Bad Headaches At The Gym

[kurgen]

For the last couple of weeks I have been getting really bad headaches as soon as I start training at the gym.

It feels like there is a lot of pressure on my temples.

After about 20 mins of training the pain eases but still takes an hour or so to completely go.

So come on Doc tell me, how long have I got ?

P.S. by the way, I've never suffered from headaches at all, apart from hangovers

Edited August 29, 2006 by kurgen

[soi lurker]

Well kurgen, in my expert internet medical opinion, it could be a number of things. A few common causes may be dehydration or blood pressure. Making sure your hydrated is not only important for training, but for the rest of the day afterwards. Plenty of fluids mate, and not the amber kind. Also if supplements like creatine are taken, they can cause some headaches when not hydrated properly. Blood pressure may be an issue here too, and may have more of an affect when your lying down, doing your excersises. If you think this may be a factor, consult with your physician. Hope thats a start for you.

[kurgen]

Well kurgen, in my expert internet medical opinion, it could be a number of things. A few common causes may be dehydration or blood pressure. Making sure your hydrated is not only important for training, but for the rest of the day afterwards. Plenty of fluids mate, and not the amber kind. Also if supplements like creatine are taken, they can cause some headaches when not hydrated properly. Blood pressure may be an issue here too, and may have more of an affect when your lying down, doing your excersises. If you think this may be a factor, consult with your physician. Hope thats a start for you.

Thanks.

I suppose I could be dehydrated as I drink beer most nights, but I do drink plenty of water at night before going to sleep.

I haven't taken Creatin for over a year as I heard more bad things about it than good.

I hate going to see the doc because everytime I see him he tells me I'm ill

[jdinasia]

Well kurgen, in my expert internet medical opinion, it could be a number of things. A few common causes may be dehydration or blood pressure. Making sure your hydrated is not only important for training, but for the rest of the day afterwards. Plenty of fluids mate, and not the amber kind. Also if supplements like creatine are taken, they can cause some headaches when not hydrated properly. Blood pressure may be an issue here too, and may have more of an affect when your lying down, doing your excersises. If you think this may be a factor, consult with your physician. Hope thats a start for you.

Thanks.

I suppose I could be dehydrated as I drink beer most nights, but I do drink plenty of water at night before going to sleep.

I haven't taken Creatin for over a year as I heard more bad things about it than good.

I hate going to see the doc because everytime I see him he tells me I'm ill

Sorry K....

Time to head to the Dr! Make sure he puts you on a treadmill and gets your BP after working for awhile!

[Mighty Mouse]

Headaches at the gym can be caused by dehydration, excessive exertion, working out before breakfast or perhaps too much perving at that cute li'l chick in the skin tight black lycra body suit.

You need to concentrate on each set..........exercise set, not her big set...............but if the headaches persist, it is advisable to see your doctor. Regular headaches should never be ignored.

[soi lurker]

Headaches at the gym can be caused by dehydration, excessive exertion, working out before breakfast or perhaps too much perving at that cute li'l chick in the skin tight black lycra body suit.

Thats the kind of headache that you dont want to go away....

[kurgen]

The headaches start as soon as I lift the 1st weight, the pressure just seems to build up in my temples.

I have had a headache for about 3 hours now and I left the gym over 2 hours ago

[jdinasia]

Get to the Dr! This could be a bad Blood Pressure problem and there is no way that a bunch of guys on a computer can help!

[chuchok]

Get to the Dr! This could be a bad Blood Pressure problem and there is no way that a bunch of guys on a computer can help!

yep, can't agree more.does sound like BP though.Either that, or kurg is still wearing his birds tight knickers...

[taxexile]

Health Care Topics: Headache

Seven in 10 people have at least one headache a year

The majority of headaches last for only a few hours, but some can persist for weeks

Forty-five million Americans suffer from chronic headaches

Headaches cost billions of dollars in lost productivity every year

With a headache, pain may occur in only one part of the head, such as above the eyes, or it may involve the entire head. The type of pain experienced varies; it may be constant and dull or sudden and sharp. And sometimes other symptoms, such as nausea, occur at the same time depending on the type of headache.

