Science still understands very little about cluster headaches, but they have made some progress in identifying the most common cluster headache triggers. If you or a loved one suffers from these debilitating attacks, this article will help you to better understand what can trigger them, and how you can sometimes avoid doing something that will trigger a cluster attack.

One cluster headache trigger you can’t do much about is the time of the year. For some reason, these headaches tend to occur seasonally in people, such as during spring and fall, but not summer or winter. For others, they always happen in January and July. This is a mystery to researchers, and it’s one of the few triggers you have no control over.

Smoking is a known cluster headache trigger, and the people who are the heaviest smokers are the most at risk. Quitting smoking is hard, but the health benefits are immeasurable. If you’re a smoker who suffers from cluster headaches, it’s imperative that you do whatever it takes to quit smoking.

Taking naps during the afternoon is also a common cluster headache trigger. A quick nap to recharge your batteries during the day can be quite refreshing, but for some reason they can also bring on painful cluster attacks. You may have to go to bed earlier, or get up later, but you should certainly cut out the habit of napping if you have cluster headaches.

Petroleum based products can also trigger clusters by inhaling them, and it doesn’t take much. So try to avoid inhaling gasoline fumes when you’re filling your car, truck, or lawn mower. If necessary, get someone else to do these tasks for you. Perfume also contains some of these trigger chemicals. If you work around people who wear lots of cologne or perfume, you should speak to your employer about your cluster headaches. Working in a “scent free” zone can reduce the number of cluster headache attacks you suffer.

Finally, alcohol, as in alcoholic drinks, is also a known cluster headache trigger in many people. Start paying attention to what you were doing every time you suffer a cluster headache attack. If you find that there’s a correlation between alcohol intake and your headaches, try becoming a teetotaler. There’s a good chance you can cut way down on the number of attacks you suffer.

As you can see, there are several common cluster headache triggers, and you have some control over most of them. By making some simple lifestyle changes, you can stop triggering cluster headaches in many cases. They may not end entirely, but any reduction in how frequently they occur is a great improvement.