Expert's Reply

A.

Headache expert

Dear Sbu,

Headaches can certainly be associated with sexual activity, especially with orgasm. There are two types of these headaches. In the first type, the excitement accompanying intercourse causes muscle contraction in the head and neck, thus leading to head pain.

The second type is a vascular headache. It is a very intense, severe headache usually occurring just before orgasm. It has been called an "orgasmic headache" or "orgasmic cephalalgia."

It is important to have a thorough medical check-up, including a neurological investigation to exclude the possibility of brain pathology. Fortunately this is not common, but it must be ruled out before any other treatment is instituted. Once this has been done, to get to the root of the problem you need what is called a “multidisciplinary” approach. This must include an assessment of the tension in the head and neck muscles. There are many different structures in the head and neck, all of which can be involved in the headache process, and no single specialist has all the knowledge necessary to make a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. For this reason, the combined expertise of different specialists who would normally treat headache patients in isolation, is co-ordinated into a single more comprehensive body of knowledge. This enables a more comprehensive treatment plan, in which all the contributing factors are addressed.

People who sufferer from orgasmic headache often have a poor Quality of Life. For a free assessment of how your headaches are affecting your Quality of Life, click on http://www.headacheclinic.co.za/

This information has been supplied and checked by the multidisciplinary team of specialists at The Headache Clinic, in association with The International Headache Society and the South African Institute of Headache and Migraine Science. For consultation with these specialists, call The Headache Clinic on 0861 678 911.