Definition:
Sex headache is a rare type of severe headache that occurs at the base of the skull before orgasm during sexual activity, including masturbation.
Diagnosis:
Brain scans, angiograms, and spinal taps may be administered to diagnose sex headaches.
Treatment:
If the patient has a history of sex headaches and there's no underlying cause, the doctor may recommend that she or he take preventive medicine, such as: indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory; triptans, a class of anti-migraine medication; and beta blockers, such as propranolol or metoprolol.
Symptoms and Signs:
There are two kinds of sex headaches. The most common variety gives no warning and hapens within a few seconds of an orgasm. Pain is typically described as throbbing or stabbing. The other variety of sex headache often starts as a dull ache on both sides of the head and builds gradually over a matter of minutes before an orgasm, typically intensifying as sexual excitement increases.
Most sex headaches last only a few minutes. Others may persist for a few hours. Many people who have sex headaches will go through them in clusters for a few months, and then go for more than a year without any sex headaches.
Causes:
Any type of sexual activity that results to orgasm — including masturbation, oral sex and intercourse — can trigger sex headaches.
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