One of the worst feelings is the beginning of a headache. Dealing with a headache can be exhausting, whether it’s a nagging tension headache or a debilitating migraine.
We all know the go-to strategies for getting rid of headaches - a cycle of rest, water, and painkillers - but did you know that drinking certain types of tea can also ease headache pain or even help make them go away?
Calming Headache Relief Tea
Learn all about the health benefits of drinking tea to soothe headache and migraine pain. Plus, from the best tea for tension headaches to herbal teas crafted for general headache relief, shop our curated collection of the best types of tea for soothing pesky headaches!
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is one of the most relaxing herbal teas in the world. Smooth, soothing, and completely caffeine-free, chamomile is a popular nighttime tea to drink to unwind before bed, but it is also one of the best teas to drink when you have a headache. Tension headaches are often caused by stress and anxiety, so feeling relaxed can be key to ease headache pain quickly. The tea helps to naturally increase serotonin and melatonin levels in your body, leaving you feeling calm. Plus, chamomile reduces inflammation which helps relieve tension by relaxing muscle aches and soothing headaches.
Want to try chamomile tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea relaxes muscles, relieves pain, and provides a natural cooling sensation that tastes refreshing while helping clear congestion. Peppermint tea is soothing and can be effective in getting rid of sinus headaches and tension headaches brought on by stress, or easing migraine pain quickly. It acts as a natural antispasmodic and sedative to help relax both your mind and body, leaving you calm and balanced. Check out these premium peppermint teas from some of the best loose leaf tea brands below!
Want to try peppermint tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
Ginger Tea
The spicy, tangy flavor of ginger tea is an invigorating wellness powerhouse. Ginger root is a signature supplement often used in the form of essential oil, tea, or lozenges to treat ailments ranging from joint and back pain to migraines or an upset stomach. Ginger naturally contains chemical compounds that increase serotonin, act as an anti-inflammatory, and restrict blood vessels which can all help alleviate headache and migraine symptoms, reduce nausea, and soothe an upset stomach.
Want to try ginger tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Clove Tea
Clove is a spice with powerful pain-fighting properties. It naturally has antinociceptive properties which help block pain receptors in the body. Plus, clove can increase blood circulation and decrease inflammation. With all of these amazing health benefits combined, clove is one of the best herbal teas you can drink to help reduce your headache or migraine pain.
Want to try tea with clove? Here are a few of our favorites:
Lavender Tea
Lavender is a medicinal herb with powerful aromatherapeutic properties. Made from the dried buds of the lavender plant, lavender tea helps to relax muscles, calm nerves, relieve stress, and soothe tension while warding off headaches and muscle pain. Breathing in the pleasing floral scent is immediately soothing, working to counteract all the negative effects that stress has on your body. Sipping on a cup of lavender tea for migraines, or lavender blended with chamomile or mint for a healing herbal infusion, is the perfect way to de-stress, boost your mood, and ease the pain of a headache.
Want to try lavender tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Turmeric Tea
Turmeric is a healthy golden-hued spice derived from the Curcuma longa root. Curcumin is one of the main active compounds in turmeric that may help with headache symptoms - primarily linked with reducing the pain severity and length of migraines. Turmeric is also heart healthy, packed with antioxidants, and contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties. With inflammation potentially being one of the leading causes of migraines, this natural anti-inflammatory function of turmeric (due to the curcumin) is a huge help when trying to diminish your headache pain.
Want to try turmeric tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Lemon Balm Tea
A calming herb popularly used in aromatherapy, lemon balm tea is a perfect tea for headaches and migraines. With a soothing lemon scent, lemon balm tea contains rosmarinic acid, which helps to activate GABA receptors in the brain. Lemon balm taken as a tea also helps to reduce tension and relaxes muscles, relieving headaches and muscle cramps while soothing the digestive system.
Want to try lemon balm tea? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Rooibos Tea
Rooibos, also known as “red bush tea,” is a caffeine-free herbal tisane made from the needle-like leaves of the South African red bush, Aspalathus linearis. Rooibos has a naturally smooth, nutty, and slightly sweet taste - plus, with the absence of tannins (like in black tea, for example) it will never become bitter when steeped. Rooibos is packed with antioxidants and contains magnesium which is known for calming the nervous system and blood vessels, both of which help ease migraine pain and headaches.
Want to try rooibos tea for migraines? Here are a few of our favorites:
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Should You Drink Caffeinated Tea for Headaches?
It’s tricky to know whether drinking caffeinated tea will help or hurt your headache - the answer depends solely on how caffeine affects you. For some people, caffeine enhances the effectiveness of pain relievers like acetaminophen and helps relieve headache or migraine pain more quickly, but there’s also evidence that caffeine might only make headaches worse for those with more caffeine sensitivities.
Because caffeine affects each person differently, we recommend sticking to drinking one of the herbal teas or caffeine-free teas listed above to be safe rather than sorry. However, if you know that a healthy level of caffeine generally has a positive effect on you, drinking one cup of caffeinated tea - such as a green tea blended with some of the headache-fighting herbs listed above - may help alleviate your headache pain!
Looking for the best caffeine-free and caffeinated tea to help soothe headache pain? We've curated this headache relief collection of the best teas to support headache relief, with ingredients that may help reduce pain and inflammation. Brew up a cup of relief!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Shop Headache Relief Tea Collection
The next time you feel a headache brewing, take action and brew a cup of tea instead! We put together this collection of teas that naturally increase serotonin, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation to help alleviate nagging headache symptoms. Be prepared the next time you feel a headache coming on with one of these powerful teas for headaches.
Interested in trying these teas and others? Subscribers receive 4 teas chosen just for them in every box. Learn more about our tea subscriptions.
About Sips by: We’re a female-founded and led startup that makes discovering tea fun, personalized, and affordable. The Sips by Box is the only multi-brand, personalized tea subscription box. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Based out of Austin, Texas, we are adept at savoring a hot mug even when it’s seasonally inappropriate.