Reasons for Sudden Headache Sudden headache

 Reasons for Sudden Headache Sudden headache, also known as thunderclap headache, is a type of severe headache that starts suddenly. The pain does not gradually increase in intensity but is severe and sharp from the beginning, so many people describe it as the worst headache one can experience. Although its occurrence can be attributed to a range of potentially serious causes and factors, some cases of sudden headache occur without a specific and clear cause. These cases are due to idiopathic benign recurrent headache disorder, diagnosed only when all tests for other causes are negative. This type is actually a form of migraine that is not usually serious. The main causes of sudden headache are as follows:

Subarachnoid hemorrhage Subarachnoid hemorrhage is the bleeding that occurs in the area surrounding the brain, most commonly due to the rupture of an aneurysm in the brain, affecting the arteries that supply the brain. Sudden headache or thunderclap headache is its most common symptom. This bleeding can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. Other symptoms accompanying sudden headache may include nausea, vomiting, and short-term loss of consciousness.

Other causes The cause of sudden headache may be due to any of the following reasons and health problems: small tears in the arteries in the head or neck, blocked veins in the head, direct head injuries, narrowing of the blood vessels around the brain, severe high blood pressure in late pregnancy, hemorrhagic stroke caused by the rupture of blood vessels in the brain, ischemic stroke caused by blocked blood vessels due to blood clots or plaques, rapid and sudden changes in blood pressure, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, vasculitis, cerebrospinal fluid leakage usually due to a tear in the membrane around the nerve root in the spine, tissue death or bleeding in the pituitary gland, various infections such as meningitis or encephalitis, hypertensive crisis.

Triggers for sudden headache Certain activities and practices can trigger sudden headaches in some individuals, knowing and avoiding these factors can help reduce the number of sudden headache episodes. Some of these triggers include sudden exposure to warm or hot water, such as at the start of a shower, strenuous physical activity, taking some illicit drugs, sexual activity, bowel movements that cause straining, injury.

Risk factors for sudden headache Some risk factors may increase the likelihood of sudden headaches, including certain hereditary health conditions such as weak blood vessels, a family history of blood clots increasing the likelihood of occurrence, high blood pressure which may increase the risk of blood vessel rupture in the brain.

When to see a doctor Emergency consultation is necessary upon experiencing thunderclap headache for the first time, to determine and identify the underlying cause, prompt and appropriate treatment is crucial if it is due to a serious health condition that may be life-threatening.