Over 10% of S’pore population suffer from serious tension headaches, migraine

SINGAPORE – People often complain of headache but for some, those headaches can be life-threatening.

Doctors estimate that more than 10 per cent of the population in Singapore suffer from serious tension headaches and migraines.

But while they constitute 95 per cent of headache types, the other five per cent can be fatal, like the sinister headache.

The danger signs to look out for are blurred vision, slurred speech and immobility.

Doctors said such headaches could have been caused by blood clots or tumours in the brain, and require immediate medical attention.

Associate Professor Lee Kim En, Senior Consultant & Head, Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, said: “We have patients who suffer from migraines and tension headaches, and they have been suffering from headaches for a long time.

“So the reasonable question is, how do they know that this is something dangerous? Most patients know themselves better than the doctors. So the minute they sense a change, or a deviation from the normal pattern, in terms of the character, frequency and intensity, this is in itself a warning sign.


Source: Channel News Asia