Cluster Headaches – Causes and Medications

Cluster headaches, although not very common, are perhaps the most painful type of headaches.

Cluster headaches are thought to affect less than one-third of one percent of people compared to the roughly ten percent who suffer from migraines. Cluster headaches sufferers report that the pain is worse than migraines, and many compare the pain to child birth.

Cluster headaches feel like a hot stabbing pain near the temple, behind the eyes. One of the tell-tale symptoms of cluster headaches is their regularity. Cluster headaches tend to happend at the same time of day, last for about an hour then go away to re-occur the next day. This cycle may repeat itself for months at a time. Unlike migraines, which are sometimes preceded by familiar symptoms such as flashing lights, cluster headaches strike without warning.

The precise cause of cluster headaches is not know for sure.  Some studies have shown that the hypothalamus may play a role in the condition.  The hypothalamus is a small gland that regulates your biological clock.  Changes in the length of the day and other factors can modify its operation.

Another glaring difference between migraines and cluster headaches is their gender preference.  Migraine sufferers are predominantly women, with nearly a three to one ratio of women to men.  Men are overwhelmingly more at risk to suffer from cluster headaches.  Men are five to eight times more likely to suffer from cluster headaches than women.  Cluster headaches tend to affect men in the range of twenty to fifty years old.

Ordinary pain medications usually do not work well for cluster headaches.  Aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, although highly effective for tension or migraine headaches, do not touch the pain of a cluster headache.

One treatment that has shown success for some is the inhalation of pure oxygen for several minutes. Inhalation of oxygen is a type of “abortive” treatment because it is only effective after the onset of symptoms.

Triptans is another treatment that is sometimes effective.  Triptans are also used to treat migraines.  Triptans may be injected rather than taken orally to speed up the delivery and associated relief.  Triptan may be administered via a nasal spray, although cluster headaches sometimes cause the nasal passages to swell, which makes nasal sprays less effective.

Regrettably, few preventive or prophylactic treatments are helpful. Given the poor understanding of the causes and the rarity of the condition, this shouldn't be surprising. Though there are many treatments on the market, such as the use of CCBs (calcium channel blockers), the results are mixed.

In severe cases, surgery has been tried and is sometimes successful. Nerve blocks, removal of part of the brain and other neurological procedures are considered a last resort option.

Research on cluster headaches is ongoing.  Because of their severity, cluster headache relief cannot come soon enough for those who are afflicted.