![]() ![]() Do not delay medical care with a headache such as this – it's an emergency, so call 911 or have someone help you to an emergency room. Thunderclap headaches are a sign of something serious until proven otherwise, given their link to brain bleeds - things such as ruptured aneurysms or other hemorrhages, though they can be related to other masses or lesions in the brain as well. Even though other non-life-threatening headache syndromes such as migraine or cluster headaches might still usher in the same pain intensity, those tend to build more gradually or may even be preceded by an aura (sensory symptoms such as tingling or spots in your vision). This is called a thunderclap headache, and patients tend to describe it as explosive, or "the worst headache I've ever had." Mia Minen, a neurologist and chief of headache research at NYU Langone Health, says it's like "the snap of the finger: 10 out of 10 pain." That stands out from a typical headache that tends to creep up over several minutes or an hour, linger a while and get worse as time wears on. We're talking in terms of seconds – the headache comes on fast with an intensity that stops you in your tracks, feels downright unbearable, and the pain peaks within less than a minute or so (although the headache may continue for longer). ![]() Here's an overview of those red flag symptoms, and when you need same-day or emergency care: The worst headache, in no time flat You may have been told to be wary of a sudden headache, but just how sudden does it have to be to be a red flag? It's a lot quicker than you'd think. Shots - Health News How To Pick A Doctor (Or Break Up With One)ĭangerous headaches also tend to have some distinctive features and patterns – and they can be hard to ignore. In other words, your headache is unlikely to be caused by a serious or life-threatening problem. Research shows that the vast majority of headaches are what's known medically as "primary," meaning they're not the result of some other underlying condition. Though we're all one Google search away from assuming a worst-case scenario when a headache strikes, the odds are overwhelmingly in our favor here. Concerns about headaches in my practice have picked up over the past year as we've seen them as a symptom in acute COVID-19 infections and among long-haulers - and more recently when news broke about the (very, very few) brain clots linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And that's often true, both for patients wondering, "Could this be something dangerous?" and for clinicians trying to get to the root of pain that can be totally unexplained and yet completely debilitating. ![]() Of all the aches and pains I spend my days investigating as a family doctor, none seem to be as anxiety-provoking as a headache. ![]()
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