Everyone experiences headaches from time to time, and they are usually nothing to worry about. However, a doctor has shared eight warning signs that a headache could indicate something much more sinister, such as a deadly brain bleed or cancer.
In a viral TikTok video with over 1.2 million views, Dr Ahmed, an A&E specialist, outlined scenarios where patients should seek medical attention quickly. The first symptom is a 'thunderclap headache', described as 'the worst headache of your life'. According to the NHS, these sudden, agonising pains feel like being hit in the head and may signal a burst blood vessel in the brain, which can lead to lifelong disability, coma, or death.
Other red flags include stroke-like symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping, vision loss, hearing loss, confusion, and sudden loss of speech. Dr Ahmed noted that while strokes are often painless, some patients experience headaches alongside these symptoms, which could indicate an ischemic stroke caused by a blockage cutting off blood supply to the brain.
Headaches accompanied by fever and neck pain may suggest encephalitis, a serious brain inflammation often caused by infections like meningitis. Profuse vomiting, especially after a head injury, could indicate a major bleed. Headaches with eye pain or vision loss may be acute angle closure glaucoma, a condition affecting two per cent of over-40s due to fluid buildup in the eye.
Pregnant women experiencing headaches, particularly in the second trimester, should be wary of pre-eclampsia, a condition causing dangerously high blood pressure that can lead to seizures and organ damage. Finally, headaches that worsen when bending forward or coughing may indicate increased pressure in the skull, potentially from a cancerous tumour.
Dr Ahmed urged anyone experiencing these symptoms to come to A&E quickly, as early intervention can be life-saving.
