Q I suddenly had an extreme headache unlike anything I've ever felt. Is it just a migraine, or an emergency?
A The worst headache you've ever experienced (a thunderclap headache) can be a sign of a brain hemorrhage. Call emergency services immediately or go to the ER. Never just self-medicate and wait.
Detailed Answer
A thunderclap headache is a headache that becomes extremely severe within seconds to a minute, and it is the most typical symptom of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The worst headache you've ever experienced, an intense headache starting at the back of the head, a headache accompanied by fever, neck stiffness, altered consciousness, or vomiting, and one-sided paralysis or speech difficulty are all emergency signs. An immediate brain CT scan is required.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
The upper-body-clearing, blood-supplementing, and circulation treatments that Dongjedang emphasizes apply only to primary migraine without warning signs. If a thunderclap headache, severe headache at the back of the head, altered consciousness, or one-sided paralysis or speech difficulty occurs, you must go straight to the ER, not a Korean Medicine clinic. Stroke, meningitis, and subdural hematoma can also first appear as headache, so seek emergency care without delay.
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