About Cluster Migraines

While migraine headaches have been recognized and studied for hundreds of years, cluster migraines (also called cluster headaches) are only recently being identified as related to other vascular headaches such as migraines.

History

• In 1926, the British neurologist Wilfred Harris became the first physician to document a cluster headache occurrence. Harris named the condition Migrainous neuralgia.
  In 1939, the American neurologist Bayard T. Horton conducted more in-depth studies of cluster headaches, which, because of his research, became known as Horton's Neuralgia.

Identification

• The pain of a cluster headache is sharp and penetrating and typically is located on one side of the head. It is common for the pain to be located behind or even seemingly in the eye.
  Cluster headaches often cause sufferers to become restless in an attempt to ease the pain or distract themselves from it; in severe cases, they may suffer from depression and consider suicide.
  Other symptoms common with cluster headaches include excessive tearing and redness of the eye on the affected side, stuffy or runny nostril on the affected side, drooping eyelid and facial swelling.

Types

• Cluster migraines differ from normal migraines in many significant ways. Cluster migraines occur more frequently in men, while traditional migraines afflict women more. Unlike typical migraines, the pain of cluster headaches is mainly cyclical, with episodes of extreme pain occurring in recurrent bursts at the same time of day for a period of days, weeks or even months.
  In addition, while migraines are thought to run in families, cluster migraines do not.

Features

• Cluster headaches, like migraines, are vascular headaches, meaning they are caused by the swelling of blood vessels which put pressure on the trigeminal nerve, producing pain. Recent research has also indicated that chemical disruptions in the hypothalmus may also play a role in cluster headache development.

Prevention/Solution

• While there is no cure for cluster headaches, treatments for victims suffering from an acute attack include briefly inhaling oxygen through a mask; drugs such as Sumatriptan, Dihydroergotamine and Octreotide; and local anesthetics such as lidocaine inhaled in the form of nasal drops.