Headache is a very common disorder in society. Cluster headache, a subtype of headache, can be roughly defined as pain felt on one side of the head or eye. So what does cluster headache mean? What are the causes of cluster headaches? What is good for cluster headache? You can find the answers to all these questions below.
What is Cluster Headache?
Cluster headache is a severe type of headache that usually occurs on one side of the head or around the eyes. The reason why this headache is called 'cluster' is that the pain is clustered in attacks in the person. In other words, a period of headache is followed by a pain-free period. Then there is the attack of pain again. The collection of headaches at certain times in this way also suggests clustering. The cluster period, in which headaches are severe and frequent, can last for weeks or months. The subsequent pain-free period may continue for months and sometimes even years.
Cluster headaches can affect people of all ages. However, it is most commonly seen in youth and middle age.
Cluster headaches can be severe enough to wake people up at night. Cluster headache treatment is performed to reduce the severity of the pain and to dilute the pain attacks.
What are the Symptoms of Cluster Headache?
Cluster headaches begin suddenly. Unlike migraine, there are no warning symptoms such as nausea before the pain. Cluster headache symptoms can be listed as follows:
- Pain around or behind the eyes (pain can spread to the neck or face),
- Unilateral pain,
- Restlessness, insomnia,
- Excessive tearing,
- Redness, swelling of the eye on the aching side,
- Runny or stuffy nose on the aching side,
- Forehead and facial sweating on the aching side,
- Paleness or redness on the face,
- Low eyelid on the affected side.
Cluster headache a, the period of pain attacks can last from a few weeks to several months. The start time and duration of periods may be fixed in individuals. For example, a person may experience a one-month cluster headache period that starts in the spring every year.
Many people experience intermittent cluster headaches. Cluster headaches of the intermittent type last for about a week per year. Then, a period is entered in which the pain does not last for a long time. In chronic cluster headaches, the pain may continue for more than a year or the pain-free period may last less than 1 month.
In the period of cluster headache;
- Generally, the pain occurs every day, sometimes even several times a day.
- A headache attack can range from 15 minutes to 3 hours.
- Attack usually occurs at the same time every day.
- Attacks usually begin at night, a few hours before bedtime.
- A headache attack ends as quickly as its onset. People may feel fatigue and exhaustion after the pain is gone.
What Causes Cluster Headache?
The causes of cluster headache have not been fully elucidated yet. However, experts think that abnormalities in the body's biological clock (hypothalamus) may play a role in the development of cluster headaches.
Contrary to migraine and tension-type headaches, in cluster headaches; There are no triggers such as various foods, hormonal changes, stress. Some situations pose a risk for cluster headache. These risk factors can be listed as follows:
Gender: Cluster headache is more common in men. Age: Although cluster headache can be seen at any age, it occurs especially in the 30-50 age range. Smoking: Most of the people with cluster headache use cigarettes. Alcohol Use: Consumption of alcohol during the pain periods of people with cluster headaches may cause an attack. Family History: The probability of this disorder is increased in people whose parents or siblings have cluster headaches. Personal Medical History: There is an increased risk of developing cluster headache in individuals who have had a previous head injury or neurosurgery.
Cluster Type What are the Diagnostic Criteria for Headache?
In order to diagnose cluster headache, characteristics such as the duration and severity of the patient's complaints are of great importance. Patients who apply to the doctor with the complaint of headache are asked questions such as "When does the pain start and how long does it last?", "Are there any symptoms accompanying the pain?", "Are there any conditions that increase or decrease the pain?" The answers to these questions help to define the headache in the patient.
Several diagnostic criteria have been determined to diagnose cluster headache. Cluster headache can be diagnosed in patients who meet these criteria. Diagnostic criteria are as follows:
Headache;
- Inilateral nose, eye, facial symptoms accompanied by; restlessness, exhaustion
- Continues between 15 and 180 minutes
- In attacks ranging from 1 to 8 times a day
- Occurs unilaterally in the temple area or around the eyes
- Severe
What is the Treatment for Cluster Headache?
There is no treatment that can completely eliminate cluster headache. When treating cluster headache, the main goal is to alleviate the pain, shorten the pain periods and prevent attacks.
So how do cluster headaches go? Because cluster headache is an unpredictable and sudden onset pain, its treatment should be fast-acting. Therefore, fast-acting painkillers are used for the acute treatment of pain. Preventive treatments can also be applied to prevent cluster headache attacks. In the acute treatment of cluster headache:
Oxygen: A serious relief is observed in patients who receive oxygen support by wearing a respiratory mask. This effect occurs after oxygen therapy begins. can be felt within the next 15 minutes. Oxygen therapy is a very safe treatment option in terms of side effects. However, this method is not preferred by some patients because it requires patients to carry an oxygen tube and regulator with them. Zolmitriptan is a drug that can be used as a nasal spray. Since the oral forms of triptans do not take effect quickly enough, they are not preferred much in the acute treatment of headache.
Octreotide: Octreotide is a synthetic form of a hormone in the brain and is available in injectable form. This drug can be used in the acute treatment of some cluster headache patients.
Preventive treatment is given to prevent attacks with the onset of the pain period in the patient. Which drugs to choose in preventive treatment vary according to the frequency and duration of the pain periods in the patient. Drugs that can be preferred for prevention treatment:
Calcium Channel Blockers: Verapamil is one of the drugs of first choice for preventive treatment in cluster headache. The drug may need to be used for a long time, especially in those with chronic cluster headaches.
Corticosteroids: Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids such as prednisone are drugs used to prevent attacks. Corticosteroids may be chosen for prophylaxis in those who are new to cluster headaches or who have short periods of pain.
Lithium Carbonate: Lithium carbonate may be preferred in patients for whom other drugs are insufficient to prevent attacks. Another option among cluster headache treatment methods is surgery. In rare cases, surgery can be applied to patients who cannot be relieved with other treatments or for whom other treatment methods cannot be used due to side effects. In surgery, pain transmission is prevented by making changes in the nerve that transmits the pain around the eyes or temples to the brain. Thus, the patient gets rid of the feeling of pain.
Cluster headache is a condition that negatively affects the quality of life. Prolongation of pain periods and shortening of pain-free time can make life unbearable. Therefore, patients with cluster headache pain complaints People should consult a doctor and apply both acute and preventive treatments without interruption.
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