Cluster Headaches

About ten percent of the population suffers from migraine headaches which can be extremely painful and very debilitating but a much smaller number of people (about one third of one percent of the population) suffer from what are known as cluster headaches which can be one of the most painful conditions you will ever experience.

There are two main characteristics to cluster headaches. The first is that sufferers experience a sharp, hot and stabbing pain which is normally confined to the area behind just one eye or close to the temple. The second is that cluster headaches follow a timetable and tend to appear at the same time each day often for several weeks or months, before disappearing altogether for a while and then returning once more.

We do not know what cause cluster headaches although research is tending to suggest that they may be caused by an abnormality in the hypothalamus, which is the small gland that plays a key role in regulating the body's clock.

One other significant feature of cluster headaches is that they tend to favor men rather than women and are commonly seen in up to eight times as many men as women between the ages of 20 and 50. This is in contrast to migraine headaches which are about three times more likely in women than they are in men.

Normal headache treatments such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are very rarely effective in treating cluster headaches and one of the most effective treatments once a headache has started is to breathe pure oxygen for several minutes.

Another treatment option is to use drugs which are commonly prescribed for migraine headaches but which are delivered in a form which speeds up their effectiveness. In other words, instead of taking these drugs in normal tablet form, they are often injected or given as a nasal spray.

Both of these treatments are however only effective following the onset of a headache and, as yet, there is no good preventative treatment. Experiments are however being conducted with various classes of drugs including calcium channel blockers and it is hoped that it will not be too long before some form of preventative medication is available.

In some extreme cases of cluster headaches neurosurgery has even been tried to block certain nerves or to remove small portions of the brain. The results have however been variable and this is seen very much as a treatment of last resort.

Today research is continuing into the causes and treatment options for this extremely painful and crippling condition and it is only to be hoped that it will not be too long before we have some answers. Certainly relief from cluster headaches cannot come too soon for those who suffer from this condition.

An Introduction To Tension Headaches
An Introduction To Sinus Headaches
An Introduction To Migraine Headaches
An Introduction To Cluster Headaches

Why We Hurt: Your Total Self-Care Guide for Backaches, Headaches, Shoulder Pain, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

Site Directory

Return to Symptoms For Headaches