Cluster Headaches

What are cluster headaches?

Cluster headaches are a rare type of headache that can cause sudden extreme pain on one side of the head, usually around or behind an eye. The headaches typically occur at the same time every day for several weeks and then do not occur for a few months. They may occur at night after you have fallen asleep. The period of time when you are having the headaches is called a cluster period.

How do they occur?

The cause of cluster headaches is not known. They happen in men more often than women. They do not seem to be caused by disease nor to run in families like some other types of headaches.

Cluster headaches may be triggered by:

alcohol
tobacco products, such as cigarettes
stress
bright or glaring lights
lack of sleep
stress.

Keeping a headache diary may help to show a pattern for when the headaches are occurring. It might help you avoid triggers.

What are the symptoms?

Intense pain on one side of the head is the main symptom. The headache hurts the most about 5 to 10 minutes after it begins.

Other symptoms that may occur with cluster headaches are:

pain in one eye and sometimes a red eye
a stuffy or runny nose on the painful side of the head
watery eyes or tearing, usually on one side
red, flushed face
sweatiness
restlessness.

How are they diagnosed?

Your health care provider will ask about the history of your symptoms and examine you. It will help if you keep a record of:

when you have the headaches
what part of your head is affected
how bad the pain is and how long it lasts
other symptoms you have at the same time.

Your provider will also want to know what medicines you are taking.

You may have tests, such as CT or MRI scans, to rule out other serious causes of the headaches.

How are they treated?

Your provider may prescribe medicine that you can take to prevent cluster headaches. You may take it every day of the year or only during a cluster period to reduce the number of headaches.

Another type of medicine may be prescribed to relieve the pain when a headache occurs. One medicine in this group is called sumatriptan. It is important to take this medicine as soon as the headache begins. It needs to be a fast-acting medicine because the pain of a cluster headache becomes severe very quickly. For this reason, your provider may prescribe this medicine as a shot or in a form that can be inhaled through the nose.

Nonprescription medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen usually do not help because they do not work fast enough. It is important to try to treat the pain before it becomes severe.

Breathing pure oxygen through a mask may help relieve pain.

How long do the effects last?

The headaches usually last 30 to 90 minutes. The pain usually ends as suddenly as it begins. The headaches may come back daily for weeks or months, then disappear for months or years. Most people have 1 to 2 cluster periods a year.

How can I take care of myself?

During a cluster period:

Take medicine prescribed by your provider exactly as directed.
Try to remain calm. Do not change your usual routine.
Do not change your sleep patterns. Especially avoid taking afternoon naps, which seem to bring on the headaches in many people.
Do not drink alcohol.
Do not smoke.

The recurrent and intense pain of cluster headaches can make you depressed or anxious. You may find that talking with a counselor will help you cope with the effects of cluster headaches. Sometimes joining a headache support group can help.

For pain in or around an eye that does not go away, see your health care provider to make sure that there is not a problem with the eye.

How can I help prevent cluster headaches?

Your provider can prescribe medicine that will reduce the number and severity of headaches you have during a cluster period. It may also help to:

Figure out what seems to trigger your headaches and avoid those things.
Learn how to manage or reduce stress.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIA File BRN3405F.HTM Release 9.0/2006