ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Get Rid of a Headache Fast

Updated on October 30, 2011

How to Get Rid of a Headache Fast

A headache is never pleasant, and can often be either distracting or truly debilitating. Mostly you just want to get rid of it in order to get on with what you need to do. Sometimes it's so bad that nothing helps. Before reading this article, and before following any of the advice listed below, you must be aware that the headache is usually an indicator that something is not well in your body.

I'm not a medical professional, but am a long-time sufferer of migraines. With this in mind, I'll write on what works for me (and seems to work for most people). Please don't consider this article medical advice beyond the readily available. If you think that there may be a more significant cause to your headache than tension, stress, or something commonplace, please make a point of seeking out a medical professional as soon as possible.

With that in mind, let me show you how to get rid of a headache fast.

First: Check Yourself

First of all, you'll want to check your symptoms. Is the headache accompanied by any other signs? Are you sweating (probably flu or some other infection)? Is it limited to one side of the head and particularily intense (migraine or tension headache)? Were you drinking last night (yes, obviously a hangover. But some people never learn...)?

The link above will lead you to wikipedia, which is a good starting point for determining the source of your headache. You'll want to have a look at that if your headache is atypical in any way.

Strategies for Dealing with Headaches Quickly

Massage

The best method of getting rid of a headache is often the simplest. See if a simple, gentle head and neck massage will take care of it. To do this, close your eyes and gently massage the bridge of your nose with two fingers. Make small circles, and slowly move from the bridge of your nose over your forehead to your temples. Gently massage your temples for a few minutes.

Next, use the first three fingers on each hand, and gently massage to either side on the back of your neck, rising, in small circles, from the bottom of the neck to just under your ears.

Repeat as necessary, and make sure to do both steps. Focus longer on areas where you feel the most effect.

This massage is simple, and should help with every kind of headache. Often, simply releasing the tension of the musculature with a gentle massage is enough to reduce the headache or to get rid of it entirely.


Cold Water

If you have a headache and are also feeling slightly tired, splash your face, your forehead, and the back of your neck with cold water. Also run some cold water over the inside of your wrists. This has the effect of calming inflammation and of gently raising your blood pressure, which is a common cause for a headache. It also wakes you up quite nicely.


Teas

If the above methods don't work, try calming the headache with a tea. Teas work faster than pills do, as they are absorbed into the body more quickly. They are also usually less damaging. Try drinking a fairly strong chamomile tea, steeped covered for 10-15 minutes, and then pressed. This usually works almost immediately, and also works against stress.


Painkillers

Painkillers should be your last resort. While very useful and generally recognized as safe by medicine, they nevertheless have many unpleasant side effects, and it's very easy to overdo them. Be very wary of taking them, and always, always read the information provided with them.

The three most common painkillers, in order of strength, are:

  • Aspirin
  • Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
  • Ibuprofen

Aspirin is probably the least harmful of the lot, and also has some beneficial side-effects such as the dilation of arteries and veins. The fastest effect you'll get is from the soluble kind of aspirin. It also has less side effects on your digestive system, and is the kind I'd recommend.

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) is quite powerful, and is often sold in combination with other medical drugs such as codeine. These combinations will work more quickly than regular paracetamol, but will usually introduce a whole range of new side effects. Once again, soluble versions exist, and are usually faster-acting.

Ibuprofen is curious, since it actually has fewer side effects than the other two, and the side effects are also usually less grave. As a painkiller it is stronger, but needs a longer time to take effect.

The Long-Term

If you get headaches regularly, especially if they're similar in nature, you should definitely see a doctor. As stated previously, headaches are indicative of deeper issues, and need to be checked out. In general, if the headache lasts longer than a few hours or a day, it should be examined.

Hope you feel better soon!

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)