What is Exploding Head Syndrome?

Does your head really explode?

Almost. Exploding head syndrome is a type of sleep disorder. At the moment of falling asleep or waking up, people suffering from it hear a loud sound, like an explosion, a shot, thunder. This noise may be accompanied by flashes of light and muscle spasms, as if the head is exploding from the inside. The sensations that give the syndrome its name last about a second.

Why does this happen?

Doctors have not yet fully figured out why the syndrome manifests itself in this way. However, one thing is clear: the culprits of the symptoms are some diseases and conditions associated with information processing in the brain and pathological signals from the nervous system.

Are the reasons scary?

No. Some, such as changes in the functioning of the brain or mutation of certain genes, cannot be called terrible, but getting rid of them is quite difficult. Such disturbances include a brief increase in sensory neuron activity or abnormal information processing during the transition from sleep to wakefulness.

But the rest of the triggers are fine adjustable.

Migraine

One of the most common reasons exploding head syndrome. More precisely, not herself migraine, namely the aura that occurs before an attack. The reasons for the development of an aura are not completely clear, but one theory is related to the fact that the blood vessels of the brain sharply narrow and then expand. This impairs blood flow to the brain and disrupts information processing.

Ear diseases

Here relate disruption of the Eustachian tube, rupture of the membrane of internal structures ear and damage to the eardrum. This causes a change in the perception of sounds and their incorrect processing. Therefore, a person can hear explosions, crackles and just loud sounds. The syndrome goes away; it is necessary to cure the disease itself.

Side effect of drugs

Some drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or benzodiazepines, are appointed to improve the functioning of neurotransmitters - substances in the brain that transmit signals between nerve cells and regulate various functions in the body. Stopping these medications suddenly Maybe cause disruption in the functioning of neurotransmitters, which leads to incorrect processing of information.

Stress and anxiety

Severe stress Maybe cause changes in the activity of nerve cells that control the perception of sounds. This makes neurons more prone to abnormal signals being perceived brain such as loud noises or explosions.

In addition, stress Maybe cause insomnia, which also negatively affects information processing.

Is there any way to cure exploding head syndrome?

The syndrome itself is a benign disease, that is, it is not life-threatening. It is only a consequence of the fact that something is wrong in the body, so when treating it, you should first find the cause. For example, if exploding head syndrome developed after an ear injury, then it is enough to cure the pathology and the attacks will stop.

If the symptoms persist and bother the person, the doctor Maybe prescribe the following medications:

• amitriptyline;
• clomipramine;
• topiramate;
• duloxetine;
• nifedipine.