Cluster headaches are severely painful headaches that occur in clusters.
One may experience cycles of headache attacks (range from one headache every other day to several headaches per day between one to eight times daily) followed by headache-free periods (In bouts lasting several weeks or months at a time (typically 4 to 12 weeks), before they subside.
A symptom-free period (remission) will often follow, which sometimes lasts months or years before the headaches start again.
The headache seem to occur at same time of the day as well as similar times of the year commonly in autumn and spring
There are two types of cluster headaches:
Episodic cluster headaches
These occur one or more times daily for multiple weeks. The headaches then go away and come back months or years later.
For others , it occurs regularly between one week and one year, followed by a headache-free period of one month or more.
Chronic cluster headaches
These occur almost daily with headache-free periods lasting less than a month for longer than one year.
One who has an episodic cluster headaches may develop chronic cluster headaches, the opposite may also occur.
Age and Gender
Men are more likely to have cluster headaches.
Persons who develop cluster headaches are between ages 20 and 50, although the condition can develop at any age.
Cause
Unknown, maybe:
Dilation, or widening, of the blood vessels that supply blood to your brain and face.
This dilation applies pressure to the trigeminal nerve, which transmits sensations from the face to the brain.
It is unknown why this dilation occurs maybe i.e.
Abnormalities in the hypothalamus, a small area of the brain that regulates body temperature, blood pressure, sleep, and the release of hormones
Sudden release of the chemicals histamine, which fight allergens, or serotonin, which regulates mood.
Headache which is on and off or a constant headache longer than 24 hours?
Headache pain becomes severe 5-10 minutes after the headache starts, each headache usually lasts for several hours, with the most intense pain lasting between 30 minutes and 2 hours?
Headaches begin a few hours after you fall asleep and are often painful enough to wake you (in the middle of one’s sleep) but they may also begin when you are awake?
Headaches occur same time each day?
Headaches recur occur for several weeks then disappear?
Feeling hot and inability too sweat?
One may have an aura (similar to migraine) i.e. euphoria, visual disturbances, smells, flashes of light that acts as a trigger?
Headache pain occurs on one side of the head (it may switch sides in some people)?
A constant and deep burning behind the back of eye and/or around the eye?
One’s eye on the side of headache becomes watery and inflamed?
Droopy eyelid (ptosis) and/or small constricted pupils (miosis) ?
Constricted pupil (miosis)?
Excessive tearing from your eye and/or watery eyes (not controlled)?
Eye redness?
Sensitivity to light?
Swelling under or around one or both of your eyes?
Pain may spread to the forehead, temples, teeth, nose, neck, or shoulders on the same side?
Headache then it affected side of face?
Blocked nose on the side of headache?
Facial redness and/or flushing and/or forehead and facial sweating?
Nausea and sickness feeling?
Irritated and/or anxiety and or depressed and/or restlessness (rocking, pacing or banging their head against the wall)?
Slow heart beat?
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Severe pain and distress
Patients often are in severe distress.
They might cry, scream, cradle their head, or press on the site of pain.
Patients might feel restless, with physical exercise affording some degree of relief.
Patients experiencing particularly severe or intolerable pain might threaten self-harm.
Similar headaches with similar symptoms but vary in duration include:
SUNCT/SUNA (short, intense bursts of pain on one side of the head, primarily around one eye. There are also involuntary symptoms like eyelid drooping, tearing, nasal stuffiness and facial sweating)
Hemicrania Contiunua (chronic and persistent form of headache marked by continuous pain that varies in severity and always occurs on the same side of the face and head)
Attack duration: over 3 months
Paroxysmal Hemicrania (rare form of headache that brings on severe throbbing and claw-like pain usually on one side of the face near the eye and occasionally around the back of the neck)
Attack duration 2- 30 mins. Frequency: less than 5 per day
Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headaches with conjunctival injection (eye pain), and tearing/short lasting unilateral neuralgiform headaches: (Attack duration 1-600 seconds. Frequency: 1 per day)
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Cluster headache in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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