“My mother has a constant headache despite the medications she is taking. What can I do to help her?”
My mother is 56 years old and has been suffering from a constant headache. She has been on painkillers for the last 3 days yet the pain doesn't seem to be settling down. Can natural medication be of any help?
16 Answers
Yes, they are. But she might just be dehydrated, let her try a glass of water first, before she takes any painkillers. (It takes about 20-30 minutes for a painkiller to work.) That's also the time that it takes for a glass of water. If that doesn’t work, let her see a naturopathic doctor.
Thank you for your question, I'm sorry that she's going through that. While there are certainly different natural approaches that I could recommend, it's hard to do so without knowing more about her health background. A headache that lasts that long may be a sign of high blood pressure or another underlying condition. Other than referring her to her GP, I would suggest considering visiting a chiropractor in your area that comes highly recommended. Additionally, if she is not sensitive to smells, I recommend diffusing a high quality peppermint oil, especially at bed time. Other than that, make sure she is WELL hydrated, keeping her sodium intake low, and eating lots of dark, leafy greens. I wish I could be of more help but I don't want to suggest taking anything internally without speaking with her and doing a full evaluation. Best of luck!
Hi there!
Thank you for your question. Natural medicine and/or acupuncture can be very helpful for headaches and migraines. This is a case that I would not give general recommendations. Your mother would need a proper work up to help determine the cause of the headaches in order to establish an appropriate treatment plan. Acupuncture can be very successful at stopping headaches in the moment. I suggest finding a naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, or integrative MD/APRN in your area so she can be properly worked up and have the best chance at a successful treatment plan. I assume because she is on medication she has seen her primary care physician. Her PCP should be made aware that her headache is not abating, so please be absolutely sure to follow up with them as soon as possible if you haven't already, even if you do schedule her with an acupuncturist or naturopathic physician.
Be well,
Dr. Krete
Thank you for your question. Natural medicine and/or acupuncture can be very helpful for headaches and migraines. This is a case that I would not give general recommendations. Your mother would need a proper work up to help determine the cause of the headaches in order to establish an appropriate treatment plan. Acupuncture can be very successful at stopping headaches in the moment. I suggest finding a naturopathic physician, acupuncturist, or integrative MD/APRN in your area so she can be properly worked up and have the best chance at a successful treatment plan. I assume because she is on medication she has seen her primary care physician. Her PCP should be made aware that her headache is not abating, so please be absolutely sure to follow up with them as soon as possible if you haven't already, even if you do schedule her with an acupuncturist or naturopathic physician.
Be well,
Dr. Krete
We heal in sleep... and especially deep sleep. One of the most amazing ways I have found to help patients sleep deeply is to mouth tape. Yep, you heard that right! I, personally, as a 62 y.o. male, would not dream of going to bed without taping my mouth shut! It has revolutionized my sleep! Not kidding. try 2" scotch/3m surgical tape. By stopping your mouth breathing, you will enter into deep sleep; many have had headaches go away once the body can get into deep sleep!
As long as there are no contraindications, increase the amount of water she is drinking and reduce the amount of dehydrating foods and substances she consumes. Also, explore meditation and deep breathing and exhaling techniques.
There are over 30 causes of head aches. If it hurts to comb her hair and has blurred vision I would go immediately to the ER to rule out Temporal Arteritis. In which case Steroids or Prednisone may reverse the symptoms. Must rule out Aneurysm, Hypertension, Shingles.
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The goal of naturopathic medicine is to find and treat the cause of the headaches. There are a lot of wonderful remedies out there, but I would want to first try to find the cause of these headaches and then figure out what remedy best suits your mom, be that herbal supplements, lifestyle changes, or body work.
In health,
Dr Bosted
In health,
Dr Bosted
Natural solutions can absolutely be helpful in headache cases. Treatment for this varies on an individual basis as there can be many reasons to why this is happening, so I would recommend having her seen by her local Naturopathic Doctor in order to find specific solutions that would work for her.
Take her to a skillful naturopathic doctor!
Headaches are a tricky beast to treat because there could be multiple causes. Naturopathic physicians take a closer look at the whole person so it is possible we find another underlying problem that triggers the headaches. As far as natural medications, it is hard to say without knowing what medications she is currently taking so there are no deleterious
interactions. Find a Naturopathic doctor near you to help with adjunct care such as acupuncture and herbal medicine along with a detailed history.
interactions. Find a Naturopathic doctor near you to help with adjunct care such as acupuncture and herbal medicine along with a detailed history.
If this is the first time your mother has had a headache this severe, please seek medical attention as this could be something serious. Natural medicine may be of help for your mother's headache, but only after finding the cause of the headache. Find a naturopathic physician in your area to consult with to find the best solution. Acupuncture as well as chiropractic adjustments can greatly reduce a headache.
Alexander Haskell
Salt Lake City, UT
There can be many causes for chronic headaches. Here is a list of a few of them:
- Progesterone deficiency... using oral bio-identical hormones, taken before bed and sometimes again the morning.
- Estrogen dominance... this can be caused by low progesterone or elevated estrogens.
- Liver and gall bladder issues... these headaches often show up in the front part of the head, usually above the eyes.
- A chronic sinus infection, and this also presents above the eyes and sometimes below the eyes.
- Anemia, low red cell count, can be a cause, usually on the top of the head.
- The cervical vertebra, those in the neck... a vertebra can be out of place. Usually, a chiropractic adjustment is all that's required.
Of course, you have to rule out anything related to the brain with an MRI.
Thanks,
Dr. Haskell
- Progesterone deficiency... using oral bio-identical hormones, taken before bed and sometimes again the morning.
- Estrogen dominance... this can be caused by low progesterone or elevated estrogens.
- Liver and gall bladder issues... these headaches often show up in the front part of the head, usually above the eyes.
- A chronic sinus infection, and this also presents above the eyes and sometimes below the eyes.
- Anemia, low red cell count, can be a cause, usually on the top of the head.
- The cervical vertebra, those in the neck... a vertebra can be out of place. Usually, a chiropractic adjustment is all that's required.
Of course, you have to rule out anything related to the brain with an MRI.
Thanks,
Dr. Haskell
Yes, a Naturopathic approach would surely be beneficial for your mother's health problem. A Traditional Naturopathic Doctor would seek out the root cause of the headache and treat the real problem and not mask it with pharmaceuticals. And by treating the root cause, hopefully prevent it from coming back.
Yes, natural medication can be very successful at treating headaches when approached correctly.
Headaches have a variety of causes. Structural misalignment can often be a cause that medications do not treat well. I would not personally give a medicine without addressing the neck first.
You need to have her checked as she could have pressure inside of her head to cause the headache.
