What Are Cluster Headaches?

Although many people have never heard of cluster headaches, they are possibly the most debilitating of all headaches. The pain is excruciating, and because they do happen fairly predictably in a pattern, there is the added stress of the anticipation of that pain. Perhaps they aren't as well known as migraines because only about one percent of the population suffers from them, men more than women by 4:1, but even so there are probably one million Americans victimized by these headaches.

If you have cluster headaches, let me hasten to direct you to a support group at http://www.clusterheadaches.com. The webmaster is a 32 year old career Air Force man who has suffered from cluster headaches since he was 18 years old. In short, he knows whereof he speaks, and the thousands of people who have added their stories to the message board can certainly help you in those moments when you feel terribly alone in your pain. Nobody understands as well as someone who has been there.

You can also click on to "Ask Doc Greg" on this website to learn interesting facts or ask questions of this doctor and cluster headache sufferer who studied at Johns Hopkins and received his M.D. from George Washington University. He answers with knowledge and compassion, in plain English - no medical gobbledygook.

Cluster headaches are quite unlike migraines although they also typically affect one side of the head. They are thought to be caused by the release of serotonin (histamine), but antihistamines don't help. They are not hereditary. Many people who suffer from cluster headaches have a history of heavy smoking, another good reason to stop smoking. Alcohol can trigger a cluster headache, even before you finish one drink.

They happen quickly, often awakening the person from sleep. The pain is intense. In fact, mothers have said it's worse than the pain of natural childbirth, and men have said it feels like being stabbed in the eye with an ice pick or being grabbed by the talons of a huge bird.

Along with the pain comes drooping of the eyelid, excessive tearing and bloodshot appearance on the affected side, plus nasal congestion, and the person is agitated and unable to remain still. At the height of the pain, which is reached within five to fifteen minutes, the person will commonly bang his head on the furniture or anything solid, and some victims have actually committed suicide. Each headache lasts between a few minutes and an hour or more before disappearing as fast as it began.

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