Doctor reveals 'most common' symptom he sees and when to seek help immediately

A healthcare professional has revealed the 'most common' symptom he sees in general practice and when you should seek help immediately.

Dr Amir Khan is regularly seen on TV screens across the UK on ITV shows such as Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and This Morning.

While he provides his advice on morning television, Dr Amir also offers health guidance on his social media accounts, including Instagram.

The doctor revealed in a recent video how common headaches are, with the symptom coming in a variety of different forms.

"As a GP, one of the most common symptoms I see is headache, but not all headaches are the same," Dr Amir said.

There are a number of headaches to be aware of, including a migraine, which Dr Amir said 'isn’t just a bad headache'.

He said: "Migraine is a neurological condition. We think there's abnormal activation of the nerves and blood vessels in the brain, particularly the trigeminal nerve system, which triggers inflammation and pain signalling."

Headaches are extremely common (Getty Stock Photo)

Dr Amir has said you should seek help if your migraine attacks are severe or getting worse, happen more than once a week, or if you're finding it difficult to control your migraine.

A headache known as a 'cluster headache' is one that should be attended to, according to Dr Amir.

"This, in my opinion, is one of the most painful conditions in medicine. The pain is excruciating, and usually centred around one eye," the healthcare expert said.

"The eye may water, become red, and the nose may run on the same side. Now, unlike migraine sufferers who often want to lie still, people with cluster headaches are often restless and unable to keep still because the pain is so intense."

He added: "We think a part of the brain called the hypothalamus becomes overactive, triggering pain pathways and autonomic nerves around the eye and face. It's bad."

Dr Amir Khan has provided his advice on headaches (ITV)

Dr Amir went on to warn people about 'thunderclap headaches', which he said required urgent medical treatment as it could be a sign of an aneurysm or haemorrhage.

The health expert quipped: "Now one final point that I always say when I'm talking about headaches, if you ever develop a sudden, explosive headache that reaches maximum intensity within seconds, what doctors call a thunderclap headache, it feels like you've been hit at the back of your head, really badly, seek urgent medical attention that isn't a normal headache.

"It needs immediate assessment. It could be a bleed."