Dr. Dan: There’s nothing like a roller coaster to put butterflies in your stomach. But according to a new report, you may need to be more concerned about your head.
A case study tells the story of a 24-year-old woman who spent the day enjoying the rides at an amusement park, but on the way home she was struck with a terrible headache. Her doctor told her it was due to muscle tension and gave her some medication. But that didn’t help and her pain continued for two more months.
When her doctors finally performed a MRI scan, they discovered something much more serious. She had two subdural hematomas, pockets of blood on the surface of her brain, a condition very rare in young women. As for a cause, experts look to those colossal coasters.
They believe the violent movement and accelerated forces of the ride may have actually ruptured veins on the surface of her brain. But she’s not the first such case. Several others have been reported.
As for the woman, doctors drained the blood pockets and within a few weeks she felt fine. Still no word yet on whether she’s been back on the tracks. As for me, I think I’ll stick to these.
With Doctor’s Corner, I’m Dr. Bruce Dan.
