Migraines & Exercise

Time Frame

Unless preceded by a benign exertion headache, exertion migraines come on suddenly during the vigorous exercise. If this happens during sex--usually called a "sex migraine"--this tends to happen just at the moment of orgasm. It can last from an hour to 72 hours. No matter what type of migraine, it tends to come back at semi-regular times.

Although migraine symptoms can differ from person to person, often they include throbbing pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and extreme sensitivity to light and noise. Uncommon exertion migraine symptoms include mood swings, panic attacks, vision problems, a tingling sensation in the limbs and fever. Not all of these symptoms occur with each migraine attack.

Exercise should not be cut out completely with someone suffering from exertion migraines. Without exercise, the person could become obese or develop insomnia, which only exasperates the frequency and intensity of migraines. The type of exercise needs to be changed. Recommended exercise would be walking, water aerobics, slow swimming, gardening, yoga or other types of low-impact exercises.

There is also another type of migraine that often accompanies exercise. It's called compression migraine or "swim-goggle migraine." It's caused by equipment that needs to be worn on the head that is too small or tight for that particular person. These include helmets, riding hard hats, helmets, face masks, ski goggles or mouth guards. The usual cure is to experiment with the equipment to limit the migraine pain.

Sometimes what seems like an exertion migraine may be something more serious. Contact a doctor immediately if the exertion migraine is accompanied by numbness in a part of the body, stiff neck, high fever, skin rash, extreme confusion or coordination difficulties. Anyone over the age of 50 who has never had a migraine and suddenly gets one should also contact a doctor. Anyone who has recently had a sports-related concussion and suddenly gets a migraine should go to the hospital. Any exertion migraine that lasts over 72 continuous hours also warrants a trip to the hospital.