Description of a Cluster Headache

As anyone who has suffered one knows, a cluster headache can be extremely debilitating. The headaches occur in "clusters," meaning that you experience several headaches over a short period. There is a period of remission before the next wave of pain occurs. A variety of medications can be used to break, or abort, cluster headaches. Preventive medications can also be used to reduce the frequency of these headaches.

Symptoms

• Cluster headaches exhibit several well-defined symptoms. Like migraines, they typically occur on one side of the head. The pain is described as sharp, burning and steady, and usually occurs around and in the eye on the affected side of the head. The pain can also spread to the nose, temple, forehead, cheek or upper gum.

  During a series of cluster headache attacks, the pain will stay on the same side of the head. However, the next time there is a flareup the pain may be on the opposite side of the head. They are rare, occurring less frequently than migraines, and affect more men than women.

  According to a 2008 article in the "Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases," up to 14 percent of people with cluster headache report "aura" symptoms, in which certain feelings or sensations are felt before the attack begins. Up to 20 percent of people with chronic cluster headache report these symptoms.

  Other characteristics of a cluster headache include a swollen or drooping eyelid, tears running from the affected eye, a stuffy or runny nostril on the affected side, facial flushing and excessive sweating.

Time Frame

• The pain from each attack can last between 15 to 180 minutes, with the most intense pain lasting from 30 to 120 minutes. A person may experience one to eight headaches per day during a series of the headaches.

  One sign that a person suffers from cluster headaches is if the headache starts during sleep. Cluster headaches often start two to three hours after falling asleep or early in the morning, causing them to be dubbed "alarm clock headaches."

Types

• About 80 percent of patients diagnosed with cluster headache are said to have "episodic cluster headaches." This means that only one or two attacks happen a year. The remaining 20 percent of patients experience chronic cluster headaches. In these cases, attacks occur throughout the year, without more than one month between attacks.

Treatment

• Several options exist to treat cluster headaches. Corticosteroids can be prescribed to help reduce swelling. Antiepileptic drugs have been proven effective in treating cluster headaches. Verapamil, a medication used for treating hypertension, has also been shown to help treat cluster headaches. Triptans and ergotamines, typically used to treat migraines, can also be prescribed for cluster headache. Intranasal lidocaine and intranasal capsaicin can also help treat cluster headaches. Finally, oxygen therapy has also been shown to abort cluster headache attacks.

Prevention

• Many of the treatment options can also be used as preventive measures for people with chronic cluster headaches. In particular, antiepileptic drugs, mood stabilizers, and verapamil are used to help prevent various headache disorders, including cluster headaches. In extreme cases, surgery can be performed that destroys the nerves involved in cluster headache attacks.