Do you experience headaches or migraines often? While the odd sore head is completely normal, some more serious symptoms can indicate that something else could be going on with your health.
While it’s true that most headaches are “harmless”, a doctor has warned that if you experience certain symptoms while having a headache, you should contact your GP, reports the Mirror.
Taking to TikTok, Doctor Bing said there are “three headache symptoms that should never be ignored”. But what are they and what could they mean for your health?
Thunderclap headaches
This headache “reaches 10 out of 10 pain within a minute and people usually describe it as the worst headache of their lives.” Because of this unusually severe pain, the doctor issued a warning about a possible cause of this monster headache.
Dr Bing said: “The most important thing here is to rule out a subarachnoid haemorrhage, usually caused by a ruptured aneurysm. But there can be other causes as well.”
Caused by bleeding on the brain, a subarachnoid haemorrhage is an uncommon type of stroke that can be fatal, warns the NHS.
Other causes “include things like RCVS [reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome] which is intermittent narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain, as well as cerebral venous thrombosis which is a clot in a major vein in the brain,” explains the doctor.
Dr Bing says that as we get older, the chance of developing a new primary headache such as a migraine decreases. Because of this unlikelihood of a migraine, secondary causes like hematomas, brain tumours and infections need to be ruled out.
New headaches when you’re over 50
If you’re over 50, you should also keep an eye out for scalp tenderness and pain whilst chewing. New headaches or a change in your vision at this age could be a warning sign of something else.
Giant cell arteritis could be a cause of this, the doctor revealed. “This is an inflammatory condition of the blood vessels and can lead to permanent blindness if not treated quickly with high dose steroids,” he says.
Eye symptoms alongside a headache
The health guru’s third and final warning is that if you have a headache with the “drooping of one eyelid, dilation of that pupil and double vision”, then you must seek medical help.
He warns: “I specifically mentioned this because it’s one of the few times that we can catch a brain aneurysm before it ruptures. The specific set of symptoms can be caused by an aneurysm compressing on the third cranial nerve.” This needs to be treated urgently, he stresses.
What can cause headaches?
The NHS says that common causes of headaches include:
- bad posture
- taking too many painkillers
- having a cold or flu
- not eating regular meals
- drinking too much alcohol
- having your period or during menopause (hormone headache)
- eyesight problems
- stress
- not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
Next time you’re experiencing any of these three symptoms, speak to a doctor as soon as possible.
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