Cluster Headache Treatment

Cluster headaches are often confused with migraine headaches, but these are two different maladies entirely. Make no mistake; migraines are terribly painful, and people who have them have a difficult cross to bear. But cluster headaches are, believe it or not, even worse. Only those who have actually experienced the horror of them actually know what it’s like. In this article, I’ll give an overview of cluster headache symptoms, for those who are living with them but don’t know what they’re called.

Cluster headache symptoms often begin just after going to sleep. Doctor’s don’t know why this is, exactly, but it’s a common pattern. It’s not universal, though; they can come on at any time of day or night. Also, the pain is located on only one side of your head or face, which is where many people mistakenly think the name cluster headaches come from, because the pain isn’t spread out evenly, but instead clusters in a particular area. (The name actually refers to the fact that cluster headaches occur in clusters of time, with attacks happening over a period of weeks or months, then stopping.) In the vast sufferers, the pain is on the same side of the face in during nearly every headache, while a small minority of people report that the attacks alternate between both sides. That is, one attack will be on the left side of the face, and the next one will be on the right side, etc. But in all cases, the pain stays only on one side during a particular cluster period.

You’ll immediately recognize the onset of a cluster headache because its first symptom is a terrible pain in one eye. Victim after victim report the same thing – a horrible sensation that feels as if they’re being stabbed in the eye with a knife or a pair of scissors. The pain, which is almost unbearable, will be at its worst about 10 minutes after the headache begins. This is accompanied by the other major symptom, which is the sensation of tiny little electrical shocks, which only worsen the pain during the cluster period. The cluster period usually lasts between 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

That’s an overview of the major cluster headache symptoms. If you’re still in doubt as to whether or not you’re suffering from cluster headaches, look for our other article in this two part series, where we discuss the minor symptoms of cluster headaches.

Related posts:

1. Cluster Headache Symptoms: The Minor Symptoms
2. Cluster Headaches: What Are They?
3. Cluster Headaches – What Are They And Can You Avoid Them?
4. Cluster Headache Relief
5. Episodic Cluster Headaches

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