Thunderclap headaches are often described as being the "
worst headache of my life" and can be a symptom of life-threatening problems like brain bleeding.
"It was the
worst headache of my life and apparently I said to one of the doctors 'just drill a hole in my head, just relieve the pressure in my head'."
Red flags in the history taking of headache include comments such as "I've never had a headache before; I just had a sudden onset of the
worst headache of my life."
Red flags in the history taking of headache include comments such as "I've never had a headache before," or "I just had a sudden onset of the
worst headache of my life."
When patients present with the "
worst headache of my life," imaging often plays a major role in differentiating benign causes of headache from life-threatening causes, and noncontrast computed tomography (NCT) is the most commonly performed imaging test.
Also, a sudden, single, very severe headache, sometimes called "The
Worst Headache of My Life," should prompt consideration of a brain scan (however, recurrent "Worst Headaches" that go away and come back later and not of as much concern--those are very likely migraines.) Other "red flags" that increase the need for imaging in a child include any persistent abnormalities on the neurologic exam, or headaches beginning in a child who, for other health reasons, is at risk for serious intracranial problems.
Patients with spontaneous SAH present with a sudden onset of severe headache (97%), classically described as "the
worst headache of my life." Meningeal signs, such as nuchal rigidity, positive Kernig's sign, or Brudzinski's sign, may also be noted (Greenberg, 2001).
Also, 12% of patients with SAH described their symptoms as the "
worst headache of my life," and 25% of those patients had abnormal examinations combined with the "worst headache" description.
"It was the
worst headache of my life and apparently I said to one of the doctors at the time 'just drill a hole in my head, just relieve the pressure in my head'."
It is necessary to seek immediate medical assistance if he experiences a sudden severe headache that your child describes as the "
worst headache of my life (thunderclap)," or a sudden severe headache with nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, rigidity (stiff) of the neck, and fever.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is classically described as the "
worst headache of my life," but be careful when patients say that.
The headache is sudden and described as the "
worst headache of my life." Over 75% of the time a stiff neck is present.