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Most people have a headache at some time in their life.
Research shows that before puberty, headaches are more common in boys, but that trend is reversed after puberty.
Adult women experience more headaches than adult men because they’re often linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle.
With advancing age, both women and men tend to have fewer, less severe headaches.
Emergencies
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience a headache that:
Gets worse over days/weeks
Is accompanied by impaired neurological function (loss of balance, weakness, numbness) and double vision (signs of a stroke)
Is accompanied by persistent nausea and vomiting
Is accompanied by seizures and loss of consciousness
Is associated with fever or stiff neck (could be meningitis)
Is different than usual
Strikes suddenly with great intensity
Wakes you from sleep or is worse when you lie down
Did you know...
The pain from cluster headaches has been described by neurologists as the worst pain humans can experience. They are also known as "suicide headaches" because, in the past, many sufferers chose to kill themselves rather than deal with the unbearable pain.
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