May 07, 2009
Exploding head syndrome:
I've just found an article with two interesting cases of 'exploding head syndrome' - a medical condition where affected people spontaneously hear an exceptionally loud explosion-like noise.
The condition is relatively harmless, causing people only to be startled, and it doesn't seem linked to seizure activity or epilepsy. Owing to the fact it's both benign and uncommon, it's not been widely studied and so its cause remains a mystery.
Case 1
A 48-year-old man was seen in December 2006. For the past several months about three to four times a month, he had been having attacks of a peculiar sensation in the head likened to the noise of an exploding bomb only at night while going off to sleep. The 'explosion' would wake him up and disappear completely the moment he woke up.
There was no headache and no associated symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or any visual sensation. For the past 3 months, the frequency of these sensations had increased and had been occurring nearly daily at the time of consultation. The noise occurred only once during every night, after which he could go off to sleep. His past medical history had been unremarkable and he had never suffered from any significant headache problem. General physical and neurological examination had been unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain with contrast had been normal. He was prescribed Flunarazine 10 mg daily. At 6 months' follow-up he had much improved and noticed the exploding head symptom only on two occasions.
Case 2
A 65-year-old man was seen in February 2007. He was hypertensive and diabetic (both well controlled on oral medication) and had been having infrequent attacks of International Headache Society migraine headache (every 2–4 months) without aura since the age of 15 years. For the past 4 months prior to consultation, every 2–3 weeks, he had been awakened while going off to sleep only during taking a daytime nap by a sudden exploding (like a bomb bursting) noise in his head lasting for only few moments.
This noise was always accompanied with jerky elevation of his right arm and a queer sensation in the right side of his chest (not arm) and again lasting only momentarily. He felt quite well on waking up and could go off to sleep again. These were never accompanied by any visual flashes and never occurred during sleep at night. These sensations were very different from his migraine headaches, which lasted for several hours and the noises were not accompanied by any nausea or vomiting.
Physical examination was normal and his blood presswure in the clinic was 136/80 mmHg. He had already had a MRI of brain with contrast, MR angiography of brain and two interictal sleep EEG recordings performed before consultation with the author, all of which were normal. A video EEG with daytime sleep recording was performed, but no event could be captured.
Link to article with case studies.
Link to PubMed entry for same.
—Vaughan.
Posted at May 7, 2009 12:00 PM
First of all, i'll try to write in good english, i'm french.
Exploding head syndrome is a peculiar thing.
I'm pretty sure i experienced it several times before. Currently i'm 20 years old and it seems that I don't have this syndrome anymore. The description in this article are pretty close to what i coul feel when it appeared. I felt it in the morning, when i was awakening. Same thing, big explosion noise and startling. Pretty weird feeling.
The only thing that I have today is hypnagogic hallucination. I don't know if there is a link between the two. Anyway that's interesting.
Mind Hacks is a great blog ! Keep up the good work ! :D
Comment posted at May 8, 2009 11:30 AM
I have also experienced this phenomenon a handful of times, all while falling asleep. The explosion startles me and wakes me up, but as far as I can tell I am otherwise unaffected. I also have gotten occasional migraines (with aura) ever since my teens. I was once hospitalized as a teenager with an acute migraine that affected my speech with symptoms similar to those of a stroke.
Comment posted at May 8, 2009 12:54 PM
I've had this as well, several times. I've long been of the impression that this is what is described in the Wikipedia entry on lucid dreaming, specifically in the segment on wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILD). Quote:
"During the actual transition into the dream state, one is likely to experience sleep paralysis, including rapid vibrations,[15] a sequence of loud sounds [etc]".
If this is as normal as it seems from this quote, it's not right calling it a syndrome.
Comment posted at May 8, 2009 02:43 PM
I've had this a few times just since the last year or two - weird to see it described! Don't much like the name though, it's quite Scanners.
I also sometimes have "ping tinnitus" - http://www.auditory.org/mhonarc/2005/msg00703.html .
Do I win a prize? And might they be connected?
Comment posted at May 8, 2009 07:56 PM
It doesn't seem to be so uncommon after all :)
Comment posted at May 8, 2009 11:54 PM
I have experienced this too, not recently, but quite often when I was in my 30s. It is a little weird because although the explosion seems quite loud, and happens quite unexpectedly, you can tell it is not a real sound. I am not sure how. Perhaps it does not echo in your ears the way a real loud sound would. I never thought something nearby had really exploded.
My guess is that it is more like the auditory equivalent of a phosphene, the product of some random stimulation of the auditory system, rather than being like lucid dreams or hypnagogic images. Those are representational phenomena, you dream or imagine events or people or things; this is just a random burst of meaningless noise.
As Daniel says, maybe it is not so uncommon after all. Probably most people just never report it. Although it worried me a little bit back when I had it quite often, it never seemed significant enough to take to the doctor. I do not think I ever mentioned it to anybody before this.
Comment posted at May 9, 2009 04:18 AM
This was, of course, the subject of a recent episode of "House, MD."
