Headaches

BenGay. Rub a small dab of BenGay into your forehead, temples, and the back of your neck. The heat from the salve will gently soothe your pain.

Birds Eye Frozen Peas and Bounty Paper Towels. To soothe a headache, cover a bag of Birds Eye Frozen Peas with a sheet of Bounty Paper Towels, and apply to your forehead or the back of your neck for fifteen minutes. The frozen peas act like small ice cubes, constricting the blood vessels so they stop pressing against the nerves, and the bag of peas conforms to the shape of your head or neck. The paper towel creates a layer of insulation to prevent frostbite. Refreeze the bag of peas for future ice-pack use. Be sure to label the bag for ice-pack use only. If you want to eat the peas, cook them after they thaw the first time, never after refreezing.

Blue Diamond Almonds. Eating foods high in magnesium—like Blue Diamond Almonds—can reduce headache pain by relaxing arteries and muscles in the body. A large number of clinical studies have shown that magnesium can prevent headaches. One ounce of almonds provides 80 milligrams of magnesium.

Colman's Mustard Powder. To soothe a headache, dissolve two teaspoons Colman's Mustard Powder in a quart of warm water in a basin large enough to hold your feet. Soak your feet in the mustard footbath for fifteen minutes. The warmth of the water and the mustard draws blood to the feet, easing the pressure on the blood vessels in your head.

Gatorade. Headaches are frequently a symptom of dehydration. Drinking two glasses of Gatorade replaces electrolytes (the potassium and salt lost through perspiration) and relieves headache pain almost immediately.

Jif Peanut Butter. A large number of clinical studies have shown that magnesium can prevent headaches by relaxing arteries and muscles in the body. While eating a wide range of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables will help you meet your daily dietary need for magnesium, you can quickly replace magnesium in your body by eating Jif Peanut Butter (straight from the jar or in a sandwich). Four tablespoons of peanut butter contain 100 milligrams of magnesium (or 25 percent of the daily value).

Lipton Chamomile Tea. To relieve a headache, slowly sip a cup of Lipton Chamomile Tea, steeped for ten minutes. Chamomile acts like a sedative to calm your nerves. (Coumarin, an anticoagulant in chamomile, may increase the likelihood of bleeding when taken in combination with the blood thinner Coumadin or other anticoagulant medications.)

Lipton Ginger Tea. To alleviate headache pain, place a Lipton Ginger Tea bag in a cup of boiling water, cover with a saucer, steep for ten minutes, and then drink the tea. Ginger inhibits prostaglandin production, thus reducing inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. (Do not drink ginger tea if you have gallstones. Ginger can increase bile production.)

Maxwell House Coffee. Drinking a cup of Maxwell House Coffee can relieve a headache. The caffeine, an ingredient in many pain relievers, doubles as a vasoconstrictor, narrowing the blood vessels.

Planters Dry Roasted Cashews or Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts. Eating foods high in magnesium—like Planters Dry Roasted Cashews or Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts—can reduce headache pain by relaxing arteries and muscles in the body. A large number of clinical studies have shown that magnesium can prevent headaches. One ounce of cashews provides 75 milligrams of magnesium, and one ounce of dry roasted peanuts provides 50 milligrams.

Uncle Ben's Converted Brand Rice. Fill a clean sock with Uncle Ben's Converted Brand Rice, tie a knot in the end, and heat in a microwave oven for one minute. Place the homemade heating pack over your forehead for ten minutes to relieve the headache pain. If the heating pack is too hot, place a sheet of paper towel between your skin and the sock. The rice-filled sock can be reheated often and stored in the pantry closet for future use.

Vicks VapoRub. To soothe headache pain, rub a dab of Vicks VapoRub on your temples and forehead. The scent of the menthol stimulates and then relaxes the nerves causing the pain.