Headache

Headache

Homeopathic treatment is constitutional but the remedies listed below are recommended for use in emergencies. Choose the remedy which most closely match your illness. It is not necessary to have every symptom listed in order to bring about a cure.

Take remedies of the 6c potency three times a day until certain improvement, then stop taking the remedy. If symptoms continue despite the repetition of the remedy, then try an other remedy or consult a homeopath.

Take remedies in a clean mouth, 30 minutes before or one hour after food or drink, try not to touch and allow it to dissolve under the tongue. Remember not to use mint : toothpaste, chewing gum, chocolate, cough drops, etc.

Remedy	Causes Pain, Sensations	Concomitants	General
Nux Vomica	C: Alcohol, tobacco, coffee, other drugs in excess. Morning hang-over. Sleep deprivation. Auto-intoxication from hepatic insufficiency. Digestive troubles, constipation. P: Neuralgic pains "all over the head": sometimes over one eye (left), or else in the occiput. Drawing tensive pains. < heat, after eating, rising, open air, moving eyes (motion in general), mornings. > resting perfectly quiet, covered up S: of a great weight on the top of the head	Sour taste, nausea, vomiting. The back of the tongue is coated greenish-yellow Post-prandial drowsiness. Spasmodic constipation. Hemorrhoidal incidents. Backache < lying down, must get up and walk	Fiery, hyperexcitable, but sedentary patients who eat and drink too much. Chilly and > heat (except head) Irritable, oversensitive, touchy Weeps or faints with the pain
Lycopodium	C: Taking cold, hunger, suppressed mucous nasal discharge. Tendency towards hepatic and/or renal insufficiency and gout. P: Right-sided, supra-orbital migraines.Throbbing, pressing, bursting pains. < 4-8 p.m, heat, warm wraps (the head is hot, wants it uncovered), lying down, noise. Headache from low blood sugar, due to late meals. > cool air, motion, establishment of a thick yellow nasal discharge	Right vertical visual disorders (i.e. the patient only sees the left side of things he is looking at). Abdominal distention, heartburn, hunger with or from headache. Chilly but wants cool air for head	Intellectually strong, physically weak, poor muscular. Skinny above waist, edematous, puffy appearance below.. Large, flabby abdomen. Premature graying of the hair. Nervous excitement & overcome by tiredness
Belladonna	C: Exposure of head to cold (even a haircut), from heat stroke or suppressed nasal mucus. P: Sudden , violent onset with throbbing pain mostly in the frontal region. Favours right side. Pulsating, bursting, hammering pains; burning, tearing, shooting, stabbing pains. < noise, jarring motion, touch, when heel strikes ground, cold, draft, light, rising up, bending the head forward, stooping, lying. > pressure on head, drawing head back Sensation as if the brain was throbbing up and down	Pupils of eyes are too open. Intolerance to light. Dizziness on moving head < stooping Rush of blood to head Heavy head	Patient with acute circulatory congestion, puffed and red face.
Gelsemium	C: Cold, fear, embarassment, anticipation, from viral flu. P: Slow onset, preceded by visual disorders. Back of head. Pain radiating to neck, shoulders, and forward to frontal region. Hammering pulsating, congestive pains. Neuralgic headache in temples, or forehead over eyes. Pain in eyeballs: feel bruised. < motion, vomiting, > passing copious urine, sweating, lying propped up by pillows and quite still.	Lethargic Congested, flushed and "dusky" face, eyes glazed with pupils dilated. Trembling Nausea and vomiting. Cold extremities	Profound exhaustion, great tiredness and weakness, heavy limbs.
Aurum	C: Cold weather, winter, < from sunset to sunrise. Violent pains, roaring in head < night. Pain in bones of scull, extending to face. Congestion of head > cool air and cold compresses in spite of cold-sensitivity S: Outward pressure tearing through brain to forehead	Dizziness. Over sensitiveness to noise. Excitement, confusion. Red face, red injected capillaries, from chronic hypertension	Brown hair, bloated dark faces ,a cyanotic or olive complexion, boils on scalp. Short-tempered, hypersensitive, lacking in self-confidence. Thoughts of suicide
Natrum muriaticum	C: children, adolescents exhausted by study or sleep deprivation; emotional causes: grief, suppressed grief or suppressed weeping; emotional "stoics" who never cry; frontal headaches from congested, or infected sinuses P: Chronic, semi-lateral, migrainous, congestive headache. Begins around 10 a.m with dizziness. trobbing pain lasting till sunset, < from sunrise to sunset. Periodic headaches < after menstruation, > sleep. S: Pounding pain, as if "little hammers were knocking on brain"	Before headache: numbness and tingling in lips, tongue and nose, occasionally peculiar zigzag lines in visual field. Pale face. Nausea, vomiting. Lump in throat from emotional causes < at the seaside	Thin patients, particularly upper part of the body, who lose weight even though they eat excessively Crave salt, unquenchable thirst. Generally fearful and sad, love to dwell on their problems Cry easily or total absence of tears Averse to consolation which aggravates.
Sanguinaria	C: Sun, overeating rich food or wine. P: Congestive: throbbing, burning, shooting pains. Right sided. Begins in morning in back of the head, radiates over head to right forehead, eye or temple.Increases until noon, better in evening. Periodic migraines, every seventh or third day. < odours, light, noise, motion, > lying down in the dark, sleeping, evacuating gastric or intestinal gas, after vomiting food or bile.	Redness limited to the cheeks Palms and soles hot and burning Nausea and vomiting Faintness, empty feeling but without hunger Chills	Menopause disorders. Burning in various parts, like from hot water.
