Furthermore, 40 percent of adults worldwide suffer from tension headaches, a less severe form of headache.
Headaches are never pleasant, and they have been around since humans themselves.
During this time, we’ve gone through plenty of treatment plans – from removing a piece of the skull in the hopes of allowing the evil spirits to escape, to good ol’ Ibuprofen.
There have also been plenty of herbal treatments offered to relieve pain, and some of these are still used to this day.
Oils like chamomile, lavender, and valerian are all recorded in Italian folk medicine for being used as headache treatments as early as the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century AD.
These have since been scientifically confirmed to be effective treatments for headaches, and they are now used in herbal teas. But which are the best for soothing migraines? Let’s find out.
Most Effective Tea For Migraine Relief
You can take herbs in pill form or extracts, but tea is a delicious alternative that gives you relief and a yummy drink. The warmth of the tea is also soothing which might contribute to lesser symptoms.
Here are the best five herbal teas to drink when you’re suffering from a headache or migraine.
1. Ginger
Ginger is an excellent agent for helping with mild headaches. The root can decrease the production of prostaglandins, which is one of the main causes of pain in migraine sufferers.
Making ginger tea could not be simpler. All you need to do is steep a knob of ginger in hot water until it’s reached your desired taste.
A study was conducted on the effectiveness of ginger tea and acute migraine. Out of 100 participants who were randomly either given ginger tea or sumatriptan (a migraine medication), both offered considerable relief.
However, the kicker here was that ginger tea offered fewer side effects than the medicine! The study concluded that ginger tea was just as effective as Sumatriptan in helping migraines.
Ginger isn’t to everyone’s taste, so adding some chamomile or honey could make it more appealing. A warm cup of ginger tea might just be soothing enough to ease your headache.
Drink one cup at the onset of a migraine, and drink another after two hours if the headache persists.
Ginger is an excellent agent for helping with mild headaches. The root can decrease the production of prostaglandins, which is one of the main causes of pain in migraine sufferers.
Making ginger tea could not be simpler. All you need to do is steep a knob of ginger in hot water until it’s reached your desired taste.
A study was conducted on the effectiveness of ginger tea and acute migraine. Out of 100 participants who were randomly either given ginger tea or sumatriptan (a migraine medication), both offered considerable relief.
However, the kicker here was that ginger tea offered fewer side effects than the medicine! The study concluded that ginger tea was just as effective as Sumatriptan in helping migraines.
Ginger isn’t to everyone’s taste, so adding some chamomile or honey could make it more appealing. A warm cup of ginger tea might just be soothing enough to ease your headache.
Drink one cup at the onset of a migraine, and drink another after two hours if the headache persists.
2. Chamomile
If you picture herbal teas, one of the most popular is Chamomile. It’s known for putting you to sleep, or at least calming you enough to fully unwind after a long day.
It doesn’t contain any caffeine, either, which is one of the most common causes of migraine headaches.
Move over coffee, chamomile tea is the new drink of choice!
Studies have also indicated that chamomile tea (see also: How To Make Chamomile Tea)can have a positive effect on migraines.
This herbal flower has plenty of beneficial properties, including being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, alleviating digestive issues, reducing the symptoms of insomnia, and can even break a fever!
This herb is much more powerful than many realize. While its effects on migraines require more research, the initial research is hopeful.
Plus, with all of its other benefits, surely helping migraines must be another line on its résumé.
3. Lavender
Lavender has been used for centuries when it comes to herbal medicine, and many people swear by its effectiveness.
It’s been known for its antidepressant properties, as well as a calming influence and even as a treatment for migraines.
One study showed that 47 migraine sufferers saw an impressive reduction in the severity of their headaches when rubbing lavender oil on their skin.
This was further supported by the use of a placebo, which did nothing.
The participants using lavender oil also saw fewer of their common symptoms, such as vomiting and nausea.
These findings are undoubtedly positive, but not enough research has been done on lavender to fully support its role in reducing headache symptoms.
Still, anything is worth a try when you’re suffering, and the initial results are promising. Lavender tea is relatively easy to find in stores and online, so what’s the harm in giving it a go?
Plus, lavender is so soothing and calming that it might instantly make you feel better through these effects alone.
4. Feverfew
It’s not the easiest tea to find, but Feverfew is another excellent remedy for headaches. This daisy-like flower is found in Europe and is commonly talked about as one of the best herbal remedies for headaches.