Three main types of headaches

Tension headaches

typically feel like a tightening on both sides of the head. They can last for minutes or days, and can happen frequently. Tension headaches are often the result of stress or bad posture, which causes tightening of the muscles in the neck and the scalp. Tension headaches often worsen with noise and hot, stuffy environments. This type of headache occurs mostly in women over age 20.

Migraine headaches

are intense and throbbing, often involve one side of the head, and can make you sensitive to light or noise. Migraines last from hours up to three days and are more common in women. Some sufferers have an "aura" (a group of visual symptoms) just before an attack. In the U.S. each year, about 25 million people experience a migraine. Migraine sufferers usually have their first attack before age 30, but they can also occur in children as young as age three. Migraines recur at intervals of varying length. Some people have attacks several times a month; others have less than one a year. Most people find that migraine attacks occur less frequently and become less severe as they get older. There are two types of migraine: migraine with an aura and migraine without aura. An aura is a group of symptoms that develop before the onset of the main headache.

Cluster headaches

are non-throbbing and usually are felt on one side of the head behind an eye. Cluster headaches affect about 1 million people in the United States. More common in men, they can happen over several days and usually last 30 to 45 minutes. They generally occur between one and four times a day. Like migraines, cluster headaches are likely to be related to an increased blood flow as a result of the blood vessels in the brain widening.

What are the causes?

There are many possible causes of headache that determine the site and nature of the pain. About three in four of all headaches are caused by tension in the scalp and neck muscles. Very few headaches have serious underlying causes, but those that do require urgent medical attention. For example, a severe headache may be a sign of meningitis. In elderly people, a headache with tenderness of the scalp or temple may be due to temporal ateritis, in which blood vessels in the head become inflamed.

If you have a headache that lasts more than 24 hours and is severe, or accompanied by other symptoms, such as problems with vision or vomiting, medical help should be sought immediately.

What might your doctor do?

Your doctor may do a physical examination if he/she suspects an underlying disorder causing your headache. You may require tests such as a CT scan or a MRI of your brain.

For more information about headaches, visit the National Headache Foundation at www.headaches.org

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you might be lifting weights incorrectly , resulting in muscle spasm in your neck or temple region

[Sheryl]

What imedfiately leaps to mind is, as other posters have said, high blood pressure. Easy enough to check: see what your blood pressure is at rest and tyhen what it is when you have the headache (Can buy small device to measure it at any large pharmacy).

If it is high blood pressure, ignoring it and continuing to exercise may lead to stroke. You need to get treatment.

If on the other hand your BP is normal both at rest and while you have these exercise induiced headaches, could be low blood sugar and/or fluid electrolyte imbalance.

You mention that the doct6or always tells you you're ill. Ill with what???

[pedro01]

How is your breathing when you exercise ? Are you holding your breath ?

Do you warm up - or straight into heavy sets ? What rep range are you working on the set that gives you the headache ?

Pedro

[londonthai]

The headaches start as soon as I lift the 1st weight,

stop lifting weights - do something else, whatever they have there. Go to some relaxation classes (yoga, pilates, exercising in the swimming pool, tai chi, etc), get a good, regular massage treatment (ask them to do shoulders, neck and very! gentle around the head and face) and cranio-sacral therapy treatments (if you find a therapist in your area).

at least 5 litres of water, no beer, soft drinks, tea, coffee.

[pgrin]

I bought an automatic BP cuff at Watsons for 2000 baht. It goes around your wrist and takes about 1 minute. My BP gets up here because of the amount of sodium in Thai food, salt, fish sauce and MSG. High blood pressure is sneaky because it is doing you damage(most often to the kidneys) without any symptoms. It is frequently preventable and almost always easily treatable. Ignoring it is not smart. This might not be the cause of your headaches but watching your BP when in Thailand is a good idea.

P

[sbk]

Thats interesting, because I get what I call "heat headaches" which I have always contributed to overheating and dehydration. If I do anything really physical and get hot I can feel the top of my head getting really hot and then I get a terrible headache than can last for at least day.

Anything like that kurgen?