General Cycling Discussion - Headaches and facial flushing

Has anyone experienced headaches and severe facial flushing when riding? I try to keep well hydrated. However, not very long into a ride, I often get a headache and my face becomes flaming red. This happens no matter what the air temperature. No one else I ride with seems to have this problem.

Any ideas?

You might want to check you blood pressure during these episodes??

Your symptoms are representative of elevated BP (hypertension), among other possibilities.

Even better, talk to your doctor about it.

Originally posted by DnvrFox
You might want to check you blood pressure during these episodes??

Your symptoms are representative of elevated BP (hypertension), among other possibilities.

That was my first thought. Get to the doc.

seeing your doctor is the best plan but i do know that certain food allergies can present this way. That is, some people are allergic to foods only when they ingest it and exercise vigorously within 24 hours of its ingestion. For instance, Joe Shmoe can eat shrimp and do fine except that one time when he eats shrimp and then decides to go for a run six hours later, he then has anaphylactic shock. (I've seen this in the ER I work at). That is the most extreme scenario but facial flushing and heacaches are the most common manifestations of most less extreme allergic reactions to ingested material. You may want to keep a mental diary of what you are eating within 24 hours of these episodes. I won't go into the pathophysiogy and mechanism of such food allergy reactions unless you specifically request it so as not to bore you. Also, certain congenital cardiac abnormalities can present this way so a doc needs to listin to your heart.

people do have exercise induced allergies. see if the doctor is willing to prescribe or recommend an antihistamine or even an aspirin to prevent or minimize this flushing.
you don't list any other symptoms, and no one here including me has the luxery of poring over test results or examining the patient, so this might be a simple fix.

exercise induced allergies sounds about right on but see your doctor.