Headbanging can make your brain bleed, science confirms


We may have found the most metal human being on the planet.
German doctors say they treated a man earlier this year who suffered cerebral bleeding as a result of his headbanging habit and love of speed metal. The 50-year-old patient came in complaining of headaches, though he had no history of head injuries, drug abuse, or any other factor that could have explained the pain. He had, however, recently been to a Motorhead show.
A computer scan revealed the blood buildup, and doctors drilled a small hole to drain the fluid. In a paper published Friday, the medical team noted that there were previous cases of minor brain damage related to heavy metal music. Still, they added that the risk of injury was low; a follow-up exam revealed their patient had a cyst which could have made him more susceptible to injury.
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"We are not against headbanging," Dr. Ariyan Pirayesh Islamian said, adding that had the unidentified patient gone "to a classical concert, this would not have happened."
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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