According to statistics, among people engaged in running exercises, one in five faces headaches of varying degrees of intensity. It can occur both immediately after training and during it.
In some cases, the pain in the head appears suddenly and does not disappear for several hours. Is it worth continuing to practice despite the discomfort? Or should you urgently pay attention to the signals that the body sends?
Headache in the temples and back of the head after running - causes
Medicine has more than two hundred types of headaches.
The reasons causing it can be roughly divided into two groups:
- Warning about the presence of serious pathologies in the body;
- Not threatening health, but requiring adjustments to the exercise regimen.
Incorrect running breathing technique
The human respiratory apparatus is directly related to the circulatory and vascular system. This connection is due to the extraction of oxygen from the air and transportation to every cell of the body.
Quality breathing is the frequency and depth of inspiration. Irregular breathing while running does not adequately oxygenate the body. A person receives an insufficient or, conversely, an excess of it. And this leads to dizziness, shortness of breath and pain.
Temporary hypoxia
Running involves changes in the vascular, hematopoietic, and respiratory systems of the human body. Against the background of an increase in the level of oxygen in the blood, a decrease in carbon dioxide occurs. The continuity of human breathing is ensured by carbon dioxide in the lungs.
Carbon dioxide is an irritant to the respiratory center. A decrease in carbon dioxide levels leads to a sharp narrowing of the blood channels in the brain through which oxygen enters. Hypoxia occurs - one of the causes of headaches when running.
Overstrain of the muscles of the neck and head
It's not just the leg muscles that are stressed during exercise. Muscle groups of the back, neck, chest and arms are involved. If after running you feel not pleasant fatigue in the body, but pain in the back of the head and sluggishness of the neck, then the muscles were overstrained.
There are several factors causing the condition:
- excessive intensity of physical activity, The problem is relevant for novice runners, when the desire for a quick effect, for example, a fit figure, is associated with excessive zeal;
- improper running technique, when a certain muscle group experiences a more impressive load in comparison with others;
- osteochondrosis.
A feeling of “stiffness” in the cervical spine indicates an increase in muscle pressure on the vessels due to increased blood flow during running. As a result, the supply of oxygen to the brain is hampered.
High blood pressure
Physical activity always increases blood pressure readings. Healthy blood vessels are characterized by rapid recovery of blood pressure after rest. If even a light jog causes pressing pain in the back of the head, then the blood channels are not functioning properly.
The sore eyes and nausea accompanying headache are symptoms of hypertension. Light physical activity in the first stage of hypertension has a beneficial effect on the body, but in the second and third degrees, running is contraindicated.
Frontitis, sinusitis, or sinusitis
These diseases affect the frontal and nasal sinuses, causing the appearance of purulent fluid, nasal congestion, sharp bursting pain in the forehead and eyes. Often accompanied by pawing of the ears and dizziness. These symptoms are aggravated with any physical activity, especially when bending, turning the neck, running.
If, even after a low-intensity exercise, there is a throbbing pain in the forehead, breathing becomes difficult, eyes are watery, nasal congestion is felt, or the temperature rises, then this is a good reason to consult a doctor. Without timely treatment of diseases of the ENT system, the likelihood of serious and even life-threatening complications is very high.
Osteochondrosis
A dull headache in the temples and the back of the head, accompanied by stiffness of neck movements, most often indicates the presence of osteochondrosis. Cephalalgia may be accompanied by dizziness, slight darkening in the eyes, and an unpleasant crunch in the neck. The cause of painful sensations is structural changes in the vertebral discs of the cervical spine, which clamp the vessels and nerves. These symptoms also appear outside the walls of the hall.
Jogging increases the brain's need for oxygen and nutrients, and the work of the heart to pump blood becomes more intense. However, the full-fledged process of feeding the brain through the constricted arteries and veins is disrupted. Osteochondrosis is one of the causes of a dangerous condition - an increase in intracranial pressure.
Increased intracranial pressure
The pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid around the brain inside the skull can change for a variety of reasons, even in healthy people. Poor posture, curvature of the vertebral cartilage, or pinching of them disrupt not only blood circulation, but also the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.
Running, like many other sports associated with high loads, jumping, bending over, provoke sudden changes in pressure and increase the flow of fluid to the brain. This is contraindicated in people with increased ICP, as it is fraught with rupture and vascular hemorrhage.
