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Migraine aura after exercise10/22/2023 When the runner began drinking more water, she stopped getting migraines. Lucy Rathier, PhD, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Warren Alpert Medical School, told WebMD, “There could be other variables at play that aren’t managed well… I treated a runner once who kept getting migraines because she wasn’t well hydrated.” We could find no data within these studies that identified participants’ hydration level, the temperature, altitude, or recent eating and sleeping habits – so it is difficult to isolate the exercise from any other potential triggers that could have been in play for some or many individuals. These studies certainly suggest that for many migraineurs, exercise is a clear attack trigger – but again, remember that triggers rarely act alone. And if that’s the case, perhaps you can minimize other factors and move forward on your journey to greater health. However, it’s hard to isolate that factor from other potentially-present triggers – like fatigue, stress, or that glass of red wine you drank the night the storm rolled in.įollowing that same line of thought, the same could be said of exercise as a trigger. storm fronts moving in, especially hot, humid, or cold days, etc. That means several usually have to be present simultaneously for a migraine to occur.įor example, many migraineurs cite weather changes as a cause of their migraines – i.e. That said, according to the American Migraine Foundation, a single trigger – unless exceptionally dramatic – is not enough to start a migraine attack by itself. Exact triggers vary from person-to-person, leaving it up to you to determine your specific triggers. In fact, these triggers are the most common ones both in migraineurs and non-migraineurs – but, although not clearly understood yet, these factors precipitate migraines in migraineurs more frequently. But to review, a trigger is a life factor that, when present, causes a migraine to happen.Īccording to a French study that took 385 migraineurs (migraine sufferers) and 313 non-migraineurs and had them keep a diary for 3 months, the most common triggers include: You’ve likely been educated on this when you were diagnosed, or have done some reading already. Migraines simply do not come out of the blue – something has to trigger the attack. So, a good place to start understanding your exercise-triggered migraines (ETM) is by reviewing migraine triggers. Seriously – it can feel like you’re caught in limbo. And, exercise is often recommended as a part of your treatment plan – so what gives? Since scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly is going on with migraines in general, it can be tough to answer – but there are some theories. But that still leaves some questions unanswered: how do you handle it, and why does it happen in the first place? We can answer that right away – no, it’s probably not a coincidence. So how do you get around it? Is exercise actually triggering your migraine attack, or is it just a “coincidence?” If you get migraines when you exercise, popping pain relievers and lying in a dark room for relief is probably the last thing you want when pursuing a healthier lifestyle. A migraine shouldn’t be added to that list of things you feel when you exercise – but for many, it is. When you exercise, you expect a few things: maybe to get sweaty, breathe hard, and feel “the burn” and once you’re done, a nice boost of energy and endorphins feels great.
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