Key signs to look out for
THERE are three types of HSA (Headache associated with Sexual Activity). One is believed to be caused by neck tension during sex.
The searing ‘thunderclap’ comes on as orgasm occurs and can last hours.
The post-coital headache, from mild to intense, is caused by a leak of spinal fluid from the skull into the spine, alleviated by lying down.
Some neuroligists think HSA is caused by an increase in brain pressure through exertion. People who suffer HSA should get it checked out.
Lucinda’s neurosurgeon Mr Alessandro Paluzzi said her condition was unusual. He said most patients with a brain haemorrhage after sex have bleeding on the brain’s surface – caused by a leaking or ruptured aneurysm.
“But Lucinda’s was a bleed inside the brain which is what led to her strokes,” he said.