If, with the start of running training, bursting headaches began in the region of the crown and forehead, which cannot be relieved even by painkillers, then the exercises should be stopped immediately. Especially if painful sensations in the head are accompanied by blurred consciousness, impaired vision and hearing, noise and ringing in the ears.
Trauma
Severe headaches in the temples and back of the head during and after running can be caused by head and neck injuries.
Modern medicine believes that any head injury is serious and that a person who has suffered a concussion or skull fracture should refrain from running and go through a recovery period. Regardless of the severity of the injury suffered, physical and mental stress should be stopped.
Atherosclerosis
If cephalalgia occurs in the occiput and crown, these are signs of a change in the geometry of the vessels. In the presence of atherosclerotic plaques, jogging while running can rupture a blood clot and block the veins.
Decreased blood sugar and electrolyte imbalances
Potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium are the main electrolytes in the human body. Violation of their balance or a decrease in the value of glucose in the blood provoke a headache.
When do you need to see a doctor?
A headache cannot be ignored if the following processes occur simultaneously against its background:
- Pale skin;
- Noise or ringing in your ears;
- Severe dizziness;
- Sharp darkening in the eyes;
- Clouding of consciousness;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Nose bleed;
- Numbness of the limbs.
The presence of one or more of these symptoms requires immediate medical examination or hospitalization.
How to get rid of headaches after running?
In 95 cases out of 100, when medical intervention is not required, an attack of cephalalgia can be stopped independently:
- Provide fresh air. If the lesson is not held outdoors, then it is necessary to ventilate the room well or take a walk. Stuffiness and fatigue after training provoke hypoxia and cephalalgia.
- Massage. Relevant if the headache is caused by osteochondrosis. Special exercises and regular acupressure of the muscles of the cervical and chest area will help to cope with spasms and relieve pain.
- Recreation. Headaches, especially those caused by emotional or physical strain, will subside if the body is allowed to relax and rest. An effective option: lie with your eyes closed in a dark, cool room. First of all, this is advice to novice athletes whose body is not yet ready for heavy sports loads.
- Compresses. Hot gauze compresses on the face help relieve pain in atherosclerosis, vascular dystonia or angina pectoris. But with high blood pressure, the painful condition is removed with cold compresses: pieces of ice wrapped in gauze or a cloth moistened with cold water.
- Taking a bath. This way of getting rid of headaches after running, along with massage and sleep, is also relaxing. The temperature of the water should be warm, and to enhance the effect it is recommended to add aromatic oils or a decoction of soothing herbs.
- An herbal or rosehip decoction can also be taken orally to quench your thirst. It is best to use St. John's wort, coltsfoot, mint leaves for brewing.
- Medications. If there are no contraindications, it is allowed to take analgesics. A well-known remedy - "asterisk", which should be rubbed in a small amount into the temporal part, also helps with headaches.
Prevention of headaches after exercise
You can minimize the risk of pain in the temples and the back of the head using 2 blocks of recommendations: what not and what to do.
What not to do:
- Jog in sweltering weather.
- Smoking before the race.
- Run after a heavy meal, as well as on an empty stomach.
- Exercise while drunk or hungover.
- Go in for sports after a long stay in the cold.
- Running in a state of excessive emotional or physical fatigue.
- Drink tea or coffee neither before nor after running.
- To take very deep breaths, but you cannot grasp the air superficially.
- Jogging with increased intracranial pressure or hypertension of the second and third degree.
What do we have to do:
- Warm up. This will help prepare the muscles and stimulate the cardiovascular system.
- To drink a lot of water.
- Observe the technique of correct breathing: rhythm, frequency, depth. Breathe rhythmically. Regular breathing in the classic version involves an equal number of steps for inhalation and exhalation.
- Jog in the park area, away from highways. If training takes place in the gym, then monitor the ventilation of the room.
- Measure your heart rate and blood pressure before and after your run.
- Review the mode and intensity of jogging.
Jogging should not cause discomfort, only in this case they are beneficial. In addition to a sense of satisfaction, the criteria for usefulness include high spirits, well-being, and absence of pain.
The occurrence of episodic cephalalgia during or after running indicates overexertion and fatigue, especially if a person has not been involved in sports for a long time. But a headache in the temples and the back of the head, regular or accompanied by dangerous symptoms, is not considered a normal condition, even in the case of intense training.
