dacaprice.com from fitness to technology. mostly technology. sometimes fitness.

Migraines after hockey.

This has plagued me for a while now.  I seem to get migraines after playing ice hockey.  The game is as non-contact as it can get.  I haven't had any concussions, or head injuries or have any other medical problems that I can use to make a connection.  I am very fit, participate in intense physical activity many times a week, and have a good, balanced diet.  I've been getting migraines pretty consistently over the last couple years following a hockey game.  When I was younger I would get them randomly, then they went away for a few years.  It's the same pattern every time, about an hour or two after playing, I start getting dark spots in my vision so I can't read, see faces, etc.  When that goes away, my hand usually starts to tingle or go numb, then after that goes away I get the worst pain in my head/eyeballs.  It usually lasts for a couple hours as long as I can get to sleep.

I've been to my doctor and to a neurologist who both said "Yeah you get migraines."  I've been prescribed ketophroferen which seems to help.  I choose to take it reactively instead of proactively; I'm not a big pill taker.  I wasn't satisfied with the doctors, if you don't want to get them, then don't play attitude and I don't like taking pills, so I'm trying to figure out if something is triggering them outside of physical exertion.

First thing the neurologist thought was dehydration.  I obliged and started drinking more during the game.  (On a normal day, I drink more than a gallon of water anyway.)  I thought it may be an electrolyte problem, so I always started the game with a gatorade and finished with water.  This seemed to work for me because I went for months without a migraine, but I just started getting them again.

Other factors outside dehydration I've considered are: wearing a helmet (too tight?), the temperature change from the cold rink to the warmer locker room, the lights, diet (regardless of how good I think mine is), the motion/speed of the game, deviated septum (got one).

I found information about a study linking migraines to law enforcement officers who wore helmets.  I've always complained that my helmet was a bit too tight, even on the largest adjustment.  I think the next step might be to find a looser fitting helmet.  I found a post on some hockey forum where other guys have complained of this same migraine problem.

I'm playing tonight so I will try to loosen the helmet if possible.

UPDATE:  I loosened up my helmet before the game last night.  It still felt a little tight around the temples, but no where near as tight as before.  I did not get a migraine.