aneurysm

27 July 2015

Are Sex Headaches Dangerous?

Before we get into the details, here’s the bottom line. If you are experiencing sex induced headache, and you haven’t seen a doctor, you need to do so right away.

Now that that’s clear, let’s go into more depth. Are sex headaches dangerous?

In some cases, sex headaches can be dangerous. But if we’re talking about a headache that is a sign of something life-threatening, most sex headaches are not putting you in immediate danger.

If you have ever experienced a massive headache upon climaxing, you know that life-threatening or not, a sex headache can be quite a serious interruption to life and intimacy.

The headaches most commonly related to intercourse are classified as primary headache associated with sexual activity. Why “primary”? A primary headache is diagnosed when the headache (and/or related symptoms) are primary – that is, there is no apparent underlying disorder that is causing the headache. For example, if you are hit in the head, the headache is secondary. If you have a blood clot leading to headache symptoms, the headache is secondary. This is not always a clear and easy differentiation.

These sex headaches are also commonly called orgasm headaches. You may experience a massive headache upon climaxing, or a headache that increases along with sexual excitement, or an abrupt headache that “explodes” just before orgasm.

These headaches are probably not life-threatening, but again, you need to see a doctor right away.

What causes sex headaches? If it’s a primary headache, there are several theories. The headaches may be a response to pressure in the head or problems with the circulation system. There may also be biological problems in the body’s neurological system, leading to hypersensitivity and wrong signals being sent chemically.

However, there is a much more serious cause of sex headaches. Many people ask about headaches during sex and exercise, or they ask – are exertion headaches dangerous?

Some headaches may be cause by fluids leaking from around the brain and spinal cord (a CSF leak). In this case, the headache may increase with a change of posture. With proper tests and treatment, a CSF leak will usually go away in time. Without proper treatment, there can be serious complications, such as swelling of the brain.

There are other headaches which can be brought on by exertion, which have an underlying cause. Aneurysm, stroke, and brain tumour are examples. Other danger signals are headaches that get worse over time, that come with other symptoms (for example dizziness, visual problems, a change in behaviour, seizure, or nausea), and headaches that start abruptly.

But remember, these things can be very difficult to diagnose. Some serious conditions can show no symptoms at all, while some very severe symptoms may be a sign of a disease that isn’t life threatening and can be easily treated.

Either way, a new headache or a change in symptoms should be warning enough to get to a doctor and spend some time investigating.

Is there a cure for sex headache? That will all depend on the cause or diagnosis. There are excellent treatments for most kinds of sex headaches, but as with any headache disorder it can take time to find what works for you.

If you’re struggling with sex headaches, you can be hopeful that you can find good treatment and leave them behind. But they are never something to be ignored.

For more information:

3 July 2013

Headache in the Bible

James Misc 0

One morning almost 3000 years ago, a boy in northern Israel went to see his Dad in the field. He had a sudden headache. By noon he was dead.

He may have had a congenital cerebral aneurysm that ruptured (a ballooning of an artery in the brain which burst, causing severe headache). Thankfully, the Prophet Elisha was called. He prayed to God, and the boy was raised to life.

2Kings 4:19-37

More on cerebral aneurysms here.

8 March 2013

Migraine vs Brain Aneurysm – Which is it?

James Information, Tips 5

You’re having massive head pain – and other strange symptoms – it’s natural to wonder if you’re going to recover! So that brings us to one common question – is it migraine, or brain aneurysm (aneurism) (also called cerebral aneurysm)? Let’s see if we can shed some light on this issue:

Migraine vs Brain Aneurysm

First, some key things to remember:

Brain aneurysm may cause no symptoms whatsoever. If there are symptoms, they can vary widely in how severe they are.
Migraine attacks can come with no headache whatsoever. Again, symptoms vary widely.
With these things in mind, this is important: if you have a worst-ever headache, or an attack with symptoms that you’ve never head before, get to a doctor immediately, no matter what your guess is about what’s causing the pain.
Symptoms of brain aneurism vary significantly depending on whether the aneurism is leaking, unruptured, or ruptured. For our purposes we’ll include symptoms from all three, since you won’t know which is which without a test anyway.

