Slight headaches since last weekend

[johnsl1983]

It seems that ever since I went mountain biking last Saturday I've had a slight headache that seems to come and go throughout the day and night.  I workout regularly but that was my first bike ride this year and much more intense of a workout compared to my other workouts.  I keep myself well hydrated.  I think in the past I've had slight headaches shortly after a bike ride but I've never had it last for several days like this time.  It doesn't seem to be getting worse, it's just not going away, and I've worked out a few times even with the headache and it doesn't seem to get worse from that either.  I'm wondering if it's from the bike ride and I just need to rest more or if it could be something else.  It's just odd that it's lasted so long because I generally don't ever get headaches that last more than an hour or so
.
Also if it's even related, about 3 weeks ago I got sick with a fever and really bad headache, that only lasted about 12 hours and slowely got better after that.

On another side note if it's related, I have this small bump and slight rash about the size of a quarter a little more than half way down my forearm.  It's appeared a few times in the past 6 months.  Most recently it appeared right before I got sick 3 weeks ago and it went away after only a day.  It appeared again about 2-3 days ago and I think it's the longest it's lasted so far, about 2-3 days.  It's always in the exact same spot, not itchy or painful but if I scratch it it seems to swell up a bit.  I'm starting to wonder if it has something to do with me being sick since it appeared right before I last got sick and it's been around during this slight headache.

Thanks!

[johnsl1983]

Just an update if anyone is reading these..  My headaches did seem to go away shortly after those fires went away, so I'm guessing it was the smoke from the fires causing the headaches.

[johnsl1983]

Well last weekend, which was a week after the headaches started, they seemed to go away for a few days.  Then came back this last Monday and have been off and on again since then but not as bad.  One other thing I noticed, That weekend I went biking, there was a fire nearby that had just started.  Then after those few days of the headaches being away, another fire started and around that same time the headaches came back.  So now I'm thinking it could be the smoke from the fires causing it, maybe..  I believe that second fire is out so I'll pay close attention and see if these headaches go away, if they continue I'll certainly look into seeing a doctor.

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Without further information about your headache, it is difficult to provide you with adequate information. (There is information that would be needed to determine if this is a migraine, related to the structures of the neck/back, etc). Most likely, your headache is exertional related. However, it is important for you to understand that if you have not experienced headaches in the past and you are now having new head pains, seeing a neurologist is a good idea, just to make sure there is nothing serious causing this pain. Also, if you have had any injury to your neck, such as chiropractor manipulation or motor vehicle accident, you should have imaging of your neck and brain to ensure there is not a condition called dissection of the vessels. Lastly, if you are older than 50 years old, it would be helpful to get a lab called ESR checked. This would be useful in diagnosing a condition called temporal arteritis.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.