Headaches during sex more common than thought, expert says

 “Many people who experience headaches during sexual activity are too embarrassed to tell their physicians, and doctors often don’t ask,” Dr. Jose Biller, a Loyola University Medical Center headache specialist, said in a news release from the Loyola University Health System. Biller, who’s treated dozens of patients who’ve had headaches linked to sexual activity, is […]

 “Many people who experience headaches during sexual activity are too embarrassed to tell their physicians, and doctors often don’t ask,” Dr. Jose Biller, a Loyola University Medical Center headache specialist, said in a news release from the Loyola University Health System.
Biller, who’s treated dozens of patients who’ve had headaches linked to sexual activity, is chair of university’s department of neurology.
“Headaches associated with sexual activity can be extremely painful and scary,” Biller said. “They also can be very frustrating, both to the individual suffering the headache and to the partner.”
Most headaches related to sex are harmless. But some headaches can be a sign of life-threatening conditions such as bleeding in the brain, brain aneurysm, stroke and other kinds of injury in the brain.
“We recommend that patients undergo a thorough neurological evaluation to rule out secondary causes, which can be life-threatening,” Biller said. “This is especially important when the headache is a first occurrence.”