Ten Unusual Headaches
PRIMARY COUGH HEADACHE
A primary cough headache is a head pain brought on by coughing or other valsalva maneuvers. They are not brought on by prolonged physical exercise in an absence of any intracranial disorders. A primary cough headache is considered a rare condition. It accounts for 0.4% of all headaches. It is a sudden-onset headache and it lasts from one to thirty seconds. It tends to be bilateral and posterior. This headache happens only after fifty years of age and is more frequent in men.
PRIMARY EXERTIONAL HEADACHE
A primary exertional headache occurs following a strenuous, exertional effort such as physical exercise, athletic activity or weight lifting. It is also a sudden onset headache and it is bilateral in location. Unlike the cough headache, the pain is often pulsatile and lasts anywhere from five minutes to forty-eight hours.
HANGOVER HEADACHE
A hangover headache is caused mostly by acute alcohol withdrawal and dehydration. A pounding head results from dilated blood vessels in the brain, lowered blood glucose and substances in alcohol that dilate blood vessels.
ICE CREAM HEADACHE
An ice cream headache occurs in 1/3 of the population. It is best known as “brain freeze”. Ice cream headache creates a stabbing or aching pain that lasts around thirty seconds. It rarely persists for more than 2-5 minutes.
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE-INDUCED HEADACHE
A monosodium glutamate-induced headache is caused by the food additive monosodium glutamate. This additive is often found in Chinese foods, therefore this headache is often referred to as “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”. The additive is also an ingredient in many processed meats and tenderizers. A MSG-induced headache usually begins within thirty minutes of consuming the ingredient and is typically dull and constant. It may be at the front or both sides of the head. If you experience a MSG-induced headache, you are also likely to feel other symptoms such as flushing and pressure in the face; burning feeling in the chest, neck or shoulders; dizziness; and digestive discomfort. The headache usually goes away 72 hours after eating a food containing MSG.
POST LUMBAR PUNCTURE HEADACHE
A post lumbar puncture headache may occur after a spinal tap, which is a procedure where spinal fluid is drawn from the back. The headache is often accompanied by stiffness in the neck, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light, nausea and hearing impairment. The headache may begin when you stand up and go away when you lie down. It will usually develop within one week after a spinal tap and will resolve after one week or after a doctor treats the spinal-fluid leak.
SEX HEADACHE
A sex headache can occur with masturbation or any kind of sex. They are rare with only 1 out of 360 headaches being sex headaches. Most are not serious, but some are signs of other medical problems. Sex headaches are considered a bigger phenomenon of exertional headaches.
Men have higher rates of sex headaches most likely due to the man possibly being the most active partner, more likely to orgasm or more likely to masturbate more than a women. They are felt at the base of the skull, usually they can be felt all over. The pain ranges from mild to exploding. They do not occur with every sex act and some go for years between episodes.
Sex raises the blood pressure which also raises the pressure in the head. This alone can cause a sex headache. Another factor resulting in a sex headache is due to the muscle tightening that occurs while having sex. Mosts sex headaches occur due to a combination of both factors.
THUNDERCLAP HEADACHE
A thunderclap headache is a sudden and very severe headache that may go to extreme pain in sixty seconds. They are usually like a migraine, in the sense that it has no other cause and they won’t do permanent damage. There is not much you can do to prevent this type of headache.
Thunderclap headaches can sometimes be a sign of serious problems. One half of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (when an artery bleeds in the brain), report to have thunderclap headaches as major symptom. Other possible causes are un-ruptured aneurysms, carotid or vertebral artery dissections, pituitary apoplexy, cerebral vasospasm, Occipital neuralgia and Erve Virus. It is important to see a doctor right way if you experience a thunderclap headache to rule out a possible serious cause.
Headaches are a common occurrence for most people and while most are harmless, it is always a good idea to get them checked out if they reoccur often. However unusual the headaches or the causes of the headaches may be, it is important that they are always taken seriously.
