Cluster headaches result in periodic episodes of intense pain. Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches and often strike in cyclical patterns. The person will have frequent bouts of cluster headaches, and then the headaches will stop completely for a period of time.
Causes
Doctors don’t know what causes cluster headaches. They may be related to the
hypothalamus. This section of your brain produces hormones that control many body functions. Smoking, alcohol use, specific foods, bright light and stress have all been named as possible triggers. However, triggers do not seem to play a large role in cluster headaches.
Symptoms
A cluster headache typically feels like a sharp, burning pain. It often starts while you are sleeping. The pain is usually felt around one eye. It may cause the eyelid to droop and the pupil to constrict. The pain may radiate to other areas of your head.
You may have a flushed face and a runny or a stuffy nose.
Frequency
Attacks may last from 15 minutes to three hours. During a cluster period – when attacks are frequent – headaches may happen every day at regular times for weeks or months until the cluster period has finished. The headaches may not return for
months or years.
Treatment
Cluster headaches cannot be cured, but treatment may relieve your symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks. Cluster headaches are treated comprehensively at The NeuroMedical Center. Treatment options could include medications, including corticosteroids, synthetic hormones and pain relievers. Medications may also be given through IVs, nasal sprays, inhalers or injections. If you do not respond to these methods, nerve blocks may provide relief.
