Maintaining a healthful life becomes challenging with stress-ridden lifestyles, unhealthy food habits, and a lack of physical activity. Ironically, any major change in lifestyle due to these symptoms can trigger stomach disorders.
One such stomach disorder that people cope with is gastric headaches. For a better understanding of what a headache due to gas entails, it is important to know what exactly a gastric headache is all about.
What Is a Gastric Headache?
There are a host of similarities between a gastric headache and a normal one, especially in terms of causes and symptoms. For this reason, most people mistake a gastric headache for a normal headache.
As per the accepted medical definition, a gastric headache is widely known as gastric stasis, where the stomach contains undigested food and experiences delayed gastric emptying.
Apart from a headache, the condition may present with other symptoms such as stomach pain, indigestion, dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting.
Can Gas Cause Headache?
Yes, gas can cause headaches. Are you wondering how can gas cause headaches? Essentially, there are certain causes that lead to intestinal gas: swallowing air and bacteria that help indigestion.
You may be surprised to know that you swallow up to two quarts of air while eating and drinking. Precisely, half of the swallowed air passes through the intestines and is released from the rectum, and you burp the other half.
When it comes to bacteria that foster digestion, they sometimes do not fully digest some carbohydrates and sugars. This indigestion releases gas. Holding excess gas can cause abdominal pain, stomach cramps, dizziness, and eventually headaches.
Therefore, you may be more prone to headaches if you experience frequent gastrointestinal symptoms.
Causes of Headache Due to Gas
If you have mistaken this headache for just a normal headache, it is important to differentiate the two and address the underlying causes of headaches due to gas and acidity. Below are some common causes that trigger a gastric headache:
- Stomach-related health issues like ulcers, stomach cancer, celiac, GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder) and gastroparesis, the delayed emptying of the stomach.
- Gastrointestinal disorders, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
- Helicobacter pylori infection.
- Dysbiosis, a condition that reduces the diversity of stomach bacteria.
- Hepato-biliary disorders, which are disorders of the liver and biliary system.
Headache Due to Gas Symptoms
Many common gas symptoms trigger headaches. These symptoms include acid reflux, indigestion, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, constipation, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, food intolerance, and more.
Treatment for headaches due to gas symptoms includes diet modifications, modifications in lifestyle, and medications, all of which help manage symptoms.
Many studies have stated that treating a gastrointestinal disorder may eventually reduce headaches or alleviate headache symptoms.
As per a 2003 study, a gluten-free diet may improve headache frequency, length and intensity. Similarly, a study from 2015 states that treating the condition of constipation can significantly improve gastric headaches.
The observations made in this field are very promising when it comes to reducing the symptoms. However, additional research can provide more clarity on the question ‘can gas give you a headache’.
Home Remedies for Headache Due to Gas
Multiple reasons that lead to headaches. A few common reasons include strain on the eyes due to digital equipment, faulty food habits, stress, high BP, allergy and low BP, and abdominal gas.
Surprising as it may sound, it is true that gastrointestinal problems can lead to a headache when the body is unable to absorb the essential quantities of food, thus leading to some nutrient deficiencies and ultimately headaches.
To get relief from these headaches, there are certain remedies you can follow at home; these also help prevent a gastric headache. Here, we have handpicked some of the most effective home remedies for headaches due to gas.
1. Drink Fluids
Drinking water can relieve gastric headaches by addressing inadequate hydration. Drink half a glass of buttermilk and one spoon of coriander juice. These are great home remedies for reducing your headache symptoms.
2. Increase Magnesium Intake
An important mineral, magnesium is considered an effective home remedy for curing gastric headaches. It helps in the production of enzymes in saliva, which break food down into tiny parts, thereby easing the digestive process. Some magnesium-rich foods include pumpkin, cashew, spinach, almonds, peanuts, and more.
3. Get Adequate Sleep
A sound sleep prevents gastric headaches by producing hormones named prolactin and melatonin. They increase the presence of good bacteria in the intestines, thereby helping digestion.
4. Use Essential Oils
Apply a few drops of eucalyptus oil on your forehead. The oil helps lessen pain, easing strained muscles.
5. Take Basil Leaves
An intake of 10-12 basil leaves provides you with quick relief. The leaves contain analgesic properties that help soothe the condition. Not only do they reduce a headache, but they also help relax your muscles.
6. Try Lemon Juice with Water
Consuming lukewarm water with lemon juice is another beneficial home remedy. It helps regulate the acid-alkaline balance of the body. You can also directly rub fresh lemon on your forehead and temples to relieve headaches as it contains anti-inflammatory properties.
