Issue Date: April 22, 2007
When exercise causes headaches
You've gotten active. Good for you! But now your head is pounding. Here's advice to stop the pain.
The irony is that regular exercise actually reduces the risk of future headaches.
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One of the greatest challenges I experience in my medical practice is motivating inactive folks to become active. Excuses for not exercising abound, although most Americans are aware of the health benefits of an active lifestyle: improved longevity, lower risk for heart disease and cancer, improved quality of life -- to name a few. Despite knowing this, only three in 10 adult Americans get the recommended 30 minutes of activity five days per week.
What keeps us from exercising when we know how good it is for us? Some of the major reasons people cite for not exercising are lack of time, an unsafe environment or no access to a convenient location. Although these challenges can be difficult to overcome, they're usually not insurmountable. With some attention to detail and a little planning, the logistics of getting active can work.
Even when convenient opportunities for exercising exist, some people just don't get into the routine. One reason: Exercise can be a real headache -- literally -- for some people. Exercise-induced headaches occur with physical exertion. And it doesn't have to be exercise, per se. Any significant exertion -- including coughing, sneezing and even sex -- can precipitate the problem. The headache itself usually is generalized (your head hurts all over), comes on during or after the activity and lasts anywhere from a few minutes to about an hour. These headaches generally respond quite well to aspirin or other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents, like ibuprofen.
Find out what is causing your headaches
Exercise-induced headaches, although usually not dangerous, need to be taken seriously. According to the National Headache Foundation, up to 10% of exertional headaches are caused by potentially serious underlying medical conditions like tumors, aneurysms or malformed blood vessels. For this reason, people who develop headaches after beginning an exercise program, and those who already are active and start developing headaches, should visit with their doctor.
If an evaluation by your doctor reveals an underlying problem, then treatment is directed toward correcting the issue. If there isn't an underlying disorder, then the best treatment is to develop an exercise routine that minimizes your chances of getting a headache.
And if there isn't a medical reason for your headaches, then look at your exercise habits, which may be contributing to your pain.
You can keep these headaches at bay
For those who suffer from exercise-induced headaches, the irony is that regular exercise, if performed using the guidelines mentioned in the box above, actually reduces the risk of future headaches. The key is to make sure that your exercise routine is not contributing to the problem. Keep your program consistent, but be sure to take extra time to ease into each session of activity and to cool down properly. Doing so will keep you on the road to health without hitting the speed bumps of exercise-induced headaches.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and medical director of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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5 tips for heading off exercise headaches
To decrease your odds of getting an exercise-related headache, incorporate these tips into your fitness regimen:
Adequate hydration is a must. Drinking plenty of water is good for your general health, and it keeps exercise-induced headaches at bay.
Slow and steady wins the race. Give your body plenty of time to warm up before pushing the intensity of a bout of exercise. Take several minutes to get the blood flowing. Walk, ride a stationary bike -- do anything that will help you ease into the routine.
Keep exercise smooth, not jarring. Higher impact activities (e.g., jogging, court sports, etc.) are more likely to cause exercise-induced headaches than activities that don't "bounce" the body (e.g., elliptical trainers, walking, swimming, cycling, etc.).
Give yourself an adequate cool-down. Don't rev the old engine up and then abruptly turn it off. Our bodies need to be given some respect. After exercising, give yourself five minutes to let your system cool down gently.
If you have ongoing or difficult-to-manage headaches, visit your doctor. Medications are available that can decrease the frequency of headaches. Other medicines can be taken at the onset of a headache to get rid of it.
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