Types of Exertional Headaches

• You were physically active all day long and, in the aftermath, your head is pounding as if there were bass drums in it. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is considered an exertional headache. There are two types of exertional headaches--those that occur after extreme exercise but that are not indicative of any underlying medical problem and those that are a tip-off that you may have a tumor or internal bleeding.
  
  

Symptoms and Preventive Measures

• If you are suffering from a primary exertion headache, which is described as throbbing, it may last for as little as five minutes or as long as two days, but it is not life threatening. If you are aware that you will suffer from an exertional headache after exercise, the Mayo Clinic advises that you take medicine prior to engaging in the physical activity. Indomethacin, which is an anti-inflammatory drug, is the most common exertional headache drug, according to the Mayo Clinic. A blood pressure medication called propranolol can also be used as a preventive measure. Ask your doctor about the appropriate treatment. You need to determine if there is a structural or underlying reason for these headaches before the right course of action can be taken.
  
  

MRI

• On the other hand, if your exertional headache is so bad that you experience nausea and vomiting, you need to see a doctor. She may want you do undergo an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to determine the cause of your headaches. The MRI will allow your physician to determine if your headaches are benign and pose no problem to your health or if there is something structural that is causing them.
  
  

Treatment

• Exertional headaches, if they are of the non-life-threatening variety, can be treated with rest, quiet, lying in a dark room with your eyes covered, massage and a hot bath or shower, according to Wrongdiagnosis.com.
  
  

Medications

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Flaxen, Anaprox and Aleve, may be used to relieve an exertional headache, according to Wrongdiagnosis.com, as can ibuprofen and Nalfon, which are other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are used to treat arthritis and various inflammatory disorders.
  
  

Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks

• According to Dr. Bahram Mokri, a professor of neurology at Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, a condition called spontanenous cerebrospinal fluid (SCF) leaks occasionally presents itself as an exertional headache. It can be treated somewhat effectively by drinking caffeine or taking non-steroidals or analgesics. If those treatments don't work, Dr. Mokri explains that the most commonly used invasive therapeutic treatment is an epidural blood patch. However, before opting for this treatment, serious consideration needs to be given to the severity of the headaches you are experiencing and the degree of discomfort you are suffering as a result. If you can live with the headaches, then aggressive treatment is not recommended. However, if you can't tolerate them, the epidural blood patch can be introduced. Epidural infusions of fibrin glue and fluid may be used if the epidural blood patch doesn't work.