7. Apply Cinnamon Paste
One of the most effective home remedies for gastric headaches is cinnamon. Add some cinnamon powder in water and make a thick paste. Apply this paste to your forehead and wash it off with water after some time to ease a gastric headache.
8. Apply a Cold Compress
Apply a cold compress or ice pack across your temples as it helps constrict blood vessels and slows down nerve conduction, thereby helping reduce headaches. Also, staying in a quiet and dark place when you experience a headache can help ease the symptoms faster.
9. Integrate Yoga into Your Lifestyle
Practising yoga relieves stress and helps reduce the severity and frequency of gastric headaches.
Besides that, avoiding triggers for headaches, such as excessive strain on the eyes for a longer duration, skipping a meal and poor sleeping habits, makes it possible to ease a gastric headache.
10. Practice Complementary Therapies
Complementary therapies also help relieve gastric headaches, such as acupuncture and relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga and other breathing techniques.
Homoeopathy Medicine for Headache Due to Acidity
It is quite common for you to pop one medicine and then another to get quick relief from headaches. These over-the-counter pain medications may help lessen the pain for one day or more. But they do not address the root cause of the same.
This is where the need for an alternate approach like homoeopathy comes in.
Homoeopathy helps treat you as a whole. The approach of homoeopathy involves treating headache symptoms and focuses on mental health and well-being. However, before choosing homoeopathy medicines, you should gain insights into your medical condition to avoid side effects.
Here is a list of the most commonly recommended homoeopathy medicine for headache due to acidity.
1. Arnica
If you are experiencing severe head trauma followed by recurrent attacks of headaches, there is no better choice than Arnica.
2. Belladonna
Belladonna works best when you have throbbing head pain, and it feels like your head might just explode from the pain, usually occurring on the right side of the head. You can also consider this remedy in case of too much sun exposure.
3. Nux Vomica
Nux vomica is an excellent remedy for indigestion, loss of appetite and pain after meals, where the discomfort intensifies about half an hour of eating. It also treats headache symptoms triggered by strong smells and scents, loud noise and anxiety.
4. China
China is a great remedy for headaches caused due to exhaustion, anaemia and weakness. Another important condition where this remedy proves to be a boon is when the food doesn't get digested properly.
The undigested food remains in the stomach for a long time, leading to belching or burping, wherein wind is expelled from the stomach through the mouth.
5. Bryonia Alba
It is best to take Bryonia Alba when you have a headache, and it gets worse by moving. The pain is usually around the left eye. Other symptoms it helps treat include dry mouth and lips.
Summing Up on Headache Due to Gas and Acidity
Always remember that taking care of your physical and mental health is not a punishment but a correction. At times, skipping a meal may affect your digestive system quite drastically. No matter what, you must follow a healthy lifestyle paired with a well-rounded diet.
There are numerous home remedies and a range of homoeopathy medicines to eliminate a headache due to gas and acidity. However, you should immediately consult a doctor if you experience prolonged symptoms of the condition.
FAQs
What Does a Gastric Headache Feel Like?
You might have heard of or experienced frequent pulsating pain attacks that mainly occur in your temples. That is what a gastric headache feels like. The pain is followed by stomach pain, indigestion, nausea, and even vomiting. Sometimes, the pain intensifies and may develop into a migraine headache.
How Long Does Gastric Headache Last?
Gastric headache is often sudden, and it might get severe in some cases. The pain may go away after an hour, but your head will still feel heavy, and you experience dizziness. Sometimes, the headache may last longer than three days.
How Can I Permanently Cure Gastritis?
The only way to cure gastritis permanently is to address the underlying cause of this condition. Eating wholesome foods and regular exercise can ease gastritis discomfort.
If the condition persists and doesn’t improve despite following a healthy lifestyle, you need to see a doctor immediately.
References
- Sang-Hwa Lee, October 2017; Clinical Implications of Associations between Headache and Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Study Using the Hallym Smart Clinical Data Warehouse - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5632350/
- Carlos R Cámara-Lemarroy, Rene Rodriguez-Gutierrez, September 2016; Gastrointestinal disorders associated with migraine: A comprehensive review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5037083/
- C Cerrato, G Minoli, July 2005; Increased prevalence of migraine in patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia referred for open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16010605/
- AH Aamodt, LJ Stovner, February 2008 Comorbidity of Headache and Gastrointestinal Complaints. The Head-HUNT Study - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01486.x
