Can’t Get Rid of a Headache? These Tips and Tricks Could Help

Headaches are a common ailment that often come out of nowhere. And they can really disrupt your day and slow you down. But they don’t have to stop you in your tracks. Even though they can feel severe, most of the time they’re not a sign of anything dangerous. 

The good thing is there are many treatments and remedies that can provide relief. Let’s look at some things you can try at home to help get rid of headaches — and ways to prevent them from starting in the first place.  

Lifestyle changes that can help with headaches

Before we get into medications that can help with headaches, there are several small changes in your day-to-day life that can go a long way in treating and preventing headaches. 

Hydration

Drinking enough water seems to help with headache symptoms, though experts aren’t exactly sure why. Studies have shown that people who drink more fluids tend to have fewer headaches. And when they do have headaches, people who hydrate well tend to have less severe symptoms and get better faster.

Stress reduction 

Stress plays a big role in headaches. There are several techniques you can try to help manage and decrease your stress level: 

• Progressive muscle relaxation: In this technique, you tighten and then relax specific muscle groups. Doing this in a stepwise manner helps you identify different areas in your body that might be tight or tense. And when you recognize which muscles are tight, it’s easier to consciously relax them.

• Meditation: There are many ways to meditate. You do most of them in a quiet space so you can slow down and focus on your mind and body. Guided imagery, for example, helps you relax by focusing on soothing images. In mindfulness, the focus is more on the here and now without judgment of your thoughts or feelings.

• Breathing exercises: Sometimes simply taking slow, deep breaths helps to relax. Box breathing is an exercise where you breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and then hold for four counts. While breathing in this intentional manner, you also visualize a box with four equal sides. You can repeat this method until you feel less stressed and more relaxed.

Exercise

Research shows that regular exercise helps people with headaches. A recent review looked at multiple studies regarding headache and exercise. While there’s not an agreement on the best type or amount of exercise, all the studies indicated that headache improved with exercise. Participants had fewer and less intense headaches. 

One smaller study showed that just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week had a significant improvement in headache symptoms. Each subject could decide how hard they wanted to exercise. For example, people could choose to walk or run. And all the people who exercised reported they had fewer headaches.  

Dietary changes

Changing or modifying your diet may help headache symptoms. Some foods are thought to help with headaches, and others tend to make them worse. 

Here is what the research shows on the potential harm of the following foods: 

• Nitrites: These are preservatives in many processed meats, like sausage and deli meats. Research shows nitrites can trigger headaches.

• Alcohol: Red wine specifically seems to be more likely to cause headaches. But there’s evidence that most alcohol — with the exception of beer — seems to increase headaches in people with migraines. 

• Aspartame: This artificial sweetener is in many diet sodas and sugar-free snacks. Studies show that higher intake of aspartame can lead to more frequent headaches. 

• Gluten: For most people, foods with gluten do not affect headaches. But, if you have celiac disease, gluten can be a trigger for headaches.

• Chocolate: There’s no firm evidence that chocolate triggers headaches. 

But food isn’t always the villain. The following foods and diet may help prevent headaches:

• High-folate foods: Folate (folic acid) is a B vitamin that may help prevent migraines. It’s found naturally in many foods, like leafy green vegetables, citrus, beans, and nuts. It’s also added to many products, like breads and cereals.

• Low-fat diet: There’s promising evidence that diets low in fats decrease the frequency of headaches.

• Foods with omega-3: While it may seem contradictory to a low-fat diet, omega-3 fatty acids may help with headaches. This fatty acid is one of the “good fats.” It’s in foods, like seafood, nuts, and certain plant-based oils (like olive and avocado oil). 

• Ketogenic diets: This diet emphasizes a high amount of protein and a very low amount of carbohydrate. It’s helpful for people with epilepsy. More recently it has become popular for weight loss. While the data is still limited, it seems to indicate that with a very strict ketogenic diet, people experienced fewer and less severe headaches. This diet is very restrictive, so you should only do it in consultation with a medical professional. 

Caffeine 

Many people reach for caffeine when they have a headache. There’s caffeine in coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks. And the data shows that caffeine intake of less than 400 mg a day may help decrease how often headaches occur. For reference, one 8 oz cup of coffee typically contains 95 mg to 165 mg of caffeine. 

But there’s an important caveat. These studies show that day-to-day consumption of caffeine has to be about the same. People who have regular caffeine and then suddenly miss a day may experience caffeine-withdrawal headaches. And people who consume high doses of caffeine (over 400 mg a day) tend to have more migraines. 

