Apple a day keeps headaches away!

Or so it is believed by some. A ripe apple is used as a safe home remedy for treating chronic headaches. After removing the upper rind and the hard inner portion, the apple is consumed with a little salt every morning on an empty stomach for 5 – 6 days to affect a cure.

Here are some more traditional Indian home remedies for headaches:

Good ol’ Ginger

Mash a piece of ginger. Squeeze out its juice. Apply ginger juice on the forehead or temples.

Medicinal Mint

Mint is believed to be an excellent preventive remedy for headaches. Drinking ‘pudina chai’ in the morning and evening is a popular prescription for preventing headaches.

Holy Basil

A paste of tulsi leaves applied on the forehead is believed to give relief from headache. Take a cupful of boiling water, add to it a few crumbled leaves of tulsi, cover and steep. Strain and drink in case of headache from nausea or vomiting.

Castor Cure

Soak a piece of clean cloth in castor oil. Drain and place it on the forehead to offset a headache.

Pain relieving pan

The betel leaf is blessed with analgesic properties. Hence a paste of pan is effective in providing relief from intense headache.

Comforting Clove

Another common rural remedy for headaches comprise a paste made of cloves, crystals of sea salt and milk.

Healing Henna

If the headache is caused due to heat, then a plaster made using henna flowers and vinegar is applied on the forehead. It is said to have a cooling and soothing effect that rids the headache.

Ajwain Antidote

Then there are some who vouch for the effectiveness of inhaling the smoke emanating from burning bishop’s weed to rid a headache. Adivasis roll a bidi using a herbal leaf and ajwain to gain relief from a headache. You may opt for inhaling the aroma of roasted ajwain.