Could a trip to the ER with a headache mean a stroke?

While not every stroke will bring on a headache, a sudden headache could be an important sign. Saw this recent article from Everyday Health:

Sometimes a headache is just a headache, but sometimes it's a sign that you're having a type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). What happens when emergency room doctors don't recognize this possibility?

A large number of misdiagnosed stroke cases occur every year, particularly for stroke from hemorrhage, in which 20 percent of cases may go undiagnosed. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the kind of stroke with the highest rate of under-diagnosis.

Read the entire article for good tips.

(Photo from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Talk about bad news...

Not long ago, the CBS affiliate in Dallas/Fort Worth tried to run a story on a worthy topic - "Know the earlly warning signs of a stroke" but with unworthy content.

A glaring error in describing "early symptoms" includes "horrendous headaches for two consecutive weeks." Now, if someone is really having a stroke (likely the kind in which the brain is bleeding, not the kind with the blood clot), then waiting for two weeks is tantamount to suicide.

No, "early symptoms" might include the sudden onset of a horrendous headache. More like two minutes, not two weeks.

Plus - and you might have read this here before - often, stroke victims do not even have a headache. The National Stroke Association offers these easy-to-remember signs, called F.A.S.T. :

FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Myth: Headaches always accompany strokes

This is a cautionary note about a myth that might make you hesitate to get some help if you or someone you care about might be having a stroke.

People might remember the following stroke symptoms, as the American Stroke Association lays out:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

However, people might miss the not-so-fine print, also on the association's Web site:

If you notice one or more of these signs, don't wait. Stroke is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical services. Get to a hospital right away!

Notice the association doesn't say get if if someone has all the signs. Just once would suffice.

I did not have a headache associated with my stroke. Most of the people I've spoken with who have gone through having a stroke tell me that he or she did not have a headache. While a sudden, severe headache is a clear warning sign, especially of a hemorrhagic stroke. But it's only one sign, and you should pay attention to all of them.