain all over the head, especially travelling through to back to the front.

Let us look at both the types carefully.

Type 1 - The first category is generally associated with a cold, pain when pressing at the points shown in the picture, i.e. above the eyebrows and on the sides of the nose. This kind of a headache is more to do with the sinuses and the patient here suffers from a latent or a pronounced cold.

Associated symptoms may involve

• lethargy,
• mild pain and fatigue throughout the body,
• sore throat,
• chest congestion
• constipation, etc.

Treatment - If you have this kind of a headache the there are 3 simple home remedies that you should do.

• Apply dry ginger powder, made into a paste, on the forehead and the sides of the nose (i.e. frontal and maxillary sinuses) by mixing it in either ghee (clarified butter), or water. Mixed with water, it is more effective than ghee but there is a little bit of a burning sensation, so anyone having sensitive skin should not make the paste with water. Mixed with ghee the burning sensation is reduced substantially but so is the effectiveness. This paste should be kept for a minimum of 20 minutes. This will result in sneezing and constant flowing of the cold from the nose and thus clearing your sinus and curing the headache.
• People with this problem are also advised to have 1 slice of "peru"(guava) smeared with black pepper once a day for 3 days. Please remember that only 1 slice is eaten and there is no salt, mirchi powder etc applied. If peru is eaten alone, it will increase the headache and if black pepper is taken alone, it will have no effect. This works only in combination and must be done for a minimum of 3 days. Here also the cold will break and just like the home remedy above, sneezing and running of the nose is to be expected.
• Take nasya (nasal instillation) of a mixture of dry ginger powder and jaggery water. This is to be made by boiling and filtering dry ginger powder and jaggery in water. This generally has a burning effect in the lining of the nose so ghee or milk can also be added to the mixture. Instill 3 drops of this mixture in each nostril once a day for a week. Ensure that this is done during the day and not before sunrise or after sunset.

Do's and Don’t's

• Drink water boiled with dry ginger powder and dhaniya seeds. This water can then be filtered, stored and used throughout the day. Try to take about 1 tbsp of dry ginger powder mixed in the water that you drink throughout the day. It can be diluted or concentrated as per your wish.
• Do not have a overhead bath at night as that significantly will increase the problem
• Do not have any fermented items like idli, dosa, dhokla, alcohol, bread, bread items, dahi and items made from dahi like chaas, lassi, kadhi, etc.
• Always wipe yourself dry after having a bath and do not immediately stand under the fan or the A/c.
• Avoid cold water or cold items like frozen yogurts, ice-creams, etc.
• Do not have bananas, grapes, watermelon, sugarcane, coconut, etc. kapha increasing foods.

Type 2 - The second type is generally more associated with acidity and an increase in "Pitta Dosha". Here the pain generally covers the entire head and most times starts from the back of the head and travels throughout the head and very often incapacitates you from doing anything.

Associated symptoms may involve

• Acidity
• Hairfall
• Anger and Irritation
• Burning of hands and legs
• Burning urination
• Red spots on shoulder, chest and back.
• Acne

Treatment - If you have this kind of a headache the there are 3 simple home remedies that you should do.

• Take 1 tbsp of fennel seeds and 6-8 dry black grapes (with seeds) also known commonly as munakka or manuka. Soak these overnight in a cup of water. Early morning drink this water and also ingest the grapes and the fennel seeds. Do this process for 15 days and you will find a significant decrease in the headache and also the associated symptoms mentioned, in-case you have any.
• Apply coconut oil regularly to your hair for 15 days and wash it off with regular water(not hot water). This will reduce not just the headache but will promote and strengthen hair quality as well. Please ensure to not do this daily but on alternate days.
• Nasya (Nasal instillation) of cow's ghee alleviates the problem very quickly. Here take 3 drops of cow's ghee and instill it in both the nostrils once a day for a week. Ensure that this is done during the day and not before sunrise or after sunset.

Do's and Don’t's

• Avoid Sour, spicy and fermented products.
• Avoid all citrus fruits and also do not ingest pappaya, dates and all types of nuts.
• Avoid honey, lime, tomatoes, imli powder, amchur powder, raw mangoes, papads and sour or spicy pickles.
• Try to avoid direct exposure to the sun and always wear a hat or some protective gear especially for the head region.
• Avoid drinking more than half a glass of water at one go. Drink water only as much as you need and try not to over-hydrate nor dehydrate yourself.
• Meat and fish are not to be had at all.

I have mentioned these and a few more things in my video explaining headache and its treatment. I am attaching the video here, please feel free to have a look.