In Ayurveda, pitta headache can be treated by applying sandalwood, amalaki, asparagus, shirobasti therapy, aromatherapy and the Ayurvedic diet.
How to know if my headache is pitta headache?
Pitta headache is shooting, burning, piercing pain, which is usually felt in temporal region (sides of the head, behind the eyes). The patient is scared of light. The headache may be accompanied by heartburn, digestive upset, nausea and dizziness. According to Ayurveda, these headaches are caused by stomach problems.
Six Ayurvedic Remedies for Pitta Headache
How to treat pitta headache? Here are six Ayurvedic remedies:
1. Sandalwood for pitta headache
– Mix sandalwood powder with water to make a paste, then apply to the forehead and temples, this will relieve pitta headache.
2. Amalaki for pitta headache
– Take amalaki 3 to 6 grams, or take triphala which contains amalaki, twice a day.
3. Shatavari for pitta headache
– Take 1/2 gram of shatavari (asparagus racemosus), twice a day for a month. This herb has sweet and bitter tastes and is particularly balancing to pitta dosha.
4. Shirobasti therapy for pitta headache
– Shirobasti therapy can be used for both vata and pitta headaches. Shirobasti is a specific Ayurvedic treatment for deeper mental conditions such as depression, insomnia, headache. In the treatment, a special leather cap is placed around the patient’s head and filled with warm medicated oil for about 60 minutes, followed by a marma point head massage.
5. Aromatherapy for pitta headache
– Choose sweet, cooling or soothing aromas such as rose, sandalwood, fennel, mint, jasmine and vetiver. Rub a drop of the essential oil onto the area between mouth and nose, and take deep breaths. Also, rub a drop of the essential oil onto temporal region. This will relieve the headaches.
6. Ayurvedic diet for pitta headache
You can eat the following foods for treating the headache:
– Eat sweet, bitter and astringent taste foods.
– Ghee, rice, milk, sweet juicy fruits, pears, coconuts, mangoes, almonds, dates are soothing pitta-pacifying foods.
– Carrots, asparagus, bitter leafy greens, fennel, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, and green beans are good vegetables for balancing pitta dosha.
– Drinking boiled rice water (the water left after cooking the rice) with ghee is good for treating pitta headache.
