I’m a doctor – I’m begging you to come and see us if your headache involves one of these eight details

Everyone suffers headaches from time to time, and they are usually nothing to worry about.

But a doctor has shared the eight warning signs that a headache could indicate something much more sinister—like a deadly brain bleed or cancer.

In a viral TikTok video that has amassed more than 1.2 million views, Dr Ahmed, an A&E specialist, outlined the scenario in which you must ‘come to see me quickly’.

The first symptom he lists is a ‘thunderclap headache’, which he described as ‘the worst headache of your life.’    

‘If you have or wake up with one, that’s an emergency—it could be a brain bleed. Come to me quickly,’ he said.

Thunderclap headaches are sudden, agonising pains that feel like being hit in the head, resulting in ‘a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before’, according to the NHS.

This is considered a medical emergency, and the health service advises sufferers to call 999 or get to a local A&E as soon as possible.

A sudden headache of this type may be a sign of a burst blood vessel in the brain, which can result in lifelong disability, coma and even death, experts say.

 A brain bleed is the most frequent cause of a thunderclap headache, which is usually the result of a bulge in the blood vessel bursting, according to Dr Ahmed.

The next worrying symptom he outlined was stroke-like symptoms.

Though a stroke is often painless, some do experience a headache alongside it and so the symptoms should not be ignored.

This includes weakness on one side of the body, drooping of the face, vision loss, hearing loss, confusion and sudden loss of speech.

Written in the caption of the video, Dr Ahmed said this could be an ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blockage cuts off the blood supply to the brain. 

Patients should also watch out for headaches that come alongside fever and neck pain.

This, Dr Ahmed said, is a common symptom of encephalitis—a serious condition where the brain becomes inflamed.

It can be caused by an infection like meningitis and lead to confusion and deadly seizures.

Profusely vomiting is another warning sign, ‘especially after you’ve had a head injury’, the doctor warned. 

This could indicate a major bleed, medically known as hemorrhage, which can lead to deadly strokes and life-long brain damage.

His fifth red flag was a headache that comes with any eye pain and/or vision loss. 

‘This can be an acute angle closure glaucoma. Come to me, I will send you to a specialist,’ Dr Ahmed said.

The condition, which affects two per cent of over-40s,  is usually caused by fluid slowly building up in the front part of the eye, which increases pressure inside it. As a result, the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.

Another red flag is if the headache occurs in a pregnant woman, ‘especially in the second trimester’.

Dr Ahmed explained this could be the deadly condition pre-eclampsia, in which rocketing blood pressure triggers a host of complications for both mother and baby.

The most effective treatment is an early delivery; usually via C-section, but if left untreated it can trigger stroke, seizures and organ damage in the mother, and slow growth in the baby.

Dr Ahmed said: ‘Pre-eclampsia is still quite common, the headaches can quickly lead to confusion, agitation and seizures as the mums brain swells. Urgent treatment is required.’ 

The seventh warning sign to look out for is if the headache is worse when you’re bending forward or coughing.

He said: ‘Bending forward and coughing cause very mild increases in pressure in the head, but if there is too much fluid in the brain, those simple actions cause worsening of pain. 

‘These [headaches] need urgent treatment as the damage they cause is slow, but very permanent.’

Too much fluid and pressure in the brain can damage critical structures and restrict blood flow. This can lead to headaches, vision changes, and in severe cases, even brain damage or death.

Concluding the video, his final point was that people should be wary of a headache that won’t go away.

He said: ‘If a headache hasn’t gone for a long time, every day you have one and it just keeps getting worse and nothing is treating it, even though it’s a mild headache, we want to see you. Maybe not A&E, but someone needs to see you.

‘Any headache that lasts weeks without improvement is a red flag sign and needs assessment. it might be stress, a migraine, tension or cancer.’

The persistent ailment may occur because a cancerous tumour leads to increased pressure in the skull, particularly as it grows larger, according to The Brain Tumour Charity.

Some 12,000 people are diagnosed each year with a brain tumour, including 500 children and young people.

In the UK, over 10 million people experience headaches regularly.

Tension headaches are the most frequent type, affecting 41 per cent of Britons. 

Additionally, 33 per cent of the population have experienced migraines in the past month, a 2023 study by Pfizer found.