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Note: I, like most of the readers contributing, am not a doctor. Lots of headaches will also benefit from taking medicine, but it's not my place to recommend the right meds for you and your bod. So, don't take these helpful suggestions as medical gospel - but rather anecdotal potential antidotes. 🙂 When in doubt, talk to a doctor to figure out what's best for you!
"I eat a snack and have a drink of water. If that doesn't help, I place an ice pack on the back of my head and take a nap."- kittyjr5 "I had chronic migraines every day for about two years. I tried every painkiller and even consulted with a neurologist. None of it worked. It wasn't until I changed my lifestyle (exercising, getting enough sleep, drinking more water) that I stopped getting those pesky migraines." - desireehannahw2 "Keeping hydrated helps, as does eating well and getting regular exercise."- travilkedung Part of the reason getting more exercise can be so helpful is because it helps relieve stress and causes the release of endorphins, according to the American Migraine Foundation. And if you're like me, you know that hunger headaches can be some of the worst. I make sure to keep plenty of snacks at my desk and in my purse! If remembering to drink water is your #1 self-care struggle, a bottle marked with the time of day and how much H2O you should have consumed by then can be motivational. Get one from Uncommon Goods for $19.99.
"So, I was getting headaches that pierced down into my soul and randomly discovered why at an unrelated dentist appointment. The dentist revealed to me that it was due to jaw-clenching at night (guess my dreams are way more intense than I remember in the mornings???). She recommended that I get a dental guard to prevent the clenching and I did it immediately. I got this customizable one that I had to boil in water (super quickly), bite down into to mold it to my teeth, and then let it sit for a few minutes. After doing that, I used it the same night and I totally noticed a difference in how often I was getting headaches. In fact, they mostly stopped. I recommend you get two - one for travel and one for at home, so you don't leave yours in Puerto Rico and have to buy a brand new one like I did." - Marquaysa Battle, BuzzFeed Shopping writer Get the night guard Marquaysa recommends from Amazon for $19.99. Read more about teeth grinding from Mayo Clinic and about jaw tension and headaches from Cleveland Clinic.
3. Rub a soothing remedy onto your forehead, temples, and the back of your neck. Essential oils or topical products made for pain relief can feel super calming and cooling (just be careful not to apply so much to your forehead that it gets in your eyes).
Katy Herman/BuzzFeed "I'm always getting the worst migraines. What I do is get some Vicks VapoRub ($13, Amazon) - a miracle in my family - and massage it onto my temples, THEN I sink into my bed and pass the heck out." - Lesley M. "Rubbing lavender oil ($7.99, Amazon) clockwise on my temples always helps. You can also rub a bit in your belly button when nauseous to ease symptoms." - C "Just plain ol' peppermint essential oil ($6.99, Amazon)! I dab some on each temple and the base of my neck and it works like a charm every damn time." - jessal2 "Okay, I get the worst headaches ever so just hear me out. Bio Freeze ($12.95, Amazon) or Icy Hot ($4.96, Amazon). When I have one of those headaches where I feel like a hammer is pounding against my skull from the inside my head, I rub a bit of Bio Freeze on my temples and Y'ALL - when I say that I literally FEEL the headache leave my soul I am not exaggerating. It's a weird remedy, but it's totally worth it and it has yet to disappoint me." - husseinsamhat44 "For run-of-the-mill headaches, I adore Peace of Mind by Origins ($15, Sephora). I get pretty bad headaches that last for days when the weather bobs from winter to spring and this has SAVED me from an Advil dependency." - k_elizabeth Personally, my go-to is a roll-on essential oil stick with lavender, peppermint, and spearmint oil that you can get on Amazon for $10.99 (that's what I'm applying in the pics above). It's helped me have to rely on taking ibuprofen less often and is super soothing. Check out my full review here.
5. Clear out your sinuses to relieve pressure and allow you to ACTUALLY breathe a sigh of relief.
"Most of my headaches are due to sinuses. I take Advil and do a sinus rinse. Relief in minutes." - rachelsporyh You can use saline to flush out your sinuses with a special squeeze bottle or neti pot-type device, or buy an aerosol spritz. The most important thing is to make sure the device you're using is clean and that the water is sterile. You can get full instructions and safety tips for sinus rinses from Healthline, and read about one BuzzFeeder's experience using a neti pot here. Get a neti pot plus 30 pre-mixed saline packets from Amazon for $9.92, or get a two-pack of Simply Saline spray from Amazon for $16.26.
"I've had chronic headaches since childhood, but recently they got much worse. I was complaining to my husband about them and he ordered me some blue-light blocking glasses from Amazon. I'm not exaggerating when I say it reduced the intensity of my headaches by 90%, especially on work days when I look at a computer screen all day." - byrdknb You can find several different glare-reducing styles on Amazon, but you can get two pairs of the top-rated (over 1,000 5-star reviews!!) specs in the pics above for $18.98 (available in seven color combinations). Some other ways to help reduce eye strain when staring at screens all day include blinking a lot, taking breaks, and keeping your screen clean, according to Time.
10. As you may or may not have learned in school, your head is connected to things like your neck, shoulders, and back. Tension in these areas can contribute to headaches, so reducing the strain on them (including through posture changes and sitting ergonomically at your desk) can help.
Yellow Dog Productions / Getty Images, Amazon "If I see my chiropractor regularly, headaches are rare. If I don't, they're frequent. And bad." - travilkedung "When I go to the chiropractor regularly, I notice I get less headaches. When I'm in the middle of a throbbing headache, the two best things for me are Excedrin Migraine and/or having someone massage my neck. I work with a massage therapist and she has taught me how to help relax certain neck muscles at the base of your head with massage techniques. I've learned to just start doing it for myself in the middle of an attack and it almost always helps." - mandeer3 "There are many causes of my migraines, sadly. I try to limit stress, and I go to an upper cervical specialist (chiropractor) because my axis is not at the right degree. Get yourself a supportive pillow. No more crossing your legs or lying on your stomach." - woonderwooman If your daily life involves sitting in the same position for long periods of time, the American Chiropractic Association recommends taking breaks every half hour or so to get up and stretch. You can also rearrange your desk more ergonomically and do some helpful stretches even when you're sitting - learn how to both from this video from the Wall Street Journal. I personally went to physical therapy for a while to help work out my VERY tight neck and shoulder muscles, and I think it helped (though I have several different headache triggers). I've been working on little adjustments, like holding my phone directly in front of me so I'm not bending my neck in my chair to look at it. Recently, I've also been trying the posture corrector harness above (from Amazon, $19.99), and I can definitely feel a difference after I use it!
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