Migraine Attack

Brain Aneurysm

Symptoms of both:

severe headache
blurred/double vision
confusion
speech difficulties
nausea/vomiting
sensitivity to light (photophobia)

Symptoms of both:

severe headache
blurred/double vision
confusion
speech difficulties
nausea/vomiting
sensitivity to light (photophobia)

Symptoms more common in brain aneurysm:

neck pain/stiff neck
drooping eyelid
loss of consciousness
seizure
dilated pupil
drooping eyelid
numbness/weakness/paralysis on one side of the face
A more sudden, severe headache than in a typical migraine attack

(Many of these symptoms may occur in migraine as well, or may not occur in brain aneurysm. See notes above.)

Some risk factors:

Family history of migraine
Usually begins before age 40, often during adolescence
Women are more likely to develop migraine

Some risk factors:

Family history of aneurysm
Aging
Women are more likely to develop aneurysm
hypertension or arteriosclerosis
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use/abuse
Read more brain aneurysm risk factors here

Other notes: Symptoms of migraine attacks are usually temporary. They generally resolve in a few hours or a few days, although symptoms may return. For most types of migraine, there is no lab test – various types of migraine are diagnosed by symptoms. Migraine may increase your risk for stroke and heart disease.

Migraine is not normal, but it is much much more common than symptomatic cerebral aneurysm.

Other notes: Symptoms may come and go, or they may come to stay. Headache may be severe and sudden, in which case you should waste no time getting to the EMERGENCY ROOM. Brain aneurysm may lead to stroke, so stroke symptoms may indicate an aneurysm. Tests for aneurysm are discussed below.

Between 1.5 and 5% of the population will develop a cerebral aneurysm at some time in their life, but only a small percentage of those will ever develop significant symptoms.

The symptom that should be taken the most seriously if you go to the emergency room is a sudden, severe, worst-ever headache. Common tests include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid test, and cerebral angiogram.

4 October 2010

Aneurysm and Headache: 9 Ways to Know if I’m in Danger

James Information, Tips 7

When many people think of an aneurysm (or aneurism), they think of a severe headache and severe danger. Although aneurysms aren’t always like that, it is important to be aware of how headache and aneurysm can relate.

An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning or widening of an artery. That means they can actually happen in many parts of the body, though some locations are more likely than others. Though no one is certain what causes all aneurysms, there are cases when they may be caused by a defect in the artery wall. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, drug abuse, and pregnancy are all common risk factors.

Sometimes aneurysms don’t cause any symptoms at all, but simply show up when you’re being tested for something else. At times your doctor won’t even recommend you have it treated.

An Angiograph of a Brain Aneurysm
Photo courtesy of Lucien Monfils

The most common type of aneurysm related to headache is the brain aneurysm. The bulge in a blood vessel in the brain may grow, leak, or rupture.

If the aneurysm is small, or even large, there may be no symptoms at all. If an aneurysm like this is discovered, you’ll need to talk to your doctor about whether or not treatment is needed.

If there are symptoms, they might include:

Pain – usually above or behind an eye
A drooping eyelid (which may also be a symptom of cluster headache)
A dilated pupil
Change in vision (ie double vision)
Numbness or weakness on one side of the face

You need to see your doctor if you’re experiencing these symptoms.

If the aneurysm begins to leak, or ruptures, that’s when it becomes an emergency (if it ruptures you need to get to a doctor NOW). But how do you tell?

Sudden, severe headache. This may happen with a leak (which usually becomes a rupture) or an actual rupture. If you have a sudden headache, perhaps the worst you’ve ever had, get to a doctor right away.
Nausea (also common in migraine, of course)
Sensitivity to light (another very common migraine symptom)
Stiff neck
Blurred or double vision
Drooping eyelid (again, a common cluster symptom)
Seizure
Unconsciousness
Confusion

Important: You do not have to have all these symptoms to have a ruptured aneurysm. But if you have a sudden, severe, headache, or if you have a combination of a couple of these symptoms or more, make sure your doctor is aware – and see her right away if these are new symptoms.

Your doctor will need to know about your cardiovascular health in general, any family history of aneurysms, and your use of drugs/alcohol/tobacco. Then tests will be ordered, such as a CT scan, MRI, ultrasound and/or angiogram. Depending on the type of aneurysm and other factors, you may need surgery, medication, or other therapies.

There are other conditions that may cause some similar symptoms – such as the so-called ophthalmoplegic migraine, sex headache or orgasm headache, or another type of "thunderclap headache" not caused by aneurysm. And of course we’ve talked about similarities with migraine and cluster.

Although unruptured aneurysms in general are fairly common, thankfully ruptured aneurysms are rare, and fatalities from brain aneurysms are even rarer (about 1 in 25,000 each year in the United States). Hopefully being aware of the risks and symptoms will help us get that number a lot lower.