Should i bother about this headache?

March 10, 2010 11:19 PM

i get a headache while climbing stairs,especially if i climb fast and more than one floor. The headache goes away in a few minutes. i am 22. should i see a doctor, or is it no big deal. this started about a year ago.
posted by niyati182 to health & fitness (11 answers total)

Depending on the kind of headache, it could be caused by poor circulation. Are your extremities frequently cold or tingly?
posted by stoneweaver at 11:58 PM on March 10, 2010

my extremities do stay cold.
posted by niyati182 at 12:09 AM on March 11, 2010

Low blood pressure?
I'd say, yeah, see a doctor.
posted by gijsvs at 12:31 AM on March 11, 2010

See a doctor, yes, and ask for a referral to a neurologist. Get an MRI.
Is the headache localized in any particular part of your head?
posted by phunniemee at 2:12 AM on March 11, 2010

I got that same thing, and would occasionally get dizzy as well, especially after walking. A trip to the doctor pinpointed a recent change in pillows for me. It may be a bad choice in neck support while you're sleeping. And while you check that out, see a doctor to eliminate other possibilities.
posted by chronic sublime at 2:59 AM on March 11, 2010

Go see a doctor; getting a headache after climbing a flight of stairs definitely isn't normal.
posted by not_on_display at 3:45 AM on March 11, 2010

@gljsvs: Or high blood pressure.
posted by gaby at 4:48 AM on March 11, 2010

Sounds like high blood pressure to me. I used to have something similar before I was diagnosed and got on meds.
posted by ExitPursuedByBear at 6:30 AM on March 11, 2010

Sounds like you can use a doctors checkup anyway. I had been getting awful headaches for years. I ended up with a doctor that pointed out that I had high blood pressure and who is very serious about controlling it. Since we've gotten the BP down, I rarely have headaches any more.
posted by azpenguin at 8:37 AM on March 11, 2010

IANAD, but I am 22 and have experienced high blood pressure. The reasoning my doctors gave me for getting on some unpleasant meds was that HBP is itself a disease that can hurt me, not just an indicator of something else. I was asymptomatic as far as I could tell, and only noticed the numbers when I went in to talk about something unrelated, but the doctors felt it was very serious and ran lots of tests.

If I were you, I would go see a doctor as soon as reasonably possible. In the meantime, can you go to a public location test like at a grocery store's pharmacy, or get a home-BP detector from a drugstore? They cost about $20 or $30 for an at-home kit and can be very reliable. This does NOT replace a doctor's visit, but taking your BP daily will give you more data to discuss while finding a diagnosis.
posted by tantivy at 9:06 AM on March 11, 2010

Thank you for your suggestions. my blood pressure seems alright though the doctor suspects i'm hypothyroid. all the tests have been scheduled. i suppose that hypothyroidism could induce low blood pressure at certain times when i got these headaches.
posted by niyati182 at 2:55 AM on March 16, 2010