Although headaches are one of the most common nervous system disorders globally, cluster headaches aren't nearly as common, impacting less than 1% of the entire population.
The trouble with cluster headaches is they come on quickly and the pain hits hard, making them a scary experience for many people. Learning the answer to the question: "What is a cluster headache" will allow you to feel calmer while learning about the symptoms, causes, and most effective treatmentsfor these painful headaches.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about cluster headaches, including symptoms and the latest and greatest treatment options.
What Is a Cluster Headache?
Cluster headaches are short but extremely painful headaches that occur in clusters, often on only one side of the head. You'll typically experience periods of cluster headache attacks, followed by headache-free cycles that can range from weeks to months.
Custer headaches usually occur at the same time each day, multiple times a day and each episode is referred to as an attack.
Cluster headaches are primary headaches, which are headaches that begin due to a response from the part of your brain that communicates pain. On the other hand, secondary headaches are due to other health conditions like nasal congestion or ear infections.
It's easy to confuse a cluster headache for other types of headaches like migraines, tension headaches, and sinus headaches. This is especially the case for people who only get cluster headaches once in a while.
Types of Cluster Headaches
You can experience different types of cluster headaches which include episodic and chronic cluster headaches.
Episodic cluster headaches usually occur regularly from one week to almost a year in some cases. After an episodic attack, you'll often be headache-free for at least a month or more.
However, chronic cluster headaches are chronic, as the name suggests, occurring regularly for over a year, followed by headache-free periods for at least a month.
People with episodic cluster headaches can go on to develop chronic cluster headaches, and people with chronic headaches can revert to episodic headaches.
Cluster Headache Symptoms and Characteristics
Cluster headaches have certain characteristics that set them apart from other types of headaches, like migraines. First, cluster headaches come on quickly, reaching maximum pain level within five to ten minutes.
Cluster headache pain is almost always on only one side of the head and stays in the same location during a cluster attack. Sometimes the headache switches to the opposite side of the head once a new headache starts, but this isn't common.
Pain typically feels like sharp or piercing pain, which is often like a constant throbbing sensation. You can feel this pain in your forehead, nose, temple, cheek, and even around the eye.
Cluster headaches are short, lasting from 30 to 90 minutes, but can be as short as 15 minutes. You'll typically get cluster headaches daily for a few weeks, then be headache-free for a few weeks in between.
Other symptoms of cluster headaches include:
- Swelling or drooping of an eye
- A smaller pupil in one eye
- Watery eyes
- Eye redness
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Sweating
- Light sensitivity
Some people also feel restless or agitated during an attack and pace around until the pain improves. In addition, you can experience aura-like symptoms before a cluster headache begins like flashes of light.
It's most common for cluster headaches to begin after you fall asleep and become painful enough to wake you during the night.
Cluster Headache Causes
The exact cause of cluster headaches isn't known, but cluster headache pain results from a widening of the blood vessels that supply your face and brain. When this occurs, it applies pressure to the trigeminal nerve, which is a nerve that begins in the brainstem, covering your face and head area.
In addition, hypothalamus abnormalities may cause cluster headaches. The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating blood pressure, body temperature, sleep, and the release of hormones which help manage the sleep-wake cycle.
Other causes of cluster headaches include certain genetic and environmental factors that can make cluster headaches more common in families, as well as nonspecific metabolic changes in your body.
Cluster Headache Triggers
Triggers are certain things that can bring on cluster headache symptoms and can be anything from food and chemicals to environmental triggers. The most common cluster headache triggers include:
- Alcohol
- Cigarette smoke
- Strong smells
- Bright lights
- Changes to a higher altitude
- Heat
- Cocaine
- Foods with nitrates like hot dogs or bacon
- Caffeine like tea or coffee
- Aged cheese like cheddar
- Sleep problems like sleep apnea
- Stress
- Excessive exercise
- Not eating or drinking enough
- Artificial sweeteners
Certain medications like Sildenafil for erectile dysfunction can also trigger cluster headaches along with substance use in general.
Triggers can cause new cluster cycles to begin even after a long period with no symptoms. In addition, the change of seasons can trigger a cluster headache, much like how hot temperatures can trigger migraines in the summer.
Cluster Headache Treatments
Treatment for cluster headaches requires a multi-step approach and it may take time to come up with a treatment plan that works for you.
The main treatment steps include:
See Your Doctor
If you're experiencing frequent headaches, you'll need to talk to your family physician to rule out any serious causes. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms. They'll also want to know how often you experience headache attacks and may ask you to keep track.
They may also order imaging tests like a CT or MRI to rule out serious conditions that may cause similar symptoms. MRI scans produce powerful magnetic fields that are capable of taking detailed images of the blood vessels and brain. MRI scans help diagnose conditions like infections, tumors, and strokes.
CT scans utilize a series of different X-rays to create detailed sections of the brain. Inspecting these sections carefully leads to a diagnosis of medical problems that may be causing your headaches, like bleeding or infections.