So caffeine may help your headaches if you drink it consistently in small to moderate amounts, around the same time each day. 

Sleep hygiene

Sleep can have a big effect on how often you have headaches. And it’s well known that sleep apnea can affect sleep quality and cause headaches — particularly morning headaches. If you’re well rested, you’re less likely to have headaches. In one study, the researchers found that sleep quantity and quality decreased the likelihood of headaches. 

Medications and supplements that help headaches

When lifestyle changes aren’t cutting it, there are several over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplements that may help to treat and prevent headaches. 

OTC medications

The following medications help get rid of a headache after it has started:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol): People often take this for pain as well as fever. While you can take it alone for headaches, it seems to work better as a combination with caffeine and aspirin (like Excedrin).

• Ibuprofen (Advil): This is a common treatment for pain and fever. In the standard adult dose (400 mg) it may help to improve headache symptoms. But it’s not as good at completely getting rid of the headache. 

• Aspirin: This may be one of the oldest pain medications. Even with the discovery of other newer medications, it’s still an effective treatment for headaches. A recent review of all studies looking at aspirin in the treatment of headaches shows that it’s safe and effective in high doses (about 1,000 mg). Lower doses (81 mg or 325 mg) taken everyday can be an option for preventing headaches. 

Supplements

There’s evidence to suggest the following dietary supplements can help reduce the number — and severity — of headaches that people experience:

• Magnesium: This mineral is in many foods, like nuts, wheat, beans, and green vegetables. Some studies have shown that taking magnesium supplements every day can decrease the number of headaches that people experience. But there are also conflicting studies that showed no effect. This may mean it’s only helpful in people who have low magnesium levels. 

• Vitamin D: Several studies have shown that people with recurrent headaches tend to have lower vitamin D levels. Most of the data shows that vitamin D supplements can decrease the number of headaches people experience.

• B vitamins: Studies show that, in people who have frequent headaches, daily supplements of B vitamins can decrease the number of headaches. The headaches may also be less intense and resolve more quickly when people take B vitamins regularly. 

• Coenzyme Q: This is a nutrient with antioxidant properties. Research shows that people with migraines have lower levels of coenzyme Q. And coenzyme Q may help decrease the number of headaches as well as the severity of headaches. 

Many of these studies looked at participants with severe headache or migraines. There is less evidence that looks at how well these supplements work with infrequent or minor headaches. 

Alternative therapies for headaches

Many people are interested in ways to treat headaches that do not involve taking a pill or supplement. There are several alternative treatments that have the potential to improve headache symptoms. While there’s not a lot of data out there to say whether or not they’re effective, they may be low-risk options to consider. 

Essential oils

People use essential oils as homeopathic remedies for various ailments. Studies show the following oils helped in migraine headaches: 

• Lavender

• Chamomile

• Peppermint

• Anise

• Basil

• Rose oils  

Most people add a few drops of the essential oils to the upper lip or temple area.

Yoga

Multiple studies have looked at whether yoga can help treat headaches. When researchers pooled the data from multiple different studies, they found that yoga improves headache frequency, duration, and severity. But it’s worth noting they only saw this effect with tension-type headaches — not migraine headaches. 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method of balancing energy within the body. For this practice, a specialist inserts very thin needles at specific spots on the body. It’s not clear why it’s an effective treatment for a wide variety of conditions. But a number of studies have demonstrated that acupuncture helps to treat headaches and migraine symptoms. And when people do it consistently, it decreases how often headaches occur. 

When to seek medical attention

If you’re trying to get rid of a headache at home and nothing seems to be helping, it’s a good idea to reach out to a medical provider. They can rule out more serious causes of a headache and recommend prescription medications that may help. 

Some symptoms need immediate attention, so you shouldn’t wait for an appointment with your regular provider. Go to the ER for your headache if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:

• Severe headache, especially if it feels like the worst one in your life

• A headache with a sudden onset that goes from 0 to 10 within a matter of minutes

• Stiff neck or fever

• Seizure

• Loss of consciousness

• Recent trauma 

• Weakness in the arms or legs

• Trouble talking

• Confusion or disorientation

• Vomiting

While many people with headaches — especially migraines — experience some of the above symptoms, these can also be signs of a more serious medical condition. 

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Written by:

Jill L. Jaimes, MD

Jill L. Jaimes, MD, is a board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical experience. She received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship training at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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