TIPS FOR NATURAL HEADACHE RELIEF

Having frequent headaches can be very frustrating for mom and child. I'm honestly not sure which is worse. There is so much emotion involved, and worry, stress, frustration, and even sadness when we are bummed that we can't be doing the things in life that we would rather be doing. Mom may have to miss work, and the child may be missing out on playtime or fun activities, sports, etc.

If you think about the last time you had a headache, you probably can't remember exactly what you ate and drank that day or what other things you may have been exposed to such as fragrance plug in's, aerosol sprays, and such.  But, if you can write these things down the next time you or your child do get a headache, it can be very helpful information.

Many headaches in children are caused from dehydration.  I think we can easily say the same for adults.  Life gets busy and it easy to forget to drink water on the regular.  Keeping track of what you eat and what you drink is helpful as you can then monitor if you or your child might be dehydrated.  How would you know?  Well... check you pee!  If it is dark yellow, you will want to grab a glass of water as it should be yellow or light yellow, but not dark yellow and certainly not orange!

Teach your kids this trick from little on!  Little kids love to check the color of their pee!  Plus it helps them want to head to pot so they don't have an accident or helps with potty training.  And believe it or not, most of the time, they will tell you if they need a cup of water or not.  It's pretty fun.  Try it!

Foods can also cause headaches such as foods cooked in old grease or rancid oils, highly processed foods (like the kind that never grow mold!), MSG, food coloring, and sugars.  Chocolate, dairy, and peanuts can be triggers as well as many other foods and ingredients.  It is a process to find out the cause, but if you can write down the clues, then you will get closer to knowing what to avoid.

If you notice you are walking in your office or in your home and you have a spray or fragrance that triggered your headache to become worse, that is another clue.  Replace the product with something more natural or with no fragrance.

So writing these things down and keeping track when you have headaches, is really to note your clues on what to do differently or better in the future.  And that is key for prevention of getting more headaches.

Then I suggest coming up with short term and long term therapies that can help.  So short term will be "What can I do right now to help alleviate my headache."  Long term would be "What can I do regulary (daily, weekly, or monthly) in order to prevent getting headaches."

Let's look at some short term tips:

• use an essential oil roller blend across the head or even down the neck and shoulders if tension is the cause
• use a flax seed eye pillow to cover our eyes to nap - these can even be put in the freezer to cool them prior to use
• use a cold cap
• remove anything giving an unwanted fragrance
• avoid using chemical sprays and aerosol products
• avoid using chemical wipes and use a more natural alternative
• switch fragrant detergents to a more natural and fragrance free option
• avoid eating foods that could be triggers
• drink calming herbal teas to manage stress
• get plenty of fluids and add electrolytes if needed
• get off the screens and let your eyes rest
• make extra time for stress reducing activities or quiet time activities to reduce chaos
• reach out to your provider to see what natural supplements may help for you or child that are safe to use

Now let's look at some long term tips:

• get a massage every other week or monthly
• see a reflexologist every few months to help balance any imbalances
• try acupuncture
• walk or workout
• do yoga or stretch and meditate often
• eat a healthy and balanced diet
• monitor fluid intake to always stay hydrated
• journal your thoughts, goals, and set backs and next steps to succeed
• keep learning how to incorporate more natural products and therapies
• keep learning to create balance in your life, including emotional balance for you and your child

Remember to run any new therapies or natural products past your provider first to make sure there isn't any reason you shouldn't do a certain therapy or use a certain product.  This goes for your littles or big kids too.  Always check precautions and do the research.

Questions are welcomed!

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