What is Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are a succession of brief but excruciatingly painful headaches that occur daily for weeks or months at a time. They usually appear at the same time every year, such as in the spring or fall. As a result, cluster headaches are frequently misdiagnosed as allergies or work stress. During these cycles, the frequency of your migraines may vary from one headache every other day to numerous headaches every day. Cluster headaches can cause excruciating pain. Cluster headaches are most frequent between the ages of puberty and middle age, but they can strike anyone at any age.
Cluster headaches can cause you to miss work or school for weeks or even months. They like to stick to a schedule, showing up at the same time every day. They can wake you up an hour or two after you have gone to bed. These headaches may be more painful at night than during the day.
Symptoms
Cluster headaches attack suddenly and without warning, but you may experience migraine-like nausea and aura first. The following are some of the most common indications and symptoms of a headache:
- Excruciating Pain
- One-sided pain
- Restlessness
- Excessive tearing
- Redness of the eye
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Pale skin or flushing on the face
- Swelling around the eye
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye itching
- Discomfort or a mild burning feeling
Causes
The dilatation, or widening, of the blood arteries that feed blood to your brain and face, causes cluster headaches. The trigeminal nerve, which sends feelings from the face to the brain, is compressed by this dilatation. The cause of this dilatation is uncertain. Cluster headaches are a rare form of headache. It's a one-sided headache that can include tears, droopy eyelids, and a stuffy nose. Attacks range from 15 minutes to 3 hours and happen every day or practically every day for weeks or months. Pain-free periods of at least one month or more are used to separate the attacks. Cluster headaches can be mistaken for other types of headaches such as sinus headaches, migraines, and tension headaches.
Treatments
The most successful ways to treat the pain are for a shot of sumatriptan (Imitrex) and breathing oxygen through a face mask for 20 minutes. Other drugs that are used for migraines which are called triptans may work. Prescription medicines will be based on the ergot fungus and also lidocaine nasal spray might be helpful. Need to take preventive medicine, unless if the headache periods last less than 2 weeks. Then the neurology doctor can prescribe medication to shorten the length of the cluster as well as lessen the severity of the attacks, which includes the following:
- Divalproex sodium (Depakote)
- Ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot, Ergomar)
- Lithium
- Prednisone, for a short time
- Verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
