The name alone — cluster headaches — points to a condition that isn’t all that pleasant to deal with, and the reality bears this out.
While cluster headaches are rare — they only affect 1 in every 1,000 people — they can have a major impact on the quality of life of those who experience this patterned head pain.
Headaches certainly fall under our area of expertise as pain management specialists, so our team of board-certified providers at Pain Medicine Consultants wants to devote this month’s blog post to cluster headaches. Here’s what we want you to know.
There are more than 150 different types of headaches, which are divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary means the head pain is a standalone condition while secondary headaches are those that are complications of another issue, such as a sinus headache due to sinusitis.
Cluster headaches are primary headaches that are quite unique. First, let’s review why we call them cluster headaches. These headaches tend to strike in waves and, during an active attack, you can experience up to eight headaches a day that last anywhere from half an hour to three hours each.
Cluster headaches tend to keep a schedule and strike around the same time of day, so if you get one just after bedtime each night, it will likely continue to strike at that hour during an active phase.
These attacks can come and go without warning. You might endure days, weeks, or months of headaches during an attack, and then they disappear, placing you in a remission that can last for months or years.
For the lucky ones, cluster headaches fade with age, but some people continue to have attacks throughout their lives.
Now let’s get into why cluster headaches are widely known as one of the most painful headaches. The pain — which is almost always one-sided — is often described as:
The pain typically strikes around the eyes, temples, and behind the ears, again only on one side.
Aside from pain, many people with cluster headaches also develop:
People also report feeling restless during a cluster headache.
Researchers still haven’t identified the cause of cluster headaches, which means that there’s no cure. So that leaves management as our best option.
From our perspective, cluster headaches are challenging to treat because they come on quickly and can leave just as quickly, which makes spot medications tricky.
That said, there has been success with sumatriptan, a triptan medication that constricts the blood vessels in your brain to reduce pain during an attack. And oxygen therapy sometimes works to relieve pain during a cluster headache.
We also like to focus on preventive and management strategies for cluster headaches, including:
If you would like to learn more about cluster headaches and your options for pain relief, we’re happy to help. To get started, please feel free to contact us at one of our offices in Pleasant Hill, Corte Madera, or Pleasanton, California, to schedule a consultation.
