Do you suffer from frequent headaches? You’re not alone. About 70 to 80 percent of American people experience headaches on a regular basis.
While most headaches aren’t life-threatening and often go away after a few hours, they can have a significant impact on your quality of life. With a lack of focus, a decrease in motivation, and uncomfortable pain, it can be difficult to find an effective treatment for headaches. Many have found a natural remedy through essential oils.
To find the best essential oil for sinus headache issues, it’s important to test different options and do your research. This article can help you get started on your quest for natural healing remedies.
Brief Background on Essential Oils
Before buying your essential oils for sinus headache relief, you should know their background. If you’re wondering “what are essential oils?”, have no worries. Here is a brief introduction to these powerful remedies.
As concentrated compounds, essential oils are often found in some of nature’s most potent plants. By way of heating and cooling, the extraction of essential oils works to emphasize the most powerful parts of the plant or flower. While the natural aromas of the plant smell delicious, they can also provide benefits for your body.
First used in ancient Egypt, essential oils and aromatherapy date back to at least 5,000 years ago. Through various types of essential oils and a wide range of scents, there are many to choose from to aide in your headache relief.
Peppermint
While prescription pills are popular treatments for headaches, they often have side effects and high costs. With many essential oil scents, like peppermint, you may find a natural way to ease your sinus headaches.
Peppermint is one of the top essential oil scents for headache relief. With its crisp, medicinal, menthol scent, it can help release tension and clear sinuses.
One of the best ways to use peppermint essential oil for sinus headaches is to apply a few drops to the bridge of your nose, temples, and under your eyes. This allows the calming essential oil to seep into your skin and diffuse into your sinuses.
Another method of using peppermint oil is to add a few drops to a diffuser. Diffusers release water vapor into the air to cleanse and add a subtle scent to a room. Consider adding a few drops before bed and letting the oil diffuse while you sleep.
This can help you relax, unwind, and find relief from bothersome headaches.
Eucalyptus
If you’re suffering from congestion in your chest and sinuses, eucalyptus essential oil can help. This essential oil pairs well with peppermint and can open nasal canals. Eucalyptus essential oil may also help decrease symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is an inflammatory disease of the lungs that make it difficult to breathe. Those with COPD are also at high risk of developing sinusitis, or an inflammatory infection in the sinus passageways. With eucalyptus essential oil, sinus headaches caused by either of these conditions may decrease.
For those with the common cold, sinus blockage and other symptoms can last anywhere from seven to ten days. If you can’t put your life on hold for that long, eucalyptus essential oil can help with sinus headaches.
One of the main ingredients found in eucalyptus, cineole, can also help reduce inflammation and pain. We recommend mixing eucalyptus essential oil and peppermint essential oil for maximized benefits.
Chamomile
For another way to relieve sinus headaches, chamomile’s natural anti-inflammatory properties can help. Not only does chamomile come in a standard essential oil form, but it also can be drunk as a delicious tea.
Consider preparing yourself a hot cup of chamomile tea before bed, when you wake up, or whenever you’re experiencing a sinus headache. The de-stressing, calming properties of chamomile can aid in clearing your sinuses.
To make a simple chamomile essential oil-infused tea, bring a kettle of water to a boil. After the water is boiling, pour into your favorite mug. Next, add a chamomile tea bag and three to four drops of chamomile essential oil to the water.
Some choose to add honey, milk, and other essential oils to the tea as well. This calming drink can work wonders for stress and sinus issues.
Tea Tree
As one of the most powerful essential oils to fight off congestion, tea tree oil has antiseptic and cleansing properties. These properties are vital in reducing the symptoms of sinus headaches.
Like peppermint essential oil, tea tree essential oil has a medicinal, crip scent. We recommend applying a few drops of tea tree oil to the sinus area, forehead, temples, and under the nose. This can help speed up the process of clearing your sinuses.
Another way to reap the benefits of tea tree oil is to add a few drops to a hot bath. First, fill your bathtub up with hot water and add your favorite soap, bath salts, or bath bomb. Next, add a few drops of tea tree oil to the water.
The oil mixed with the steam from the hot bath can help clear your nasal passage and relax the body.
One of the main reasons behind tea tree oil’s powers is its ability to fight off bacteria that can cause sinus congestion. Tea tree essential oil can also help boost your immune system.
Final Thoughts: The Best Essential Oil for Sinus Headache Pain
While many essential oils can help purify, and decongest your sinuses, our top recommendation is peppermint oil. Due to its menthol compound and medicinal properties, peppermint oil may be the best essential oil for sinus headache pain.
While peppermint oil is powerful on its own, consider mixing with the other oils listed in this article. Before trying out your essential oils for sinus congestion and headache relief, be sure to test its effects. While we’re all different, we may have different reactions to essential oils.
We recommend applying one to two drops to a small area of the skin or in a diffuser before heavy use. If you enjoyed learning about the power of essential oils for sinus headaches, be sure to check out our other articles for more helpful health tips.