Also: Benzodiazepine use may raise risk of Alzheimer's disease; Short-circuit migraines before they start.

September 11, 2014 September 11, 2014 4 ways to tame tension headaches A tension headache can put a damper on your day. This kind of headache usually develops in the afternoon, causing mild or moderate pain that may feel like dull tightness or a band of pressure. Tension headaches occur when neck, shoulder, and scalp muscles become tense. Some people experience tension headaches from time to time; others get them more often. While this type of headache is rarely debilitating, it can certainly make life miserable. Get your copy of Headaches Headaches inflict their misery in a variety of ways, from a dull, steady ache to a blinding, throbbing pain. Nearly everyone has them at least occasionally, but an unfortunate few experience near-constant head pain. This report offers in-depth information on the most common kinds of headaches and the treatment strategies that work best for each, including a number of self-help and alternative techniques. If you have frequent tension headaches (more often than once or twice a week), here are some strategies that can help you prevent them: Pay attention to the basics. Don’t skip meals, get enough sleep, and pace yourself to avoid stress and fatigue. Relaxation techniques. Physical and relaxation therapies can help stave off tension headaches, so long as you practice these techniques regularly. Physical approaches include applying a heating pad to your neck and shoulders to relax the muscles. Exercising these muscles also helps, by strengthening and stretching them. Relaxation exercises that focus your attention on various parts of your body in order to relax and release tension and stress can also help. Biofeedback. This relaxation technique requires special training but can help people avoid recurrent tension headaches. Typically, a therapist will attach electrodes to your skin to detect electrical signals from your neck and shoulder muscles. You learn to recognize when you are becoming tense and then find ways to relax the muscles before they tighten so much you develop a tension headache. Medical approaches. Some people with tension headaches have very sensitive areas, known as trigger points, at the back of the neck or in the shoulders. Injecting a local anesthetic into these areas may eliminate the pain and prevent the headache from occurring again. There are also a number of medications that can help keep tension headaches at bay. If non-drug therapies aren’t giving you the relief you need, talk with your doctor about the medication options that might be right for you. For more information on preventing, diagnosing, and treating headaches, buy Headaches: Relieving and preventing migraines and other headaches, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: News and Views from the Harvard Health Blog Benzodiazepine use may raise risk of Alzheimer's disease Drugs in the benzodiazepine family have long been used to treat anxiety and sleep problems. They can cause a bit of a brain hangover the next day. A new study linked regular use of a benzodiazepine with an increased risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Short-circuit migraines before they start Author and migraine sufferer Joan Didion once wrote, “That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing.” At that time, migraines weren’t something that could be prevented. Today, that’s a possibility for some people who have severe migraines, frequent migraines (more than three or four times a month), or migraines that don’t respond well to treatment. The cornerstone of migraine prevention is managing triggers like stress, certain foods, or strong perfumes. Alternative and complementary therapies (like acupuncture) help some migraine sufferers keep headaches at bay. In some cases, taking medication even when you aren’t having a migraine attack can help. This usually involves taking the medication every day, with the goal of gradually tapering the dose, and, ideally, eventually discontinuing it altogether. Here are some of the medications commonly used to prevent migraine. Because they have different effects, and potential side effects, it’s important to work with your doctor to find the one that’s right for you. Beta blockers Commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart-related chest pain, beta blockers may prevent migraines by not allowing blood vessels to expand too much (and put pressure on nerves). There are many beta blockers available, and it may take a while to find the one that works best for you. Tricyclic antidepressants These medications are sometimes used to help manage pain, including headache. Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) is the best studied for pain relief and the most often prescribed for migraine prevention: it’s about 60% effective in thwarting such headaches. Calcium-channel blockers Calcium-channel blockers are also used primarily for heart-related conditions, but help some people prevent migraine. Antiseizure medications Topiramate (Topamax) and divalproex (Depakote) are antiseizure drugs that are also specifically approved for migraine prevention. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is another that, while not specifically approved to prevent migraines, does work well for some people. Other drugs Although low-dose aspirin is far less effective than the standard migraine headache preventive medications, it may improve migraine control when used in combination with another preventive medication. It is important to check with your doctor before starting to take aspirin daily. For more information on preventing, diagnosing, and treating migraine and other types of headache, buy Headaches: Relieving and preventing migraines and other headaches from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Featured in this issue Headaches Featured content: • Headache basics • Self-help and alternative strategies to ease headache pain • Tension headache • Migraine headache • SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: Mitigating migraine pain: Past, present, and future •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. PHONE ORDERS - please call our toll-free number: 1-877-649-9457. You are currently subscribed to HEALTHbeat as BrendaModica252@gmail.com. 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