Herbal Teas For Natural Headache Relief

Finding good headache relief can feel like a search for the holy grail.

And you know what?

I’m not sure – to be honest – that one elusive remedy guaranteed to give headache relief even actually exists. The thing is headaches can have so many underlying causes from blocked sinuses and stress to constipation and perimenopause.

And usually the long term source of natural headache relief is to solve those underlying problems.

But herbal teas do bring natural headache relief and there’s real science behind it. The big secret behind getting herbal teas to work is using this science to target different headaches with the right tea.

So use this guide to learn which tea works best for which headache.

It covers 6 easy DIY herbal teas that give natural relief from tension and stress headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches and menstrual headaches.

But I’ve also got for you a quick guide to some common health problems that can cause headaches and links to how you can get simple natural relief for the underlying source of your headache pain.

I do hope these super simple natural headache remedies – plus the practical tips on how to relieve underlying causes – help you get quick and long term relief for your headaches. Please do let me know how you get on and what works best for you.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor and this post does not provide qualified medical advice. Headaches can be a symptom of serious medical conditions and you should always seek medical advice if it persists or recurs frequently or you have any of the symptoms described here. Herbal headache teas may conflict with other medication and if you are on any other medication you should seek medical advice before drinking these teas.

Common Causes Of Headaches

It is incredibly tempting to reach for painkillers when we have a headache. But crazily those painkillers too often make the underlying condition causing our headache even worse and trap us in a vicious circle where the headaches keep coming back.

I learned this the very hard way. For many years I took ibuprofen for painful menstrual headaches – largely caused by iron deficiency on a vegetarian diet – which made me constipated, making the headaches worse, and in the long term gave me gastritis and gastritis headaches because the ibuprofen was damaging my stomach lining!!

So whenever we can we do need to get to the bottom of what is causing our headache. Use the links below for simple practical tips on how to get natural relief for these common health conditions that can cause headaches :

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Gastritis – i.e. burning stomach pain
• Blocked Sinuses
• UTI & Bladder Infections
• Perimenopause
• Period Pain
• Pinworms & Threadworms
• Colds
• Lack of Sleep
• Stress

6 Simple Herbal Teas For Headache Relief

All these herbal headache teas are simple DIY recipes you can make from common spices and herbs in your kitchen cupboard or herb garden. You don’t need to buy any fancy headache teas and none of these headache teas include essential oils which I generally avoid.

1. Ginger Tea For Stress & Tension Headaches

Ginger tea for headaches naturally reduces blood vessel inflammation that contribute to stress induced headaches. Ginger tea can help break the stress headache cycle whereby stress causes a headache which causes more stress which causes a worse headache.

To make natural ginger headache tea:

• Add a sliced inch of ginger root or a teaspoon of dried ginger to a cup or so of water.
• Bring to the boil.
• Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Strain & add a teaspoon or so of lemon and honey to taste.

This makes a strong ginger headache tea. For a gentler tea ginger headache tea, bring water to the boil and steep the ginger in the boiled water for a few minutes.

Ginger headache tea is not always suitable for people with heartburn as it can relax the LES sphincter too much.

2. Mint Tea For Persistent Stress Headaches

Herbal mint tea – like ginger tea – helps relax blood vessels to reduce stress headaches in a similar way to lots of headache relief medication.

Drinking mint tea regularly can reduce physical stress in our bodies and help prevent the build up of persistent stress headaches. It’s also worth drinking leading up to periods and can help with some perimenopause symptoms. Don’t drink mint tea if you have heartburn.

Mint tea is the simplest tea ever to make. All you do is:

• Steep 10 to 12 freshly cut mint leaves in a couple of cups of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes
• Then sip away.

Mint is super easy to grow from cuttings – just remember it loves water – even if you grow nothing else, I would grow mint. It’s a joy.

3. Clove Tea for Instant Headache Relief

Cloves have some natural anaesthetic power that block our detection of pain. So clove tea is often the most effective herbal tea to drink for instant relief for a headache.

To make clove headache tea:

• Grind up one teaspoon of whole cloves per cup.
• Steep in boiled water for 20 minutes & then strain.
• Flavour with honey and / or cinnamon.

You could make extra – at for example the beginning of your period – and keep it, strained, in a jar in the fridge to heat up gently when needed.

4. Coriander Seed Tea For Sinus Headaches

Coriander seeds have been used in traditional Aryuvedic medicine to give relief to sinus headaches by relieving sinus pressure.

To make coriander seed headache tea simply:

• Steep one tablespoon of coriander seeds in a cup of boiled water for five minutes.
• Strain & sweeten with honey.

Alongside this sinus headache tea try these other natural remedies for blocked sinus congestion relief that can quickly help to ease blocked sinuses so you don’t need to take OTC treatments or pain killers.

5. Rosemary Tea for Cluster Headaches

Intense cluster headaches are connected with muscle spasms in the head. Rosemary has anti-spasmodic powers so rosemary tea can provide relief for spasmodic headaches that feel like they’re gripping the head especially around the eyes.

To make rosemary headache tea:

• Steep one sprig of rosemary – about a teaspoon’s worth of needles – in a cup of boiled water for 5 minutes or so.
• You could add honey but I think it’s lovely and soothing as it is.

It is super easy to grow rosemary indoors and outdoors and it is a very handy natural antibiotic we can use as everything from a quick natural bloating remedy to a natural cold sore remedy and a natural treatment for mosquito bites.

6. Chamomile Tea For Bedtime Headache Relief

Chamomile is a very mild, natural sedative and so can help us sleep.

Sleep doesn’t always relieve headaches but if we don’t get to sleep we can guarantee the headache will be worse in the morning.

So chamomile tea is a good herbal tea to drink at bedtime to provide a little instant relief but also help us get to sleep and stay asleep. It is not always suitable for people with acid reflux and heartburn.

You can make chamomile headache tea from both dried and fresh chamomile flowers. Simply:

• Pour freshly boiled water over 2 or 3 teaspoons of chamomile flowers.
• Steep for 5 minutes.

Chamomile can be combined with mint for additional headache relief that eases stress at bedtime.

So there you go, 6 simple herbal headache teas you can make easily for natural headache relief targeted at different headaches at different times using common herbs and spices you have in your cupboard or simple herb garden.

For more simple but effective natural remedies that can help ease the underlying causes of headaches do check out these guides :

• Natural Remedies For Coughs & Colds
• Natural Remedies For Gut Health
• Simple Natural Antibiotics
• Restoring Gut Health
• Natural Antihistamines For Allergy Relief

I really hope these headache remedies help. Please let me know how you get on and do share the post if you found it useful.

Original images : Fresh mint tea on the hotplate, Fresh rosemary branches, Green tea with lemon and fresh tea leaves by Marco Verch and by rawpixel.com under Creative Commons 2.0