Your doctor may also want you to see a neurologist for further testing. A neurologist will perform a complete neurological examination and may order more tests to determine the cause of your headaches.
Take Cluster Headache Medications
If you have frequent attacks with significant symptoms, your doctor might recommend taking specific medications to prevent cluster attacks.
Various medications like Imitrex are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cluster headaches with the injection form. Imitrex can prevent cluster headaches before they begin and you can take it four times a month.
There are other medications like Octreotide, which can sometimes work for people with cluster headaches when Imitrex isn't effective.
In addition, certain local anesthetics like lidocaine can work to decrease cluster headache pain when taken as a nasal spray.
Overall, you'll need to be careful when taking too many headache medications since it leaves you with a rebound effect, also known as medication overuse headaches. These headaches occur due to excessive use of prescription medications as well as over-the-counter medications like Tylenol.
Keep a Headache Journal
Using a diary or journal to track the frequency of your headaches and symptoms allows you to get a better handle on your headaches overall.
You'll need to make a note of the time and date you had the symptoms and how severe they were. You should also keep track of your diet and exercise routine for a few months to help better identify how your lifestyle might contribute to cluster headaches.
It's also essential to track which treatments you've tried and how they make you feel.
Keeping a headache journal is one of the best ways to identify key cluster headache triggers. Once you have enough data, you'll be able to identify what foods, drinks, or activities seem to act as a trigger for your headaches.
Make Lifestyle Changes
Preventing cluster headaches isn't easy, but making lifestyle changes is one of the best ways to prevent headaches long-term. Improving lifestyle habits like hydration, nutrition, activity, and sleep can go a long way in preventing cluster headache attacks.
First and foremost, you'll need to take a long look at not only what you're eating, but how frequently you're eating. This is because not eating for longer periods can cause your blood sugar to drop, leading to low blood sugar and muscle tension.
In addition, eating processed foods with a lot of sugars and chemicals may serve as a significant headache trigger for many people. Take the time to look at your daily diet and ensure you're eating enough healthy fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins as well as avoiding fried and processed foods.
Staying hydrated each day is essential since even mild dehydration can cause headaches. Dehydration also causes other symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and dry mouth, which can also trigger a more severe headache. Therefore, it's essential to drink plenty of water throughout the day and consider electrolyte drinks if you've been outside in the heat sweating.
Remember, drinks high in sugar and caffeine can trigger headaches and also make you more dehydrated.
Regular mild to moderate exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming can help reduce headache symptoms and improve your cardiovascular health.
Finally, a lack of sleep can lead to headaches and cause problems with memory, mood, and cognitive abilities. Take the time to form a regular sleep schedule with relaxation techniques like a warm bath, shutting down screens, and a light snack.
Consider Alternative Therapies
Certain alternative therapies may also help reduce the frequency of cluster headaches. These therapies include:
- Physical therapy
- Massage therapy
- Chiropractic treatment
- Acupuncture
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Mindfulness
A combination of massage therapy and physical therapy can help alleviate stiff and sore muscles in the head and neck region, which may contribute to headaches. Daily mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga help reduce stress and increase flexibility.
In addition, if you have chronic pain issues, physical therapy and chiropractic treatment can help relieve pain from older injuries, reducing the likelihood of stress and pain-triggering headaches.
Be sure to talk to your doctor before adding any alternative therapies to your list to ensure it doesn't interfere with any current health conditions.
Take Natural Supplements Like MiGuard
Natural supplements like MiGuard Migraine and Headache Relief contain natural ingredients that can give you the ongoing cluster headache relief you need.
MiGuard is made from all-natural ingredients and is gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO. MiGuard contains vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts that can naturally ease throbbing headache symptoms. Due to natural ingredients like magnesium, ginger, and vitamin B2, it also isn't habit-forming and lacks side effects you can get with prescription medications.
Magnesium is an essential mineral in the body responsible for healthy nerve function and heart rhythm. You can take magnesium supplements as well as eat foods high in magnesium like nuts, seeds, and greens. Studies show that taking magnesium can help prevent migraines and decrease aura symptoms like visual and sensory changes.
Ginger has naturally occurring compounds with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects that may also help ease symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Ginger can help increase serotonin levels, which can stop migraines by restricting blood vessels. Ginger works similarly to prescription medications like Imitrex.
Riboflavin or B2 is a B vitamin that helps the body with normal cell function and growth and is found in specific foods like eggs, nuts, meats, and vegetables. There is evidence that taking riboflavin can help with conditions like headaches, muscle cramps, and acne.
Find the Cluster Headache Relief You Need
Now that you know the answer to the question "What is a cluster headache," you'll feel more confident about forming a treatment plan that works for you.
The good news is that you can turn to MiGuard for the natural headache relief you need to lead a full and active life. MiGuard products evolved from decades of research by Dr. Taimoorazy, who has worked tirelessly to find a natural supplement that addresses the most common headache causes.
We formulate our products with science-backed, high-quality natural ingredients that have minimal side effects. Make sure to visit us online today to check out our headache relief supplements and find the natural treatments you've been looking for.