Exertion Headaches

Headache after exercise (cycling)

Many athletes have to deal with exertion headaches. Often there is a good explanation for it. Too little drunk, eaten too little or gone too deep. Sometimes, it is a wrong adjustment of the bicycle resulting in overloading of the neck muscles occurs.

Some athletes have tried everything, drink as much as they can at all, the bike is adjusted by an expert, the neck is treated by a chiropractor, but still they continue to get exertion headaches. For these athletes there is often talk of "Endeavour Primary Headache".

Primary headaches effort

This type of headache is harmless, but can significantly spoil the fun of the athlete. The mechanism behind these headaches is unknown. One of the many theories is that the pressure increases in the abdominal cavity and the thoracic cavity created by the faster and deeper breathing during exertion, it causes in the end through the heart is also a higher pressure in the veins in the brains. The protective mechanism of the brains, which should absorb this pressure increases in these veins works with people with exertion headache may be less.

Symptoms of Primary Effort Headache

These are: the occurrence of headaches during or several hours after exercise, which usually disappear within 24 hours. The headaches are not limited to the 1 side of the head and is throbbing in character. There are no other phenomena such as light flashes, emesis, etc. The effort to avoid the headache can do occur. Known triggers are sports in warm weather and sports at altitude. This type of exertion headaches can also be associated with coughing and headaches after sex.

For a survey of sports doctor Karin van der Ende-Kastelijn during Limburg Most Beautiful (2009) nearly 4000 participants completed a questionnaire on headache. This showed that 45% or has had (or has) a headache after exercise and 44% of them even at least 1 x per month. The survey also revealed that many people stop exercising the headache. So the problem is bigger than they used to think.

Treatment

Should athletes Primary Effort Headache then just stop? Some athletes find that they suffer less, for example cycling than in a sport with a lot of shock load such as running. So changing sport can possibly be a solution. Others find that when they fall below a certain heart rate than that no complaints. An exercise test to determine training zones can help.

the athlete who absolutely wants to go with his or her own sport at all levels can try medication. There is a drug that, when it is ingested, for the exercise of the headache often may occur.

Unfortunately, this type of headache and its treatment are not known to many physicians. This put a lot of people with their sport while this might not be necessary.

Secondary Effort Headache

In rare cases, exertion headaches a sign of a serious problem in the head (such as a tumor or a vascular disorder) or even heart disease.

Therefore it is necessary that everyone who regularly headache during or after exercise, a doctor visits to close. serious causes of Especially athletes whose headache for the first occurs at a later age (40 or older), which does not disappear within 24 hours and other complaints of the nervous system, must be checked.

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