It’s not so simple to find, so when you do find a tea company using Feverfew, stock up! Alternatively, you could import the flower and make it yourself at home.
The National Headache Foundation has sparked interest in Feverfew in recent years, finding that continuous use of the extract lowered some people’s chances of developing migraines in the first place.
Despite this, clinical studies have offered mixed results when it comes to Feverfew’s effectiveness.
A possible reason for the fluctuation in effectiveness is that different parts of the plant and where it originated from can influence the plant’s chemical composition.
Due to the difficulty in sourcing this tea, and the mixed reactions from it, Feverfew tea might be more trouble than it’s worth.
However, migraine sufferers will surely agree that anything is worth a try, and Feverfew might be the perfect remedy for your headaches!
5. Peppermint / Spearmint
Menthol is a naturally occurring compound found in both spearmint and peppermint, and this has been used for centuries as a local anesthetic and painkiller.
It is now known for being a safe and effective way of treating migraine headaches.
There are many reasons why mint is so effective for headaches, such as it acts as an analgesic to reduce the intensity of the tension within the migraine.
Anyone who has experienced a migraine before will often describe it as the pulling of their brain. This is the perception of tension.
While it might not add to the real pain you’re feeling, it certainly makes you less comfortable.
Peppermint and spearmint can reduce this, acting as an anti-inflammatory and making you feel better.
Mint tea is super easy to make at home with fresh mint leaves. You could also purchase mint tea (see also: How To Make Mint Tea)from your local store, as it is one of the most popular herbal teas to buy.
However, making your own tea can be done by infusing two teaspoons of dried leaves in a cup of water for five minutes.
The best part is that mint tea is delicious!
Can Caffeinated Tea Treat Migraines?
So, we’ve looked at how effective herbal teas can be when treating migraines. But one of the main drawbacks of this is that these teas don’t contain much caffeine(see also: Which Tea Has The Most Caffeine?).
Some people only drink tea because of the caffeine content and how it wakes them up after a night of not enough sleep.
So will caffeinated teas offer the same relief as the herbal teas we looked at above?
Caffeinated teas, such as white and green, and their effectiveness at reducing migraine symptoms aren’t so easy to decipher. Why? Let’s find out.
There have been plenty of studies done to show that a combination of caffeine and painkillers is a more effective treatment of migraine symptoms than just painkillers alone.
This is because caffeine can speed up the painkiller and offer faster relief.
Many over-the-counter painkillers contain caffeine for this exact reason!
Aside from heightening the effects of the painkiller, caffeine has also been shown to improve other symptoms such as alertness, and exercise performance, and it could even boost your mood.
So, drinking a cup of caffeinated tea with your painkillers might be a wise idea to speed up the relief from your migraine headaches.
However, Beware Of Caffeine
You might be thinking – but I thought caffeine should be avoided when prone to migraines – and yes, you’re right. You haven’t been lied to, caffeine is one of the things migraine sufferers are often told to avoid.
This is because it is often one of the most common culprits behind headaches. Caffeine is dehydrating, which can lead to severe headaches.
Since it is a drink, your body will often consider your caffeinated beverage to be enough and not seek out something hydrating, like water.
This can leave you dehydrated. And what is the number one symptom of dehydration? A headache!
The FDA suggests a daily intake of no more than 400 mg of caffeine to avoid adverse effects like headaches and dependency.
This is around 10 cups of caffeinated tea. However, remember that caffeine is also found in coffee, chocolate, and soda.
Migraine sufferers are often told to cap their intake at 200 mg, though, to avoid headaches. They should also take it consistently to avoid withdrawal.
Since caffeine is a stimulant, withdrawal can be pretty nasty. When cutting down on your caffeine, do so slowly so as not to increase the withdrawal symptoms, one of which is a headache.
Slow and steady wins the race, and also avoids migraines!
Summary
Thanks for reading! Peppermint, lavender, chamomile, feverfew, and ginger teas all show promising results in the reduction of headache symptoms. They’re delicious, too, and mostly free of caffeine.
We know how harrowing it can be to suffer from recurring migraines, and you’ll want to try anything to make them stop.
These five herbal teas are the best on the market for quelling your symptoms.
As always, talk to a professional if you’re worried about chronic migraines. They will be able to offer professional advice on how to make them less debilitating for you. Good luck.
