A Cluster Headache Worse Than The Mind Numbing Migraine Headache? Is That Really True?


by Neil Day - Date: 2007-04-15 - Word Count: 499 Share This!

A cluster headache is extremely painful, much worse than a migraine, and occurs in patterns. These headaches are thankfully rare as their claim to infamy is their cyclical nature and localized, clustered extreme pain. Frequent attacks of cluster headaches have caused some sufferers to commit suicide. The pattern of cluster headaches vary from person to person and cluster headaches may go in remission for months or even years, but will always come back.

The cluster headache can occur in anyone, but is more common among men from 20 to 40 years of age. There seems to be no correlation between the fact that these headaches strike men in the years when they are commonly parents of young children.

The cluster headache occurs very quickly and normally only on one side of the head. Even though the side that the headaches occur on may change from cluster to cluster, they normally only appear on one side for every cluster headache. The pain is localized, or clustered, around the eye. Cluster headache sufferers describe the pain as someone stabbing them in the eye with a hot iron poker, or pulling the eye out of its socket. The pain is physical torture and moving around restlessly is used to try to distract them from going mad with pain. Lying down actually makes the pain worse. This is very different from a migraine headache in which relief comes from lying down and staying very still in a dark room.

The pain from the localized and very painful cluster headache drives people to crazed antics or desperate acts to distract their mind from the pain. They may wander listlessly, move crazily and even beat their heads against walls.

Some unlucky people suffer cluster headaches only at night when they sleep. They try to stay awake as long as possible to avoid the severe pain. They become sleep deprived quickly due to the painful cluster headache, and from forcing themselves to stay awake. Depression and suicidal thoughts set in quickly when this occurs.

Some symptoms that occur with cluster headaches are redness and tearing of the eye that is affected, swelling on that side of the face, flushing, sweating, runny nose on that side of the head, reduced pupil size and drooping eyelid. Even after the cluster headache is over, some of these symptoms may still be present until they gradually disappear. Nausea and a sensitivity to light and sound may also occur, but are not common.

The cluster headache occurs in predictable patterns in the individual. The length of the cluster is usually from two to twelve weeks. The start and length of the duration are very predictable, according to that person's headache history. The clusters may occur around seasons such as Spring and Fall or the longest or shortest days of the year. During a cluster, headaches can occur daily or several times a day.

The individual cluster headache may last from a few minutes to several hours. Unfortunately these headaches occur more frequently at night than during the day.


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For more information on the cluster headache visit http://www.theheadacheinfosite.com, the #1 website that specializes in providing advice, tips and resources on headaches that you can use to help combat and relieve the pains you may be experiencing from a mind-numbing migraine headache.

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