Meet Your Local Headache: Clusters

There are over 150 diagnostic categories for headaches, but most people don’t know one from the next. Like any medical problem, proper diagnosis is half the battle. So assuming you’ve already tried drinking more water and turning off the loud music, this series will help you identify and treat your headaches, while teaching you what need to know about the pain in your head that becomes a pain in the ass.

The Big Bad: Cluster Headaches

When it comes to pain, nothing beats a cluster headache. Named because the attacks come in groups, cluster headaches hit without warning and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. What’s worse? It is likely to happen again the next day, and most sufferers report one to four headaches a day during the cluster period.

Cluster headaches often occur in spring and fall, so they can be mistaken for allergy symptoms. They surface most in the morning or late at night, and happen to men five times more than women.

Another indicator of a cluster headache is the one sidedness of it. It will start with a sharp stabbing or piercing in one eye, and spread to the temple, forehead, and cheek on the same side of the head. Sufferers are usually in so much pain they can’t stand still, and instead tend to pace around a room or rock back and forth in a chair.

After all this, could there be good news? Less than one percent of the population suffers from cluster headaches, and the likelihood is further decreased when you stay away from cigarettes and alcohol.

JBNI is the producer of this blog and maker of over 33 Herbal Naturaceuticals that help with everything from migraines to PMS to everyday aches and pains.

Online Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/

http://www.headaches.org/