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Coping With Cluster Headache
By peace | September 11, 2006
Cluster headaches produce severe, sharp, stabbing pain, usually on one side of the head and centered around one eye. They are severely incapacitating. These headaches tend to occur in clusters of 1-4 a day for 4-8 weeks, last between 30 and 90 minutes each, and then disappear for months. Flushing of the face, tearing of the affected eye, and a stuffy or runny nose on the same side where the pain is located may occur during an attack. Cluster headaches are most frequent in the spring and fall.
A cluster headache is a rare type of headache that is more common in men. Cluster headaches start suddenly. The pain is usually behind or around one eye and is very severe. The eye and nose on the same side as the pain may become red, swollen and runny. Cluster headaches also cause restlessness. These headaches can be frightening to the sufferer and his or her family.
A cluster headache can last a few minutes or several hours, but it usually lasts for 45 to 90 minutes. Cluster headaches typically occur at the same time each day for several weeks, until the “cluster period” is over. The most common times for cluster headaches seem to be between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and around 9:00 p.m. Cluster periods usually last 4 to 8 weeks and may occur every few months. At other times, no cluster headaches will occur.
During a cluster period, it is important to keep to your usual routine, remain calm and avoid changing your sleep pattern. Once a cluster period has started, a change in sleep pattern, particularly taking an afternoon nap, seems to bring on the headaches.
Drinking alcohol will also bring on headaches during cluster periods. This happens very quickly — before you finish the first drink. Alcohol should be completely avoided until the cluster period is over. Stress may bring on attacks, and the headaches may start when you are relaxing after a stressful time.
Treatment For Cluster Headache
Several treatments are available for cluster headaches. It is important to work with your doctor to talk about side effects of different medicines, pick the right treatment for you and set up a schedule for taking the medicines your doctor prescribes.
Your doctor will probably prescribe 2 medicines. One medicine is taken regularly during a cluster period to reduce the number of headaches. In order for the medicine to work, the level of the drug in your blood must be high at the time your attacks usually start.
The second medicine is taken to relieve the pain when a cluster headache occurs. Attacks begin too quickly for you to reach medical help. You must be ready to take this medicine as soon as an attack begins. You may want to teach family members about your headaches and medicines so that they will be able to help you when you have an attack.
Medicines taken by mouth work too slowly to give relief for cluster headaches. For this reason, your doctor may prescribe a medicine that is taken by inhaler, as an injection (a “shot”) or as a rectal suppository. Other treatments that work for some people are rapidly breathing pure oxygen through a mask or using a local anesthetic (numbing medicine) in their nose.
Although cluster headaches are very painful, with the right treatment most people cope very well. Preventive medicines work well to reduce the number of headaches during cluster periods. When a cluster headache does occur, medicines can greatly shorten the headache and reduce its severity. It is important that you work with your doctor to find the right treatment for you.
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December 22nd, 2007 at 11:18 am
[...] 3. Cluster headaches come in groups of painful bouts that can only be described as excruciating. This intense pain strikes without warning on one side of the head, normally localizing around one eye. That eye might also become somewhat bloodshot. Cluster headaches are often accompanied by a teary eye and a runny rose on the same side of the face. Sometimes the pain also radiates around the face. After each series of pain, there is a headache-free period that can last up to several years. The typical cluster headache victim is male 20-50 years old. Researchers speculate that cluster victims may have an abnormality of the small branches of blood vessels in the forehead which can be affected in some way by a substance in the body called histamine. Stress, alcohol, and heavy smoking appear to trigger cluster headaches. Coping with Cluster headaches [...]