It's surprisingly common - you're exercising, everything's fine, and then POW - a headache strikes! Or, sometimes, a headache hits while you're exercising. Is it just a minor annoyance? Or could it be a signal that something serious is going on? Should you go to
doctor, or just shrug it off?If you already suffer from headaches or migraine, it may just be that your exercise is starting headache chain-reaction. In that case, it's important to look at overall picture and make sure you're getting treatment you need for headaches. Your doctor may recommend a pain killer to take just before you exercise, to stop pain before it starts. In case of migraine, this is called an "effort migraine", and it's very common. A throbbing headache in back of your head may be an "exertion headache", which again usually requires some pain killers and is not serious.
But after exercise headache can be a warning that something serious is going on. As a general rule of thumb, if you get a new headache after you exercise, you should see a doctor right away. Any sudden change when it comes to headache could be a sign of something serious, so don't wait.
Some of more serious headaches have to do with blood vessels in head. A headache after exercise could indicate an abnormality in blood vessels themselves, or could warn you of a brain hemorrhage (or haemorrhage) (blood flow when blood vessels break).
If you're exercising in heat and begin to have sore muscles, difficulty breathing, and dizziness along with headache, you could be experiencing early signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. You'll soon be past helping yourself, but friends will need to make sure your body is cooled off quickly.
