A cluster headache is an uncommon type of headache that can cause sudden extreme pain on one side of the head, usually around or behind an eye. The headaches typically occur at the same time every day for several weeks and then do not occur for a few months. You may them at night after you have fallen asleep. The days or weeks when you are having the headaches are called a cluster period.
The cause of cluster headaches is not known. They happen in men more often than women. They do not seem to be caused by disease and they do not run in families like some other types of headaches.
Cluster headaches may be triggered by:
Keeping a headache diary may help to show a pattern for when the headaches are occurring. It may teach you about possible triggers and help you to avoid them
Intense pain on one side of the head is the main symptom. The headache hurts the most about 5 to 10 minutes after it begins.
Other symptoms that may occur with cluster headaches are:
Your healthcare provider will ask about the history of your symptoms and examine you. It will help if you keep a record of:
Your provider will also want to know what medicines you are taking and about your use of alcohol and tobacco.
You may have tests, such as CT or MRI scans, to rule out other serious causes of the headaches.
Medicine, such as sumatriptan, may be prescribed to relieve the pain when a headache occurs. It is important to take this medicine as soon as the headache begins. The medicine needs to be fast acting because the pain of a cluster headache becomes severe very quickly. For this reason, your provider may prescribe this medicine as a shot or in a form that can be inhaled through the nose.
Breathing pure oxygen through a mask also helps relieve pain for some people.
Nonprescription medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, usually don’t help because they don’t work fast enough. It’s important to try to treat the pain before it gets severe.
Several medicines may be prescribed to prevent cluster headaches. Your provider may recommend taking the medicine every day of the year or only during a typical cluster period to reduce the severity and number of headaches. Two medicines commonly used to prevent cluster headaches are verapamil and lithium. Your provider will tell you when and how to take your medicine to prevent headaches.
The headaches usually last 30 to 90 minutes. The pain usually ends as suddenly as it begins. The headaches may come back daily for weeks or months, then disappear for months or years. Most people have 1 to 2 cluster periods a year.
During a cluster period:
The recurrent and intense pain of cluster headaches can make you depressed or anxious. You may find that talking with a counselor will help you cope with the effects of cluster headaches. Sometimes joining a headache support group can help.
For pain in or around an eye that does not go away, see your healthcare provider to make sure that there is not a problem with the eye.
Some medicines prescribed by your healthcare provider, such as verapamil or lithium, may help reduce the number and severity of headaches. It may also help to:
