Migraine relief tips: Effective Ayurvedic remedies to help with that pulsating, debilitating pain!

A primary headache disorder, migraine is recurrent, often life-long, and characterized by recurring attacks. Here are some natural Ayurvedic treatments - which you can adopt after checking with your doctor - that can help you manage your migraine.

Migraine can be debilitating (Pic: Pixabay; representational purposes)

Migraines can be debilitating - that persistent throbbing pain can leave you bedridden for more than one day and prevents you from carrying out your daily activities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Burden of Disease Study, updated in 2013, showed that migraine is the sixth highest cause worldwide of years lost due to disability (YLD). Migraine most often begins at puberty and most affects those aged between 35 and 45 years, says WHO. A primary headache disorder, the pain is of pulsating quality and often causes nausea or vomiting. As WHO says, "It is more common in women, usually by a factor of about 2:1, because of hormonal influences." 
In conventional medicine, apart from lifestyle changes, you are given pharmaceutical medications, mostly painkillers. But if you are looking at more natural treatment methods like Ayurveda, here are some tips given by Dr Dixa Bhavsar, an Ayurvedic expert, who took to Instagram to share her thoughts.

Ayurveda: 3 steps to treat migraine naturally

Here are 3 simple items easily available in our kitchens, and as mentioned by Dr Bhavsar in her Instagram post, that can help us deal with our migraine:

1. Consume soaked raisins

Consuming 10-15 overnight-soaked raisins work wonders in relieving migraine headaches. You can have them after having herbal tea. "When had consistently for 12 weeks, it reduces the overall excess pitta in body along with aggravated Vata and pacifies all the symptoms associated with migraine like acidity, nausea, irritation, one-sided headache, intolerance to heat, etc," the post says.

2. Sip on cumin-cardamom tea

Post lunch or dinner, or whenever migraine symptoms are prominent, you can have this tea. To prepare it, take half a glass of water, add 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) in it along with 1 cardamom. Boil it for three minutes, then strain and have this tea. This will pacify you and can reduce the nauseous feeling.

3. Add cow ghee to your diet and lifestyle

Cow ghee is known to balance excess pitta in the body and mind. One can consume ghee if different ways - be it for stir-frying veggies, with rice and roti, with milk at bedtime, etc. Certain herbs for migraine like brahmi, shankhpushpi, yastimadhu, etc can be had with ghee. 

Treating migraine: The first cup of tea in the morning

Dr Dixa Bhavsar in another Instagram post mentioned that both hyperacidity and migraine are caused predominantly due to pitta. Beginning the day with a cooling and soothing herbal tea instead of tea and coffee can work wonders. In one glass of water, add 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 5-7 mint leaves, and 10 curry leaves. Boil it for 3-5 minutes on a medium flame. The tea will be ready in around 5 minutes. 

(Disclaimer: The article is based on general information and on the mentioned expert's Instagram post; it is not a substitute for a medical expert's advice. Zee News does not confirm this.)