What to do About those Winter Headaches

You might have noticed that from the time the weather changed (the first time) and throughout the winter months, you have had more headaches. This is not unusual. We tend to be more sedentary this time of year, we go in and out of dry heat in our homes and offices, mold has a tendency to develop this time of year and pet dander changes.Changes in barometric pressure can also cause you to have a headache. Changes in pressure cause changes in oxygen levels. It could be that blood vessels in your head expand or contract to compensate, causing your headache.So, what can we do to alleviate these headaches without heading to the medicine cabinet? Here are a few tips:• Don’t let your sinuses become dry. Use a store-bought saline spray to keep your sinuses moist throughout winter, or you can buy a Neti-Pot and mix your own saline solution at home. If you choose this route, make sure to use distilled water in the pot.• Another tip to keep your sinuses from drying out is to make sure you are using a humidifier in your home, especially in your bedroom when you’re sleeping. However, make sure to keep your humidifier clean so that it doesn’t develop mold. Remember, mold can cause a headache.• People around the world have used many herbs traditionally to treat headaches. For instance, a combination of feverfew and ginger can help relieve your headache. Steep chopped fresh ginger in water to make a tea (or even chew directly on a piece of peeled ginger) for a natural headache remedy. Also, coriander is known to have pain-relieving effects.• For my winter headaches, I use essential oil quite a bit. Essential oils carry biologically active volatile compounds of flowers and plants in a highly concentrated form. You can indirectly inhale essential oils using a room diffuser; you can drop a few drops of essential oil in a sink of hot water and breathe that in; or you can apply essential oils directly to your skin by combining them with a carrier oil such as almond or coconut. Peppermint oil is one of my favorites for headaches, and eucalyptus is a good one.• Take a walk outside. Moving around will general help you feel better. If you walk outside, the cold air can also help shrink your inflamed sinuses.Just let me know if you’d like more information on of these tips.