Sex Can Trigger Sudden Severe Headaches Says New York City Headache Doctor Lawrence Newman, M.D.

Health/Medical Editors

NEW YORK--(BW HealthWire)--May 16, 2001

"The kind of strenuous activity that can occur during sexual activity can also trigger sudden severe headaches," says Lawrence Newman, M.D., a nationally renowned New York City neurologist, who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of headache and facial pain. "If an individual's headaches are associated with an explosive onset during sex, or are associated with a stiff neck, weakness, numbness, or other neurological disturbance," Dr Newman explains, "it may be the result of a ruptured aneurysm or a hemorrhage into the brain from a stroke. These headaches are only termed "benign" after they have been investigated thoroughly. If your headaches are associated with any of the warning signs mentioned above you need to seek medical attention immediately."

Types Of Benign Headaches Associated With Sexual Activity

Explosive- This is the most common type of sexual related headache. As the name implies, these headaches come on rapidly, at the moment of or just prior to orgasm. The headache is usually felt in the forehead or the back of the head, and most patients report that the pain is pounding or throbbing. The headaches usually resolve in about 15 minutes. About 25% of patients with this type of sex headaches also suffer from migraines.

Dull- These headaches are usually located in the back of the head and neck. They begin just prior to orgasm and then increase in severity with orgasm. They are not as severe as the explosive type. Rather than pounding, these headaches are dull and aching, like a tension headache.

Postural- This is the rarest type and is believed to be caused by a spinal fluid leak and so resembles the headache patients get after a spinal tap. These headaches are located in the back of the head and neck but are unique in that they will only occur if the patient sits or stands and are relieved when the person lies flat. These headaches can last several weeks if not treated.

In general, sexual headaches affect men more often than women. Men who are cheating on their partners are affected more. For patients with frequent sexually triggered headaches a number of medications are able to prevent the attacks.

There are reports of patients who find that if they have sex during a migraine headache, their pain is relieved. Most headache sufferers, however, prefer to be left alone during these painful.

Lawrence Newman, M.D., a migraine-sufferer himself, is one of the few neurologists in the country with a fellowship specifically in headaches. He has conducted numerous studies on therapies for migraines and has lectured extensively on the diagnosis and treatment of unusual headache disorders.