Ferrum phosphoricum	C: Sun, heat P: Blinding, hammering, pressing, boring pains. In forehead radiating to back of head, right side. Pain in top of head, sides of head. Top of head sensitive to cold. Head feels cold or hot. < wrapping up, motion, jar, light , noise, coughing, stepping. > cold air or applications, lying down (is often compelled to), pressure, nosebleed S: throbbing sensations.	Flushes of heat, red face may alternate with paleness. Head hot and full, Sore scalp Nasal mucus discharge Dizziness Vomiting	In pale, anemic subjects with violent local congestions of circulation Dark circles under eyes, sallow look with circumscribed redness on the cheeks
Thuja	C: From tea P: Left sided headache S: as if pierced by a nail, in focal area on left frontal eminence < at night , from heat of bed, 3 a.m and 3 p.m, from coffee to tea	Emotional sensitiveness: music causes weeping and trembling. Fixed ideas, as if strange a person were at his side; as if something alive in abdomen	Damp air, water are inimical. Left-sided and chilly remedy. Raised wart on astem, warty excrescences, or spongy tumors Prominence of cutaneous veins
Headaches and homeopathic first aid
Headaches can be a symptom of stress, tension ( physical, emotional, premenstrual ), sleep deprivation, drugs or coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco in excess, sinusitis, high blood pressure, etc. Headache patients suffer from circulatory, digestive, hormonal, nervous or rheumatic disturbances. Those problems occur at the same or in alternation with the headache. Homeopathic treatment of headaches is constitutional but the remedies listed below are recommended for use in emergencies. Choose the remedy which most closely match your illness. It is not necessary to have every symptom listed in order to bring about a cure. Take remedies of the 6c potency three times in day until certain improvement, then stop taking the remedy. If symptoms continue despite the repetition of the remedy, then try an other remedy or consult a homeopath. Take remedies in a clean mouth, 30 minutes before or one hour after food or drink, try not to touch and allow it to dissolve under the tongue. Remember not to use mint : toothpaste, chewing gum, chocolate, cough drops, etc.
Headache and circulatory problems
Belladonna : This is the remedy for acute congestive phenomena of sudden onset after exposure of head to cold (even a haircut)or from heat stroke. Headache is intense and violent with throbbing, pulsating, hammering pain mostly in the frontal region, back of the head, eye and temples. Favors the right side. Face is red hot, pupils are dilated and eyes have a shiny look, extremely sensitive scalp, dizziness on moving head. Worse : sunlight, noise, stooping, lying flat, jarring motion, touch. Better by keeping perfect still, sitting upright, wrapping up head tightly, darkened room. Sanguinaria : Remedy suitable for periodic headaches (every seventh or third day), after overeating rich food or wine or exposure to sun. Throbbing, shooting, burning pain begins in the occipital region in the morning, spreads to the top of the head and ends up just above the right eye. Pain increases until noon and is better in evening. The patient has burning in various parts (palms, soles), like from hot water, redness limited to the cheeks. Worse by odors, motion, light, noise. Better : lying down in the dark, sleeping, after vomiting food, bile or by evacuating gastric, intestinal gas. Gelsemium : Congestive headaches from viral flu, cold, anticipation, fear, embarrassment, with slow onset, preceded by visual disorders. The pain starts at back of head and is radiating to neck, shoulders, and frontal region over right eye. The patient has a pain in the eyeballs which feel bruised. No thirst but frequent urination of large amounts of pale urine which relieves the headache. Tiredness and weakness, heavy limbs, trembling, congested face, large pupils. Worse : lying flat, light, noise, motion, jarring. Better : lying with head on a high pillow, sleeping.
Headache and digestive problems
Iris : A useful remedy for periodic headaches (e.g. every weekend, after relaxing from a mental strain) which begin with blurring of vision. The pain is on the right side of head, involving the right eye and teeth. Sometimes dull, frontal headache associated with vomiting and nausea which makes the headache worse. The brain feels numb and sleepiness can precede headache. Worse : rest, cold air, dyspepsia. Better : gentle movement, open air. Lycopodium : This remedy is indicated for hyposthenic patients with a tendency towards hepatic and renal insufficiency, and to gout. They are intellectually strong but physically weak, skinny above waist and a large, flabby abdomen. Patients have abdominal distension and great flatulence. They quickly feel full even when hungry, mainly because food causes almost instant indigestion and discomfortnot relieved by belching. The patient is also constipated, has premature gray hair, and general agravation between 4 and 8 p.m. and by heat despite cold sensitivity. The headache is worse by warm wraps (he wants head uncovered), noise, lying down. He get improved by cool air and motion. Nux vomica: Headache often brought on by overindulgence of rich food and alcohool or over-work and lack of exercise. The remedy is indicated for the sthenic, hyperactive, hyperexcitable but sedentary patient with bitter taste in mouth and vomitting, spasmodic constipation and hemoroidal incidents. The patient has nevralgic pains,"all over the head", sometimes over one eye (left) and sensitive scalp with pain as thought a nail were driven in the top of the head and a senssation of a great weight over the head. Weeps and faints with the pain. Worse: coffee, tobaco, drugs in excess, after eating, sleep deprivation, cold air or wo\ind. Better: warmth, wrapping up head, rising from bead, resting perfectly quiet. In the next article I will present other remedies for headache in patient who suffer from asthenia, hormonal and rheumatic disorders.