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What causes headaches and how essential oils can help

What causes headaches and how essential oils can help
 
Headaches can be debilitating and disruptive to your life.  But what are headaches, and why do we get them?
 
It’s incredible to think there are over 150 different kinds of headaches (known formally as
Cephalalgia) https://ihs-headache.org/en/.
 
What are the most common types of headaches?
 
The most common are Primary headaches, migraines and tension headaches. These are episodic and not caused by any underlying medical issues.
Then there’s Secondary headaches which might be caused by more serious ailments inflammatory disease and other symptoms.
 
Headache Australia https://headacheaustralia.org.au/what-is-headache/prevalence-and-cost-of-headache/ reports 4.9 million Australians experience migraines and up to 7 million Australian’s are tension-type headache sufferers.
https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/migraine-australia-whitepaper.html
 
No matter the statistic, headaches are annoying, and can derail your day.
 
Why do headaches hurt?
 
Our brain tissues can’t feel pain but other parts of our brain like arteries, veins, sinuses
muscles, eyes, ears do feel pain.  It’s not your brain hurting, but more likely the
inflammation of your blood vessels, irritation, or the swelling on membranes that
surrounds it, the meninges.
 
Headaches can be triggered by:
  • stress and tension by daily life
  • Muscle pain
  • Tension in neck and shoulders which triggers inflammation
 
The ache can be impacted by:
  • Constricting and dilating of our blood vessels
  • Histamines and tyramines found in wine, or cold products like ice cream can contribute to brain freeze or fuzz.
  • Caffeine - The American Migraine Foundation reports that caffeine avoidance can minimise headaches
https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/caffeine-and-migraine/
 
Migraines are a nastier and more debilitating headache – a pulsing, throbbing pressure
that can come with nausea and intolerance to sound and light. Scientists believe a
dysfunction of nerves in the brain contributes.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148373
 
The good news is you can tackle tension headaches through essential oils.
 
Essential oils and blends are natural remedies that can relax the muscles around your
head and neck and relieve emotional or physical anxiety and stress. Once your tension
subsides, headaches disappear.
 
Try these essential oil Headache helpers
 
Lavender essential oil   
Rosemary essential oil https://livelyliving.com.au/product/rosemary/  
Peppermint essential oil 
  • A popular oil to minimise symptoms of headaches and muscle tension while promoting uplifting feelings
  • Identified in studies as anti-inflammatory with menthol to ease migraine - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115001033#bib61
  • Apply 100% pure Peppermint Organic Oil 2 – 5 drops to a diffuser or add to lavender oil and massage oil  and massage your temple and forehead.
 
Marjoram essential oil
  • A muscle relaxant that’s helpful in soothing migraines and headaches, combining antidepressant and sedative properties
  • Studies have found that marjoram can be beneficial to brain health strengthening brain tissue and minimising headaches brought on my sugar withdrawals and even hangovers - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334595/
  • When massaged with a carrier oil marjoram can dilate the blood vessels and increase blood flow. Add 2 – 5 drops to a diffuser, or combine with a carrier oil, place in a roller bottle and massage into temples.

 
JUST RELEASED! Get soothing relief with our newly released Head Soothe Organic 10ml Blend
Lively Living Head Soothe organic Blend combines the 4 oils mentioned plus another 4 , totaling
8 soothing oils in 1 sensational blend for simple application and ease of headache and migraine pain.
 
Head Sooth Organic Blend
Lively Living have skillfully blended 8 premium 100% organic essential oils in a synergy blend to alleviate headaches naturally.
This powerful new blend directly targets headache and migraine pain and reduces the impacts of inflammation. It conveniently combines soothing and stimulating aromatherapy essential oils with therapeutic benefits.
Featuring organic sweet orange, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, lemon, marjoram, basil and wintergreen oil, it’s the perfect combination to bring welcome relief.



 
Blend in a  roller bottle with carrier oil and place on temples and back of neck, add a few drops to your pillowcase for bedtime, or 2 – 5 drops to a Lively Living  diffuser and inhale soothing relief.
 
When you’re challenged with a headache that you get ample rest and consult your health provider if you’re having ongoing headaches.
 
Wishing you headache ease from the Lively Living team.

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