Millions of Americans suffer from chronic headaches or migraines.

These can range from just a minor annoyance to debilitating pain. While medication can help, these can have some difficult side effects.

Many people who take migraine medications, for example, report feeling nauseous or extremely sleepy. These side effects are so bad in some patients that they can't function. Obviously, no one wants to take a medication that can make you feel worse.

Fortunately, there are some at home remedies that are generally perfectly safe and effective. If you suffer from headaches or migraines, these simple remedies might be just the thing you need to get through the day.

One common remedy is lavender oil.

To use lavender oil for helping with headaches, just boil six cups of water and add eight drops of lavender oil. Breathe in the vapor and your headache should feel better. You can also add a few drops of lavender oil directly to your temples for pain relief.

Studies have shown that people respond positively to lavender oil for treatment of migraines. It's unclear exactly why this works, but many people report feeling relief from its use. It's completely safe and may be effective for you.

Feverfew has also been shown to be effective in headache and migraine relief.

This is available in both supplement form and as a tea. Both are equally effective in providing relief.

This herb works by preventing the onset of migraines. The studies on this herb have been mixed, with some finding a reduction in migraines in some payments with others showing no benefit. Even though the results are mixed, it may work for you.

If you have acute pain and need relief, try and ice pack and a banana peel.

Just lay a banana peel on your forehead and place an ice compact on the peel. It should provide relief from even the most serious migraines.

It works because the cold helps your head absorb the potassium from the banana. This has been shown effective in helping people relief headache pain, and it's completely safe to do.

Caffeine has also been shown to be effective in reducing the pain from migraines.

Caffeine is an effective anti-inflammatory agent, so drinking coffee can reduce migraine pain and actually help prevent them entirely.

This works especially well when combined with over-the-counter medication for headaches. Studies have shown that drinking coffee with a pain reliever actually provides up to 40 percent more relief from headaches than just coffee or medication alone.

Eating more omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to prevent migraines as well.

This is found in foods like flaxseed, avocado, salmon or cod liver oil and can easily be incorporated into your diet.

If you eat flaxseed, you'll need to grind it up in order to get the full health benefits. That's because the shell is extremely hard and can make it difficult for the body to absorb the nutrients from the seed. Just grind some up and add it to oatmeal, salads, etc.