🔥 1. A Sudden, Explosive Headache – “The Worst Headache of My Life”

This isn’t a migraine.

It’s not tension pain.

It’s a thunderclap headache — a blinding, crushing pain that hits in seconds, like being struck in the head.

Comes out of nowhere

Peaks instantly

Often described as “the worst pain I’ve ever felt”

✅ Action: Call emergency services immediately. This is the #1 sign of a ruptured aneurysm.

🤢 2. Nausea and Vomiting (Without Fever or Stomach Illness)

Sudden nausea or vomiting — especially with a severe headache — is a sign of increased pressure in the brain.

Not related to food

Often follows the headache

May be projectile

⚠️ In older adults, this may be mistaken for vertigo or stomach flu — don’t dismiss it.

👁️ 3. Blurred or Double Vision

An unruptured aneurysm pressing on the optic nerve or eye muscles can cause:

Sudden blurriness

Double vision (diplopia)

Difficulty focusing

💡 Especially concerning if it appears suddenly and doesn’t improve.

👁️ 4. Drooping Eyelid or Dilated Pupil

Aneurysms near the oculomotor nerve (which controls eye movement) can cause:

One eyelid to droop (ptosis)

One pupil to become larger than the other

Eye pain or inability to move the eye normally

✅ Often one-sided — a major neurological red flag.

🧩 5. Confusion, Trouble Thinking, or Mental Fog

Sudden confusion, disorientation, or difficulty forming thoughts can signal bleeding or pressure on the brain.

May seem “out of it”

Slurred speech