Know about Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is a type of primary headache and very rare (with a frequency of less than 0.1%). Cluster headache is more common in men in compare to women (3 times more common in men then women). The head pain is generally deep, excruciating in nature, retro-orbital (pain is felt behind the eyeballs), which is non-fluctuating, and explosive in nature. The main and classical clinical feature of cluster headache is its periodicity and in typical cases of cluster headache, head pain (cluster bouts as described above) occur (recurs) at least once a day at the same time of the day and for the same duration.

In typical cases of cluster headache a patient generally has daily bouts of one to two attacks of relatively short-duration and unilateral pain for 8 to 10 weeks a year. This is usually followed by a pain free interval which averages 1 year or recurs every year. Chronic cluster headache is the term used when there is no period of sustained remission or headache free period (occurs daily for a bout or two of headache). In chronic cluster headache also patients are perfectly well in between episodes of bouts of cluster. In about half of the patients the episodes of cluster headache is seen during night time.

A patient with cluster headache generally moves around (pacing, rocking, or rubbing their head for some relief) and some times may become aggressive during attacks of headache to try to get relief unlike patients with migraine headache, who prefer to remain motionless during attacks of migraine headache.

There are some signs of cluster headache like lacrimation (tearing of eyes), rhinorrhea (running nose), nasal congestion, or ptosis (drooping of eyelids). Photophobia (discomfort in bright light) and phonophobia (feeling of discomfort in loud sounds) may also be present in cluster headache and they are generally unilateral (unlike migraine where these symptoms are bilateral) and on the same side as that of headache.