For those unfortunate souls who suffer from migraine – the thumping, headsplitting, eye-closing, stomach-heaving variety which necessitates lying down in a dark room for as long as it takes for it to go away – hearing their agony referred to as a ‘headache’ brings murder to mind. sMigraine may have many causes. Some sources regard it as psychosomatic which is borne out by the slightly sneering references in old medical books to megrims, vapours and vertigo which less emancipated ladies of a different era resorted to when they did not wish to do that which they ought.

Stress and nervous tension certainly contribute to the likelihood of migraine but more recently it has been suggested that it can be as a result of the liver functioning incorrectly, a poor diet , constipation, eye strain, hormonal imbalance, allergic reaction to certain foods or troublesome wisdom teeth. However , and despite the amount of investigation made into the causes, nobody has yet come up with a complete answer and despite the great number of people who suffer from it the uninformed will still continue to believe that migraine is just another name for ‘throwing a wobbly’.

There are, not unexpectedly, few old fashioned suggestions for curing this type of malevolent headache and the most sensible advice is to lie down in a dark, cool, well-aired room, under plenty of warm covers and in utter quiet. If the migraine has not eased within 24 hours call in a professional to put you out of your agony. Follow the dietary advice given under Constipation and at the first sings drink lots of water to detoxify the system and reduce water retention which may be the cause. Try to relax and take a calming tea well sweetened with honey. Bath the eyes with cold water and massage the head, working with the fingertips and starting at the back of the neck at a point on either side of the spinal column, going over the scalp in small circular movements until you can feel it relaxing, then coming down to the temples and to the corner of the jaw bone.

Home Remedies for Migraine

The following are suggestions for alleviating and preventing the pain of migraine getting any worse once the first nagging symptoms appear . Hopefully they will help you to relax and stop panicking. Some of the remedies given under Headache  may also help.

• Baked potato Eat plain without salt, butter or cheese (cheese may be a contributory factor in migraine). This is one remedy which I find works very well indeed.
• Tinned tomatoes Simmer tinned tomatoes with lots of basil and serve with a dash of vinegar.
• Fruit ice cubes  Made with lemon or pineapple fuice, these can be sucked when drinks may cause nausea. The ice cubes are wonderfully soothing to sore throats and can also be given to feverish children but should then be frozen on sticks to prevent accidents.
• Candied angelica Chew small pieces regularly, but not just before going to bed as it could stop you sleeping.
• Vervain tea This is an excellent tea to relieve premenstrual migraine. One of the good home remedies for migraine.
• Lavender A mild infusion of lavender – ¼ teaspoon to ½ cup of boiling water – can be drunk regularly and lavender oil rubbed into the temples will soothe and ease tension. Peppermint and lavender tea will help to reduce nausea whilst a poultice of the crushed, fresh leaves placed on the forchead will bring cooling relief.
• Basil Inhale the essential oil dropped on to boiling water or make basil tea.
• Fennel A vapour inhalant made by infusing 50 g fennel seeds in 1 litre (1.75 pints) of boiling water will relieve aching eyes and itchy eyelids . Bathe the forehead and temples with the cool liquid three times a day to relieve migraine. One of the best home remedies for migraine.
• Marigold infusion Apply cold on the eyes and forchead.
• Oregano Use oregano rather than marjoram (the cultivated plant), as it is reputed to contain more thymol and is therefore more effective. The dried and powdered leaf can be used as a snuff to clear blocked sinuses whilst the fresh leaf simmered in oil or lard is an old recipe for a headache ointment.
• Camomile or lemon grass Two drops of th essential oil of either added to 2 teaspoons of sunflower oil should be rubbed into the temples.
• Rosemary water  This is an equally effective but poor man’s version of the famous Hungary water which when placed upon the forehead and temples was considered a sovereign treatment for migraine. Use the fresh, flowering tips of rosemary and follow the instructions for making either attar of roses or lavender water .
• Boiling water  A doubtful cure for migraine caused by too much sun states that one should take a glass of water and stand in the sun with it placed upon the forehead. When the water starts to boil the pain will have passed away . So, I fear, will the patient.