Here’s why you get a headache when you exercise, even after drinking water

Getting a headache during or after exercise can be seriously frustrating – especially if you’ve kept hydrated to prevent this from happening.

but why do they do this Headache occur? And does staying hydrated make a difference?

Exercise headaches (also known as “exertion headaches”) are exactly what they sound like: headaches that occur either during or after exercise.

French doctor Jules Tinel first described these headaches in the medical literature in 1932, and they have been a regularly discussed topic ever since.

Exercise headache usually manifests as throbbing pain on either side of the head. They often occur after strenuous exercise – although what is considered “strenuous” can vary between people depending on their fitness level. They can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.

Exercise-related headaches are thought to affect about 12 percent of adults, although the number ranges from 1 percent to 26 percent in different studies.

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In most circumstances, these headaches are harmless and resolve on their own with time. Some research shows that you may stop getting them after a few months of starting a new type of workout.

But although they are generally harmless, they can sometimes indicate an underlying condition that requires medical attention.

Despite much research on exertional headaches, we don’t know their exact cause, but we think we know why they occur.

The leading theory suggests that they are caused by changes in blood flow to the brain. During intense exercise, blood vessels in the brain dilate, increasing blood flow and pressure, causing pain.

Because long-term exercise improves our cardiovascular health, including the ability of our blood vessels to dilate and constrict, this theory makes sense when we consider that exercise headaches resolve themselves over time. This may explain why research shows that fitter people are less likely to get exercise headaches.

people with migraine They appear to be more likely to experience exercise headaches, which is thought to be due to this same mechanism.

There is evidence that exercise is more likely to cause headaches in the heat.

Your brain can’t dissipate heat by sweating like the rest of your body. So when it’s hot, your body has to increase blood flow to the brain to reduce the temperature, which can lead to increased pressure.

Similarly, headaches caused by exercise also tend to get worse and often occur when people are dehydrated.

However, we are not sure why this happens. Some research has shown that dehydration Stress increases during exercise. Well, dehydration may not necessarily cause headaches, but it is more likely to cause it.

Most exercise headaches resolve on their own after a few hours and result in no lasting negative effects.

In some rare instances, they may be a sign of something more serious happening in the brain, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding between the brain and the tissues that cover it), reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (spasm of blood vessels), cervical artery dissection (or rupture), intracranial high blood pressure (pressure in the brain), or an infection.

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To rule out something serious, see a doctor if:

There is no surefire way to prevent exercise headaches.

But a recent review suggests that making sure you’re adequately hydrated and slowly warming up to your desired exercise intensity may make them less likely to occur.

Additionally, you may want to keep your exercise intensity in the light to moderate range for a few months. This will give your cardiovascular system some time to adapt before performing more vigorous exercise, which will hopefully reduce the chance of getting an exercise headache.

Exercise-related headaches are annoying, but generally harmless and should subside on their own over time.