Everyone experiences headaches as some are mild and others are more in the migraine territory which can leave you drained and sick in bed. And if you are someone who gets migraines, you know how distressing it can be and you also know how to treat them. However, if you do not get migraines but you end up with one, you may think it is a bad headache and treat it like that. You may get severe headaches if you have an infection or a viral illness. But you never want to brush off any unusual but severe headache even a migraine. It can be a life-threatening situation if you end up with a particular headache.
Beware Of The Thunderclap Headache
Most headaches are benign no matter how painful they are, and do resolve on their own. However, there are some headaches that you never want to ignore, which is the thunderclap headache or TCH which is a very painful, sudden, onset headache as it is not the same as a migraine or a tension headache. And if you end up with a TCH, you will need to go to your closest ER or call 911. You cannot leave this headache to resolve as you will need medical attention.
Why Is The Thunderclap Headache So Dangerous?
The TCH is not an ordinary headache because there is a serious causes for it which can include blood clots, brain bleeding, tear in an artery, dangerous blood pressure that suddenly skyrockets, encephalitis, or a stroke. You do not want to play around if any of those things are the cause of such a severe headache. However, you may not know whether you are having a TCH or a bad migraine, even if you do suffer from migraines. Let’s talk about the symptoms of a TCH so you know what to look for.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Thunderclap Headache?
These headaches are intense and come onto you quickly. They will reach high levels of pain within a minute of them coming on and can last for about five minutes before symptoms dissipate. The symptoms to look for are numbness, weakness, vision changes, nausea and vomiting, confusion, and seizures. You may also have trouble talking due to slurred speech. That is not a normal headache, and you may get intense pain, weakness, nausea, and even vision changes with a migraine, but you would know what is a typical migraine and what is not even if you suffer from them. The good news is that you can minimize the risk.
How To Reduce The Risk
Even though TCH will appear without a warning, you can reduce the risk of developing one. Unfortunately, you cannot eliminate the risk, but reducing the risk may ward it off. You will want to stick to a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy, having moderate activity, and monitoring stress levels. If you have underlying conditions, you will want to monitor them. You also want to avoid overly strenuous activity, especially if you do have underlying conditions. You also want to know about your family history in case a blood clot has happened.
If you do have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or vascular problems. or other conditions that can cause TCH, then you will want to monitor yourself and manage your conditions as well as you can. You are at a higher risk if you have any of those ailments. You can’t prevent a thunderclap headache, but if you have awareness, and reduce the risk, your odds are lower. And if you end up with one, you will know what is going on and will go for medical attention immediately.
