Exercise Headache?!? Really?!?

Whenever I have a doctor's appointment, I put the reason I'm going in my calendar, too. I just cannot rely on my own brain power these days, lol, so I leave myself notes. This helps tremendously. It's something I learned back when I was pregnant with my son. If anything else pops up between making it and the actual appointment, I just add it to the list.

How much water are you drinking? sounds like dehydration to me...

i get sinus headaches and migraines. my answer is not going to be much help...sorry. i get severe headaches in the exercises classes were they jump around...after 2 of those classes i stopped. now do the bike, weights and the track, yoga. maybe you need to find something calmer for your body??

Please see your primary care physician specifically for this problem. You do not have to wait until your yearly physical exam.

You may need to eat something just before or just after your workout that includes a protein, carb, and fat. It doesn't have to be a big meal. Half a turkey and cheese sandwich with yogurt would be good.

Also be sure that you are hydrating before, during, and after. If you are thirsty you are dehydrated. If your urine darker than light yellow, you are dehydrated.

Definitely see your doctor first to make sure there isn't a lingering neurological issue.

Perhaps you're not breathing right and not enough oxygen is getting to your brain..do you drink electrolyte water while working out? you should..and drink a protein shake right after..you may be dehydrated..
i would ask the trainers at the gym..some can be very helpful

D.

I saw a few people mentioned water, and I was thinking it could have something to do with that. I get horrible headaches the day after I don't get enough water, so maybe you are already dehydrated and the heat and/or exercise puts you over the top?

Also, my face gets extremely red anytime I work out, with a lot of face/head sweat, but the rest of my body doesn't sweat much. I also have the dizzy problem when I stand up too fast. I think those might have something to do with poor circulation.

Yes to all. I've just chalked it up to that's how my body works. I don't tolerate heat well and a good workout makes my face bright red and I can feel the headache starting.

As for the dizziness, does it happen when your body changes elevation? A doctor told me once that if is not unheard of for people with my blood pressure levels (borderline low) to pass out when they stand up too fast, like getting out of bed. It has never happened to me but I do get a lot of head rushes.

I get workout headaches almost every time I do more than 20 min cardio. I overheat quickly and get very red. I also overheat when out in the sun (like you working the boat races) and get horrible headaches. Best thing is to drink as much water as posible. I think there is a direct link between low blood pressure and migranes. When you dehydrate, your blood volume goes down which would lower your pressure. Migrane meds and caffine constrict your blood vessels to bring it back up. Best thing I have found is to drink lots and lots of water when I feel a headache coming on to bring my blood volume back up. Also taking off my shoes and socks right after a workout helps bring down the heat.

I use to get headaches like this and I realized that I get dehydrated really easily. So I try to drink water before exercising,sip water during and then after. If the workout is extremely intense I would have a gatorade after the workout. This method really worked for me and I rarely have a migraine after a workout now(I still get migraines but only during a particular part of my monthly cycle).
My face gets really red as well. It doesn't bother me though, as it usually goes away after a cool shower.

GL!

Go to a chiropractor. A recurring migraine for years in the same place could very well be corrected with an adjustment. It sounds to me like you're so clamped down in your vertabrae that blood flow is restricted, and once you start exercising (the muscle warms up), everything opens up...until you stop (and it clamps back down again). That ties into the light headedness and dizzyness as well - all the time. When the neck and shoulders get SO tight like that, it pulls the vertabrae together so that whole area turns into a "brick". That results in pinched nerves, blood pressure/blood flow issues (which turns into dizziness and vision loss)...it's really amazing how it all ties together.

Your asthma doesn't help the situation, since the struggle to breathe just creates further muscle tension in your neck and shoulders. (I have asthma, too. Been on Advair for years.)

I've had a similar problem for a long time. Regular massage and chiro visits have helped IMMENSELY.

PS: your regular doctor won't know how to treat this, so they'll just medicate you. That won't solve the problem. I went to several before I learned that going another route was necessary.

Most likely you are dehydrated. Drinking just water won't be enough for you. You need electrolytes in it. Gatorade, Propel, stuff like that. Try drinking well before your workout, during if you can and right after. Used to happen to me a lot when I was younger and now I drink Propel when I exercise.