Exercise Induced Headache – Causes And Prevent

An exercise induced headache (EIH) is a type of headache which occurs during or after any type of exercising. This type of headaches is very common amongst athletes and weightlifters.

There are many different potential reasons that an exercise induced headache may occur. These headaches are most common when performing exercise activities such as running, tennis, swimming, and weightlifting.

Exercise induced headaches are capable of being double the strength of migraine headaches. These headaches could easily last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple weeks. These headaches are thought to be caused by tension to the neck muscles.

Exercise induced headaches are more severe and last longer than the average migraine headache so it is important that you know how they are caused and how you can prevent them.

What Causes Exercise Induced Headaches?

There are a number of possible causes for exercise induced headaches. Tension to the neck is often considered the main cause of these headaches. For example, if you are performing a leg press then you are stressing a lot of your body as it is such a heavy and demanding lift.

Performing this particular exercise could easily cause significant stress to the neck and lead to a build up of tension which could cause exercise induced headaches.

There are many other possible causes for exercise induced headaches. Dehydration over an extended period of time could easily lead to a headache being developed.

Swimming in cold water would most likely cause a headache. Even having swimming goggles on that are too tight could lead to a buildup of tension and create an exercise induced headache.

What Can You Do To Prevent EIH?

If you frequently get these headaches then there is likely a particular part of your exercise regimen which repetitively causes them. If you can pinpoint the cause of the exercise induced headaches then you can work towards preventing them.

For example, additional tension to the neck may occur when performing squats or deadlifts. These are two major exercises for any weightlifter so you want to be able to keep doing them.

To prevent exercise induced headaches when doing any exercise (such as squats and deadlifts) you would want to make sure that you have proper form and that you allow your neck muscles to be relaxed for the exercise.

A good way of accomplishing this is to perform neck extensions prior to the workout as it will reduce tension to the neck muscles when the intense exercises are being performed.

To prevent any other type of exercise induced headaches you will have to consider what is causing them. If you are wearing tight goggles then adjust them to a more comfortable fit or just take them off. Keeping yourself hydrated can go a long way to keep you healthy and energetic when exercising.

A lot of the preventative methods are pretty common sense and easy to figure out if you spot the cause of the headaches. If you feel a headache starting while you are exercising then you should take a break until it goes away.

In closing, exercise induced headaches are a serious form of head and neck pain which should be discussed with your doctor to make sure the appropriate preventative actions are taken.