Comment posted at May 10, 2009 01:06 AM
Nigel - you are exactly right about knowing that it isn't an external sound, I had also noticed that lack of reverberation.
Comment posted at May 10, 2009 01:07 PM
I had this occur back in 2004 when the Mayo Clinic initially prescribed a very low dose of seroquel for me to combat extreme insomnia (no sleep for 4-5 days). Exactly as others have described I would hear a very loud explosion, followed by a period of stuper (not seeing others report this), my whole body jerked, and of course a racing heart. The latter seemed a natural reaction to a blast in my opinion. I also quickly determined that it was an internal versus external phenomenon. The Mayo Clinic sleep specialist pulled out a book and showed me "Exploding Head Syndrome" to quell my anxiety (stuper following the event was also a symptom). I was told it was a benign seizure. As mine only occured ONCE/night and right before I went to sleep I didn't puruse it at that time. It did eventually stop.
This syndrome has recently returned. It now occurs three or four times a night. The noise is not as "loud" as 2004, but at times it feels if an ice pick has been rammed in my eye. The body jerkng is the same, but the stuper seems shorter. This started about a month ago when taking a new med. About ready to change that med.
Comment posted at June 21, 2009 12:23 AM
I am a 26 year old man who has been suffering from exploding head syndrome (god I hate the name too, haha) for a few years. I believe to have had it for awhile, but as I got older the "louder" the sounds have gotten. A few years ago I would get them more frequent, almost like clockwork every night. Some nights; a couple, or a few, others nights; one or none. I always just associated it with stress, because I would notice it occur more often when I was restless or had a lot on my mind. The most frequent noises that I get are short circuited buzzes, door slams, and recently incoherent talk/babble from loud voices. I feel paralyzed after they occur and sometimes they will sound very eerie. I have gotten the "white light" experience along with the noise, but only for very extreme cases. Something interesting as well, is that I noticed that it would happen when I slept on my side. When I would have one or more ears burried into my pillow. There was a time (3 or 4 years ago), when I would anticipate the sensation, and change sleep positions to almost "catch it" before it happened. Often times this trick would work.
Now that I'm relieved to know many others suffer from the same experience, I have grown more interested in knowing what the cause of this is. When I was younger I did take a lot of drugs recreationally, and felt that it could have been a long term reaction from it. I also have had a history with depression, and was prescribed an anti-depresent in my late teenage years.
Comment posted at September 16, 2009 05:04 AM
I'm so relieved to see so many people have experienced this phenomenon. SHortly after I was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago, I started having these episodes just as I was drifting off to sleep. It sounded as if someone dropped an encyclopedia type book flat onto a hardwood floor. The first time I got out of bed and searched for the source of the npoise, for which none could be found. When it happened again the next nite, I realizes it was in my head. With it came a quick flash of brite lite, just as long as the noise itself. Followed by a racing heart, which I assume is adrenaline. I wanted to ask my doctor about it, but had no idea how to desribe it. I had the same problem when the MS caused Restless Leg Syndrome. How do you describe this stuff to a doctor when you've never heard of it before??? I'v learned from this disease that the brain can play some pretty crazy tricks on you. When I saw the episode of House describing and Bless Me, even naming this phenomenon, I was so excited. Now I can Goggle it and find out if i'm having an anurism once and for all....THANK GOD for that episode. phew
Comment posted at October 3, 2009 02:07 AM
i JUST experienced this feeling about 20 minutes ago, for the first time ever. i typed in "body felt loud explosion" into Google - which lead me here. the whole thing really freaked me out..
watching TV on the couch, all of a sudden - REALLY loud bang below me, felt like a bomb went off.. ears started ringing, racing heart, was a bit dizzy, then internal feelings went away after 2min or so.. have no idea what it was, felt like i was jolted by electricity from the inside out with an accompanying BOOM sound that was really really loud, so loud it made my ears ring?
someone's gotta help!
Comment posted at November 16, 2009 06:35 AM
i JUST experienced this feeling about 20 minutes ago, for the first time ever. i typed in "body felt loud explosion" into Google - which lead me here. the whole thing really freaked me out..
watching TV on the couch, all of a sudden - REALLY loud bang below me, felt like a bomb went off.. ears started ringing, racing heart, was a bit dizzy, then internal feelings went away after 2min or so.. have no idea what it was, felt like i was jolted by electricity from the inside out with an accompanying BOOM sound that was really really loud, so loud it made my ears ring?
someone's gotta help!
Comment posted at November 16, 2009 06:35 AM
over tha past 6 weeks i have 3 exploding head attacks, i am struggling with sleep at the moment and i mean 3 nights no sleep one night sleep, prior to this i have had the whole body jerking when just about to fall asleep, mine fells like 2 electric wires touching and making a sound then the loudest bang with my head jerking a few times it is scary i have suffered from severe magraine for 48 years vomiting for 8 solid hours and pain you cannot describe but with this there is no headache and no pain
Comment posted at December 2, 2009 06:25 PM
