Dad warns 'thunderclap' headache was first symptom of deadly condition
A dad suffering from a 'thunderclap headache' has spoken out to warn others after the pain turned out to be a symptom of a potentially deadly brain aneurysm.
Graham Mcmanus told how he felt like he had "been hit with a baseball bat" after suddenly falling ill at his home in Dalgety Bay, Fife, last month. The fit and healthy 45-year-old thought he may have Covid and tried to ride it out - before eventually going to hospital where he saw an out-of-hours GP five days later.
He was immediately admitted and later sent for scans and a lumbar puncture which revealed he had blood in his cerebrospinal fluid. The dad-of-two was then rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where an angiogram revealed he had an aneurysm on a vessel in his brain.
Due to its tricky location, surgeons inserted a stent through a vein in his wrist and into the back of his head. Graham, a tree surgeon, said: "If I hadn't gone to the hospital when I did, I could have been found dead on my bedroom floor if the aneurysm had ruptured. I had never heard of a thunderclap headache before. As soon as the GP said it, I googled it and realised just how serious it was. I had no symptoms in the build up to it. I'd just climbed into bed and it was like 'bang'. This overwhelming pain hit me in the back of the head. It was like I'd been hit with a baseball bat.
"Then the sickness started. My neck was excruciating and I just couldn't move. I've never had covid so I wondered if it could be that. But I have never felt so ill in my whole life. I don't like making people worry so I was trying to play it down. But by the Sunday, my partner said enough was enough and took me to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy."
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
The tree surgeon feels lucky to be alive (Handout)
He was fit and healthy before this happened (Handout)"As soon as I described the pain, the GP got me admitted straight away. I had a CT scan and was put on medication for bleeding on the brain. The following day I had a lumbar puncture where they found blood in the fluid so they said I needed to go to hospital in Edinburgh." Graham underwent further testing and was kept in for a week due because there was too much blood on his brain to get clear results. Doctors later discovered the aneurysm and discussed performing a trickier than usual surgery due to its location.
Graham told the Daily Record: "Because of its position, they weren't able to perform the usual surgery. They had only heard of about 100 similar cases worldwide. They told me the risks of stroke or death and asked me to make a decision. I said to go ahead so they put a stent in through my wrist and into the back of my head. I was allowed home on Saturday last week and I feel okay. I'm quite tired and I have a bit of a headache."
"Now I just want people to be aware of what thunderclap headaches are. I climb a lot of munros and my work keeps me pretty active so I consider myself to be quite fit. It just came out of nowhere. I honestly cannot thank all the staff at the hospital and on the ward enough for everything they did. They were so professional and we are so lucky for the medicine that they can do."
According to the NHS, symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm usually begin with a sudden agonising headache. It has been likened to being hit on the head, resulting in a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before. Other symptoms include feeling or being sick, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, fit and weakness in the limbs.
A ruptured brain aneurysm is a medical emergency. Call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance if someone is experiencing symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
