Headaches are a normal occurrence and they are nothing to worry about. Headache typically goes away after getting enough sleep. Numerous conditions, from minor to more serious ones, might cause this symptom. As it happens, headaches can also happen after having sex. Is this dangerous?

Healthline states that there are two kinds of headaches that might happen following intercourse:

Orgasm Headache

This headache starts just before or right after orgasm. The pain is usually sudden, severe, and throbbing. Orgasm headache is thought to occur from a surge in blood pressure that makes blood vessels dilate.

Benign Sex-related Headache

This headache starts as a dull, tightening ache in the head and neck as sexual arousal builds, then leaves a lingering headache after intercourse. The discomfort likely reflects contraction of muscles in the scalp and neck during arousal.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a sudden headache after intercourse can sometimes be related to:

• Bleeding within the wall of an artery that supplies the brain (arterial dissection)

• Coronary artery disease

• Use of certain birth control pills

• Inflammation due to specific infections

• Abnormal connections between arteries and veins in the brain (arteriovenous malformation)

Warning Signs of Headache

As reported by Healthline, seek medical care immediately if a sex-related headache occurs with any of the following:

• Loss of consciousness

• Numbness or loss of sensation

• Vomiting

• Stiff neck

• Pain that lasts more than 24 hours

• Muscle weakness

• Partial or complete paralysis

• Seizures

If a headache lasts longer than 24 hours, you should be examined by a doctor. Typical evaluations may include:

• MRI to help identify potential causes of the headache

• CT scan when pain persists for 48–72 hours, to look for structural problems

• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) to evaluate blood vessels in the brain and neck

Treatments

If you have a pattern of headaches after intercourse, doctors often prescribe medicines to prevent or reduce them, such as:

• Beta blockers, which can help prevent recurrent headaches, especially in longer-term patterns

• Indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is sometimes taken about one hour before intercourse to lower the chance of pain

Looking for more information about other diseases? Click here!