Heavy Weight & Headaches

Headaches can occur during or after lifting heavy weights. These exercise-induced headaches are typically primary exertional headaches, according to Dr. Nabih M. Ramadan in an article printed in August 2004 edition of Current Pain and Headache Reports. Headaches are often a sign of overexertion during weightlifting exercises. However, they could indicate a more serious medical condition.

Exertional Headaches

Both migraine sufferers and non-headache-prone patients can suffer from exertional headaches, according to the Robbins Headache Clinic. People over 40 have a higher risk of suffering from this form of headache, which often occurs during or after activities such heavy weightlifting, aerobics or sexual intercourse. This type of headache typically lasts for 15 to 20 minutes, but can last for up to a day.

Common Causes

Exertion headaches that occur during heavy lifting typically result from non-life-threatening circumstances, but some medical conditions can also cause headaches during heavy lifting. These headaches often result from improper breathing techniques or excessive straining of the neck muscles, according to the book "Advanced Therapy of Headache." Contributing factors may include dehydration, hot weather, high altitude, caffeine, alcohol, high humidity and hypoglycemia. Serious medical conditions that can cause headaches during heavy lifting include a blocked blood vessel, tumor or cyst on the brain, aneurysm or a condition called Arnold-Chiari I malformation, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Diagnostics

When diagnosing the cause of any type of headache, your doctor may require laboratory tests and a headache history. To determine your headache history, you should keep a journal that describes each headache, including information on the time of occurrence, intensity and duration of the headache, use of medications, amount of sleep the night before the headache, fluid and food consumption, weather characteristics and exercise intensity and duration, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says. Common diagnostic procedures to rule out underlying medical conditions include blood tests, urinalysis, spinal tap, Computed Tomography, electroencephalogram and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Prevention

Once you understand what causes your heavy lifting-induced headaches, you may find ways to prevent them. Common prevention methods include drinking more water, avoiding caffeine, avoiding alcohol, exercising indoors during hot or humid weather, or monitoring your blood sugar levels. A warmup or decrease in intensity level may also help decrease the occurrence of exertional headaches during heavy lifting.

Treatment

Medication may help prevent headaches when no structural or vascular problems exist. Common medications include the anti-inflammatory Indomethacin and the blood pressure medication Propranolol, according to MayoClinic.com. Take the medication prior to exercise if you can predict one. If your headaches come at unpredictable times or happen frequently, you may need to take one of these medications on a daily basis. Structural or vascular problems may require surgical intervention.