Serious Symptoms Of A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A subarachnoid hemorrhage, a life-threatening type of stroke, occurs when there's bleeding in the brain. When this hemorrhage occurs, blood pools in the space between the brain and the membrane surrounding the brain tissue, otherwise known as the subarachnoid space. The bleeding is usually caused by a ruptured aneurysm in the brain. It can also sometimes be caused by abnormal blood vessel formations in the brain, a traumatic impact, or other health issues. If not treated immediately, this hemorrhage can cause permanent brain damage, permanent disability, and death.

Of course, in order for effective treatment to occur when necessary, individuals need to be familiar with the warning signs of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. With that in mind, start reading now!

Thunderclap Headache

A thunderclap headache is a sudden and extreme type of headache. This headache is often described as being the worst pain the individual has felt in their life, even more intense than migraines. Unlike other types of headaches, a thunderclap headache appears suddenly and at full force, quite a bit like a clap of thunder, but inside the head instead. The headache will reach the peak of pain intensity within a single minute. To be classified as a thunderclap headache, the pain must continue for a minimum of five minutes. When related to a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the headache will often strike with no warning. It is important to note, however, some individuals do experience these headaches without an underlying cause, but because they're more often caused by a subarachnoid hemorrhage or other serious neurological conditions, patients should seek emergency medical treatment right away. While migraines are common, thunderclap headaches occur in fewer than fifty out of every 100,000 adults per year. They're usually related to bleeding or pressure in and around the brain.

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Neck Stiffness

Neck stiffness might occur alongside or immediately following the thunderclap headache. It's unlikely that neck stiffness without an accompanying headache is an indicator of bleeding in the brain. There are dozens of potential causes of stiffness in the neck, many of which are commonplace. Meanwhile, only about thirty thousand subarachnoid hemorrhage cases are reported in the United States every year, which means only ten out of every 100,000 individuals experience them. Stiffness in the neck usually feels like soreness, and it might become worse when individuals move their neck or turn their head from side to side. The most common cause of neck stiffness is muscle strain or fatigue. Individuals can easily strain their muscles by sleeping on their neck wrong or accidentally moving the wrong way. Sometimes neck stiffness will be accompanied by a persistent, low-level headache when the muscles in the upper back or back of the neck are affected, though unless it's a thunderclap headache, it's not likely a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Learn more about the warning signs of a subarachnoid hemorrhage now.