Surprise summer headache cures

You know that heat and humidity make headaches more likely, and you know that the last thing you want to do when you’re in pain is hop in the car and head to the drugstore, but what you may not know is that help may already be in your medicine cabinet!

For migraines… try aspirin

This just in from scientists at Florida Atlantic University: Taking 900 mg. to 1,300 mg. of aspirin at the first sign of a migraine cuts pain by 70%. That’s better than prescription meds! Aspirin even prevents symptoms like nausea and light sensitivity by calming bloodvessel swelling and inflammation—two migraine triggers.

For sinus pain… try Vaporub

To tame head pain caused by sinus congestion in 10 minutes, reach for Vicks Vaporub. Murray Grossman, M.D., an ear, nose and throat specialist, advises massaging it onto your

temples and neck in a downward motion. “The menthol opens nasal passages to improve drainage and relieve sinus pressure,” he explains, while the massage helps flush pain-triggering toxins.

For tension ouch… try joint cream

Arthritis creams like Voltaren and Bengay can tame a tension headache in 5 minutes if you rub them along the base of your skull and down the back of your neck, Swedish scientists say. Painkilling compounds absorb readily through skin, while the massaging motion relaxes spasming

scalp and neck muscles.

For rebound pain… try ginger chews

Few things are as frustrating as getting rid of a headache only to have it come right back. The fix: ginger chews! A study in Phytotherapy Research suggests munching on two ginger chews (or taking a 500-mg. ginger supplement) eases head pain by 52% in 30 minutes, and by up to 90% in 2 hours, without risk of rebound pain. Study co-author Ali Moghimi, PH.D., credits compounds (gingerols) with calming aches as quickly and effectively as prescription sumatriptan.