Though many of these are widely accepted remedies for getting rid of a headache, it may pay to visit your family doctor before attempting any of these. Also, most herbal remedies come with a caution for pregnant and lactating women not to attempt them.

Most experts agree there are three main types of headache - tension (stress), migraine and cluster. Tension headaches can usually be solved by drinking water or taking some time out to rest. A few paracetamol tablets and you can be back on the job within an hour.

Migraine and cluster headaches aren't as easy to rid yourself of. Yet there have been many remedies and 'old wives myths' handed down throughout the ages. Listed below is a selection of headache remedies that might just hit the spot - but seek medical advice before trialling.

1. Cayenne
   

   Research suggests that capsaicin can also help relieve cluster headaches. In one study, people with cluster headaches rubbed a capsaicin preparation inside and outside their noses on the same side of the head as the headache pain. Within five days, 75 percent reported less pain and fewer headaches. They also reported burning nostrils and runny noses, but these side effects subsided within a week.

   - [Source]

   How to apply Cayenne

   As using cayenne intra-nasally can really hurt someone who suffers with skin allergies you may want to seek some professional help for using this method. Cayenne is usually applied as an ointment or use the oil straight.
2. Ginkgo biloba
   While Ginkgo biloba has a reputation for producing headaches as a side effect of its use, it can assist those who suffer from headaches brought on in older age. These can be quite common for the elderly and may debilitate their activity.

   How to apply Ginkgo Biloba

   Ginkgo is produced in tablet form or can be seeped as a tea. The nuts from the Ginkgo biloba tree can even be used in a porridge. [Source]
3. Feverfew
   Full effectiveness in preventing migraines may not be evident until feverfew has been taken for 4 to 6 weeks - sometimes even longer. It won't stop a migraine but this herb will help prevent them from occurring. [Source]

   How to apply Ferverfew

   Feverfew tea may be made by soaking about one teaspoonful of dried feverfew leaves in 5 to 8 ounces of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink at least 1-2 cups per day.

   The leaves can also be eaten fresh or freeze-dried.

4. Peppermint
   Extremely helpful in reducing the effect of nausea brought on by a headache. It's also a helpful assistant for sinus headaches brought on by colds and flus.

   How to apply Peppermint

   Can be drunk as a tea or peppermint oil applied to the temples. Add a few drops of peppermnint oil to a bowl of hot water and use as a steam inhalation. [Source]
5. Chamomile
   Although not directly linked to help get rid of a headache, chamomile is great for reducing stress and tension.

   How to apply Chamomile

   Best used as an aromatherapy solution, add some drops of chamomile oil to an essence burner. Chamomile also makes a great tea that will help soothe and calm your head.
6. Ginger
   Anecdotal evidence is that a woman in Denmark took 500 to 600 milligrams of powdered ginger in water at the first sign of a migraine. Relief came within 30 minutes. After a few days of taking powdered ginger, the woman changed to eating fresh, raw ginger. The amount is not given. Fewer migraines were reported and those that did break through were of less intensity. Ginger seems to reduce nausea also. [source]

   Apparently ginger is great for front of the head headaches.
   

7. Thyme
   Combined with Fenugreek, both these herbs can be made as a tea and seem to reduce the pressure from migraines, throbbing headaches and nausea. Pure Thyme oil can actually bring on the headaches rather than rid you of one, so it is always best to use it mixed with fenugreek.

   How to use Thyme

   Thyme is best prepared as a cold infusion allowing to steep overnight covered with cold water. The mixture can then be slightly warmed and strained before drinking. This method is best for mild headaches or constant migraines. [Source]
8. Turmeric
   Used widely in Indian medicine, turmeric is well-supported as a help in dealing with migraine headaches.

   How to use Turmeric

   Turmeric is best used as a tonic for suppressing and getting rid of headaches. It can be mixed with lemon balm and feverfew for steeped cold tea. [Source]
9. Bay Leaves
   "Aromatic Bay Leaf has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for headaches. It contains chemical compounds called parthenolides, which have proven useful in the treatment of migraines." [Source]

   How to use Bay Leaves

   These leaves are best steeped as a hot tea.
10. Almonds
    "Robert Milne, M.D., author of the "Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide To Headaches," suggests eating 12 almonds instead of taking aspirin for a headache. Almonds contain salicin, the active ingredient in aspirin." [Source]

    How to use Almonds

    Digestion.
11. Cherries
    "Melatonin is found in tart cherries; this can make you sleep better at night and be more wakeful in the daytime. Cherries contain compounds that can even relieve headaches. 20 cherries are 10 times stronger than aspirin. So take 20 the next time you have a headache! " [Source]

    How to use Cherries

    Digestion.
12. Fennel
    Apparently, fennel was used by the Aztecs for many ailments including migraine headaches. It's many other remedial purposes were for increasing milk production in lactating women, regulating menstruation and removing tumors or obstructions in the mammary glands.

    How to use Fennel

    The most common form of relief through Fennel is to create a herbal tea. This can be made with either the seeds - crushed and then steeped - or with the fresh stalks. There isn't really a limit on how much of this you can drink before becoming detrimental to your health, but be wise in your use of fennel extracts.
13. Lavender
    "n the past, before modern medicine had come to rely on drugs so completely, herbs, flowers and special foods were used to help sufferers cope with the pain of various ailments. Lavender water appeared in the medicine cabinets of many a family in those days, and when dealing with a condition for which we still haven't discovered a cure, a look back at the past can yield many helpful ideas which may have been forgotten along the way. " [Source]

    How to use Lavender

    Pouches of lavender tucked under your pillow, burning essential oils, lavender oil rubbed into your temples and even potpourri consisting of lavender may all be good uses for this wonderful herb.