Dealing With Headaches

I once asked someone who had cluster headaches how they differed from migraines. My none-too-amused companion replied, “Cluster headaches suck big time.” Years later, I thought I better find a more thorough if less eloquent definition of cluster headaches.

What Are They

Cluster headaches are extremely painful series of headaches that are akin to torture. They tend to rise and fall in intensity, so when you think it’s over, it’s not. They often concentrate on one side of the head. An attack usually lasts from 15 minutes to three hours. They tend to come at the same time every day over a period of time (usually from 2-12 weeks), then go away for an undetermined length of time (this is called remission). Any onlooker will probably panic seeing you in such pain. You may display very dramatic actions such as pounding your head against the floor in order to ease the pain. Many cluster headache victims prefer to be alone when the clusters come. But, believe it or not, despite their intensity, cluster headaches are not lethal.

What Causes Them

Quite frankly, no one knows. Lucky you. The current theory is that some chemicals like tobacco or alchohol might, which freaks out the trigeminal nerve. Here’s a direct quote from this site:

Biochemical, hormonal, and vascular changes induce cluster headaches, but why these changes occur remains unclear. Episodic cluster headaches seem to be linked to changes in day length, possibly signaling a connection to the so-called biological clock.

In other words, “Your guess is as good as mine, dude”.

Who Gets Them

Cluster headache victims tend to be in their 20s-40s. Very, very rarely, they start when you are in your 80s. They are more men that get them than women (I guess because the women have the migraine market cornered). They can affect any race. So far, there does not seem to be firm evidence to show a genetic cause, but cluster headaches can sometimes run in families. Some throerise that a combonation of factors have to come together to produce cluster headaches. They are one of the rarest kinds of headaches.

What Other Names Are Cluster Headaches Called

They are often called suicide headaches, as you wish you were dead when you have them. WebMD.com estimates that cluster headaches are 100 times more painful than migraines (and that’s saying something!)

Cluster headaches are sometimes called “Night headaches” or “nightmare headaches” becuase they usually strike one or two hours after you go to bed. They often receeed in the daylight.

What Can Be Done

You have to go to the doctor if you have cluster headaches. There are a lot of medications available to ease or even prevent attacks. They usually come in injectable and nasal spray form. You may have to take a comination of medicines. If you can discover a trigger, such as alcholic drinks, avoid them.

The periods of remission are not fully understood. They differ in length from person to person. Sometimes the cluster headache period goes away by themselves.

Only 10 to 15% of cluster headache sufferers are chronic, where there are NO periods of remission. Chronic cluster headache sufferers can also get benefits from modern medicines, and even from inhaling from oxygen machines. There are also anesthetics available on perscription, usually in nasal sprays.

Although there is no cure, there are two experimental surgical procedures. However, surgery is a last resort. The first surgery involves cutting or burning away part of the trimeminal nerve, the other is focusing a beam of radiation onto your head (no cutting is involved). As you might expect, the second procedure is far more controversial than the former.

You might benefit from talking to someone, whether a therapist of a support group. There are many online support groups, including Cluster Headaches Worldwide Support Group.