Exercise Induced Headache - What you should know

Headache is a very common ailment affecting people all over the world. Headache can occur spontaneously without any reason (primary headache) or could occur due to some underlying cause (secondary headache). Exercise induced headache is one form of headache where the person experiences headache while performing some form of physical exercise. This form of headache could be either primary or secondary. This means that it could occur without a reason or due to some other cause.

While primary exercise induced headaches are not serious, it is still a cause for many people to shy away from exercising on a regular basis. They believe that exercising will induce the onset of headache and will avoid taking up any form of exercise. But, secondary exercise induced headache is due to some underlying cause like a tumor or a hematoma that could be potentially fatal it left untreated. It is important to diagnose whether the headache is due to secondary causes and get treatment at the earliest to avoid potential complications.

But, not every exercise induced headache is due to an underlying cause and is usually not anything serious. Many people might have the primary form of headache mostly due to changes in the level of blood sugar or due to sudden changes in the blood supply to the brain.

While secondary types need to be diagnosed quickly and treated, the incidence of primary types of exercise induced headache can be avoided by following some preventive steps.

If you are just beginning to exercise and are getting headache, it is best to avoid following a rigorous exercise regimen and take it slowly until your body starts adjusting to the levels of stress. But, if you are already well into exercising and begun to get headaches, it is best to cut down a bit or to change the regime. Another alternative is to perform an altogether different workout.

It is also advisable to have a good warm up before you actually begin your exercise schedule. Follow light stretching exercises before entering the actual regimen. This will prepare the body and prevent any changes in the brain that will affect the blood supply and cause headaches. It is also advisable to cool down the body following the exercise. Another good tip is to avoid exercise that will cause you to lower the level of the head too much and increase blood flow to the brain.

If you are still facing the problems of headache even after following all these simple measures, it is best to visit a doctor to rule out any secondary causes that might be causing the headache. If after screening and testing, the doctor does not find any such secondary causes to the headache you will be prescribed some proper medication to be taken before you exercise so that you will not face the problem in the future.

By following a regular exercise regime, the incidents of headache will gradually reduce and soon you will not be facing the problem any more. Exercising regularly is definitely great for your body and a problem like exercise induced headache should not inhibit you from staying fit. This is a controllable problem and following the tips mentioned above should help you do the trick.