Dealing with Cluster Headaches

Dealing with Cluster Headaches

Dealing with Cluster Headaches

A rare and not life-threatening type of headache experienced by most people is the cluster headache, which is also one of the most painful headache types. They can occur in the eye, or around it, on one side of your head, and may be strong enough to wake you up at night. They may often occur frequently in what are called “cluster periods,” which may last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

What Are Symptoms of Cluster Headaches?

Cluster headaches tend to come on quickly, with no warning signs beforehand. Occasionally, one might experience an aura or nausea, as one might experience with a migraine. Typically, though, you’re likely to experience:

How Long Can a Cluster Period Last?

Cluster headaches do not always persist for cluster periods and, in fact, experience cluster headaches in episodes, which occur for anywhere from a week to a year. This may be followed by a period of remission, with no pain for up to another year.

The typical length of a cluster period is between several weeks and several months. In some cases, the date the period starts and the overall duration can be consistent, sometimes even seasonally. A few things to note about cluster periods:

When Should You Speak to Your Doctor About a Cluster Headache?

If you’re experiencing cluster headaches in any way and for any duration, it’s safest to check with a doctor to ensure that there is no other outside cause or disorder, and to discover the best treatment. Seek emergency care if  you have:

If you have an existing history of headaches, you should also consult with a physician if the headaches feel different or if the pattern of your headaches has changed.

You Might Also Enjoy...

Exercises to Relieve Neck Pain

Neck pain is incredibly common, though if you’ve sustained an injury to your neck, or suffer from arthritis or some kind of common pain, your type of neck pain is likely very different than a little stiffness from keeping your neck in one place for...

Pericarditis and Chest Pain

People can suffer from chest pains for many different reasons. One possible cause is a condition known as pericarditis, which is the swelling and irritation of the pericardium, a saclike tissue around the heart.

Products to Help With Groin Pain

Groin pain is a very common type of pain, especially in the cases of personal injury, such as not lifting properly. Anyone can develop a groin injury or groin pain from any number of causes, like pulled or strained muscles, hip disorders or even hernias.

Acute Pain and Chronic Pain – When is it an Emergency?

Some people who suffer from chronic pain might be “used to” the idea of suffering from all kinds of acute pain, which can cause confusion if there is a new pain, equal in intensity to what is considered normal for them. No one wants to take a trip to...

Five Products for Back Pain

While back pain can exist for many different reasons, the treatments for many varieties of back pain are the same. Whether you’ve suffered a temporary, long-term, or permanent injury for your back, typically you’ll be prescribed some sort of pain killer...