iShowSpeed urges fans to 'pray for him' as he shares emotional health update

YouTuber iShowSpeed has provided an update on his health after being hospitalised with a cluster headache.

The internet personality shared on Sunday (30 July) that he was in an ambulance on his way to hospital. In a video, he told fans that he was unable to open his eyes and was experiencing a “deadly” headache.

In the early hours of Monday, the 18-year-old, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., posted an update on his health and asked his fans to pray for him.

Speed tweeted a picture of himself in which he appeared to be laying in a hospital bed with monitors attached to his chest. His left eye looked swollen shut and he had what appeared to be a cooling pad across his forehead.

Alongside the image, he wrote: “Please pray for me I beg of y’all I need it.”

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In the comments, many fans posted their well-wishes and told Speed to get well soon. Others were also shocked by how rapidly his health had deteriorated due to the cluster headache after the influencer had posted pictures of himself with footballer Neymar Jr. just days prior.

iShowSpeed shared another video updating his fans on the situation. He was still in hospital and became emotional as he asked fans to pray for him, saying he felt like he was going to die.

He said: "Just pray I don't die, bro. Like, every second I just think I'mma die. Genuinely, every second. It hurts so bad, I don't know what's going on. My heart's beating fast.

"I love y'all. Just pray for me, please. I hate this. I've never experienced anything like this."

Speed revealed his parents are about to fly to Tokyo where he remains in hospital. He continues to experience an aching pain and numbness around one of his eyes and on the top of his head.

What is a cluster headache?

According to the NHS, cluster headaches are “excruciating attacks of pain in one side of the head, often felt around the eye”.

They can come on quickly with no warning and cause severe pain that can feel like a sharp burning or piercing sensation on one side.

Anyone can get them, though they are typically more common in men in their 30s and 40s.

Symptoms can include severe pain around the eye, swelling of the eye/eyelid, watery eye, and a smaller pupil on the affected side.

How are they treated?

The NHS states that cluster headaches are not life-threatening but can cause severe pain that can affect a person’s life quality.

Treatments for cluster headaches include using Sumatriptan – a medicine to treat migraines. This can be administered in a nasal spray or injections.

In addition, oxygen treatment (breathing in 100 per cent oxygen through a mask) can also help.

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