What is pornography headache? Case of 24-year-old Indian man getting severe headaches 5 minutes into watching porn clips

Sex headaches are both mysterious and somewhat rare. Here's what you need to know about pornography headache, a rare type of headache disorder.

Back in June 2012, Nbcnews.com reported that a 24-year-old bachelor in India went to doctors complaining that he got a headache every time he watched pornography. The pain started five minutes into a video and peaked after eight to 10 minutes – it was so severe he had to stop watching. Researchers from India shared details of the case in the journal Archives of Behavior, Medicalnewstoday.com also said in a June 2012 report. Reportedly 1 percent of the population ‘may suffer from primary sex headaches at one point in life’.

Porn gives man severe headaches

The researchers who treated the man in India reportedly suggested his case was caused by changes in the pain-sensing nerves in the face and jaw, along with increased pain sensitivity due to 'a heightened emotional state associated with viewing pornography'.

Sex headaches are both mysterious and somewhat rare, Dr Amy Gelfand, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine had told Nbcnews.com. As per the report, most sufferers develop a sudden headache at the point of orgasm. Less often, the primary sex headache will emerge slowly as sexual arousal heightens. But the man in India reportedly had an unusual case because his sex headaches only appeared while watching videos, not during masturbation and not during sexual activity.

More details

There are two types of 'primary headaches associated with sexual activity', Dr Gelfand had said and added that it appeared as if the man from India had the less common type, which progresses slowly along with heightening sexual arousal.

“The more common type is a sudden and severe headache that occurs at orgasm,” she said, and added that the seeming commonness of that headache may simply be due to the fact that people are more likely to bring them to medical attention, frightened by their timing. One percent of the population ‘may suffer from so-called primary sex headaches at one point in life’, she said.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.