Hello, looking for any advice regarding this affliction I have recently been cursed with. It seems every time I climb hills I almost imediately begin to suffer from severe headache. And has only become a problem of late, I'm thinking this is as a result of oxygen intake (or lack of) have recently quit smoking after 30 years (am 45 years old.) I am in reasonable shape, and am no more than a couple of KG overweight. Currently ride around 200km per week. Hoping there is a simple solution before GP gets involved.
Sounds like it might be blood pressure. Does it happen when you do any other activity that causes a high level of exertion? Do the headaches last a while, or do they go away when you get back to level ground?
Pembo, did you ride your bike before you quit smoking?
If so, did you put as much effort into a ride when you smoked.....
....as you do now that you have quit smoking?
I broke that last question up because it is important. If you just quit smoking in the last few months, then I bet you are feeling pretty strong right now, but you still have diminished lung capacity after 30 years of smoking.
If that describes your situation then yes, I can understand you getting headaches when you ride intensely.
How long ago did you quit smoking and how much did you bike before and after quiting?
Not to be alarmist, but call your doctor and ask him. A good friend of mine lost his fiance to a burst brain aneurism.
Don't screw around talking to jocks about this. Call your doctor. Schedule a scan.
Very good advise. But I also tend to agree with 64Paramount. The damage that has been done to your lungs over the course of 30 years is not going to be corrected in a couple of weeks or months. I doubt that this is a brain aneurism as it only occurs during a specific activity, i.e. climbing. A brain aneurism would occur at various times, often with no readily identifiable trigger. But anytime that you have something happening like this, it never hurts to get your GP's take on the matter. It may be that you need to back off a little until you can restore your lung capacity to a more normal non-smoker's level.
Yup. The very last place to look for medical advice is on an internet forum. A headache can be a symptom of many things. See a doc, and tell him every detail you can about what's going on when these happen, what was going on before, what you've consumed, and etc. Take notes on what's going on, things you notice.
