Cluster headaches are headaches that come on very suddenly with excruciating pain. Migraine headaches most often give the sufferers signs of the oncoming headache, like blurred or tunnel vision or nausea. However, cluster headaches rarely give such signs. Some of those who suffer from the headaches say they get a “shadow,” or small sensations foreshadowing pain in the area where the headache later hits.
The pain lasts for a period of time, generally 45 minutes to four hours, and then stops just as suddenly. However, cluster headaches will almost always come in series (hence the name). Therefore, the sufferer will likely have another headache a few hours or a day later. These “clusters” of headaches may go on for several days or weeks, or even months. Then they may stop for months or years at a time, often to return. Some call them the “alarm clock” headaches, since they may occur at the identical time for several days in a row. They most commonly occur in the night or in the morning, although a few people get the headaches for a long period of time, perhaps lasting several days without relief. The pain is almost always unilateral, meaning that it hits on one side of the head or the other. There have been a few documented cases of the pain shifting from one side to the other within a cluster period, and even rarer cases of bilateral headaches.
The severity of the pain associated with these headaches causes some people to mistake them for signs of a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis. The patients have to be evaluated with a MRI or a CT scan to eliminate those possibilities.
The pain of cluster headaches has been likened to a hot poker in the eye or a bird of prey grabbing into the head. The pain often has the feeling of digging or boring into the head, often through the eye or behind the eye, and traveling down the neck. The original researcher who described the headaches said the pain was enough to drive a normal person to suicide. Indeed, others have nicknamed them “suicide headaches”.
As with other headaches, cluster headaches are either episodic (happening infrequently, from time to time, or sporadically, or with a month or more of remission between attacks) or chronic (occurring regularly, with a pattern, or occurring without a month of remission for a year or more).
As with most headaches, there is no single cause identified for triggering attacks. Eating chocolate or drinking alcohol may trigger them in some people. For some patients, being exposed to hydrocarbons, such as those found in petroleum solvents or perfumes may trigger the headaches. In other patients, a low level of tolerance for heat causes them to get the headaches when they are too warm, and for others, excessive exercise triggers and episode. The ailment is often noting in smokers.
These headaches are frequently misdiagnosed as migraines. Although there are no known lasting effects of the ailment, the discomfort is so great that doctors attempt to find medications or lifestyle altering behaviors to prevent attacks, since it requires strong medication to mitigate the pain of the headaches.
Migraine Headache SymptomsMigraine headache symptoms can occur in various combinations and may include sometimes:
- Moderate to severe pain (often described as pounding, throbbing pain) that can affect whole head, or can shift from one side of the head to the other
- Sensitivity to light, noise or odors
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Fever (sometimes)
- Bright flashing dots or lights
- Blurred vision
- Nausea or vomiting, stomach upset, abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Sensations of being very warm or cold
- Paleness
The main symptom of a migraine is a throbbing headache on one side of your head. You may also feel sick to your stomach and vomit. Activity, light, noise, or odors may make the migraine worse. The pain may move from one side of your head to the other, or you may feel it on both sides at the same time. Different people have different symptoms.
Everyone can experience different and unique symptoms with a migraine headache. The typical symptoms are sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, nausea and an absolutely throbbing headache that feels like someone has a vice on your forehead. After a really bad migraine, you can feel like you’re walking around with a hangover for up to three days.
What all the treatments for migraine have in common is that they all change the chemistry of the brain, whether that treatment is a medication, or a daily exercise program, or avoiding certain foods. The medications fall generally into two categories: episodic medications, taken only at the time of the headache, and preventative medications that are taken daily. The type of treatment you should use depends on the severity and the frequency of your migraines.
The Difference Between A Cluster Headache And A Migraine
RockyStar : March 19, 2009 3:29 pm : HealthWhats the difference between migraine headaches and cluster headaches?
Cluster headaches are attacks of severe pain lasting 15-180 minutes and occurring from once every other day up to eight times in one day.
Cluster headaches are characterized by a sharp, penetrating, or burning pain affecting one side of the head. The pain often appears suddenly with little warning and often occurs in and around one eye or in the temple. The excruciating pain related to a cluster headache is often compared to the sensation of a hot poker being stuck in the eye. Others compare it to the feeling of the eye being pushed out of its socket. The condition may also produce a number of other symptoms including tearing of the eyes and nasal congestion.
Migraines usually have other signs and symptoms, like nausea, light sensitivity, maybe seeing colors before it hits, sensitivity to noise. The pain of a cluster headache commences quickly, without warning, and reaches a crescendo within 2 to 15 minutes. It is often excruciating in intensity, and is deep, nonfluctuating, and explosive in quality; only occasionally is it pulsatile. In addition, 10 to 20 percent of patients report superimposed paroxysms of stabbing, icepick-like pains in the periorbital region that last for a few seconds and may occur once or several times in rapid succession.
Some Important notice for your health that I like to share with all..
- Reduce volume of tea intake
- Do not eat bread which has JUST been toasted
- Stay a distance from your charger
- Drink more water in the morning, less at night
- Do not drink coffee twice a day
- Reduce your volume of oily food
- Best sleeping time is from 10 at night to 6 at the morning
- Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm
- Do not take alcohol more than a cup daily
- Do not take capsules with cold water
- Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping
- Have 8 hours sleep. Lack of it will make a person stupid
- People who get used to napping will not get old easily
- If you can’t get on early morning runs, 5-8 in the afternoon is a great time for jogging
- When battery left last grid, do not answer the phone. The radiation is 1000 times
- Answer the phone with your left ear. It’ll spoil your brain directly if you use your right ear
- Do not use earphone for long time. Rest your ear a while after 1 hour.
This is a new theory which has come to my knowledge very recently and I thought that I should also share with you all.
A few days back my Friends Father in law was admitted in a nursing home due to severe chest pain.
He had an attack in 1997 and was undergoing normal treatment.
Due to the sudden pain just 15 days back we once again got him admitted in a private nursing home at Kandiwali, Mumbai.
The doctors later suggested for Angiography.
We conducted the Angiography at Hinduja Hospital and knew from the reports that he has multiple blockages.
The doctor told that he cannot undergo Angioplasty due to several blockages but suggested ‘By Pass Surgery’.
The same day evening we bought him home since the doctor suggested that his heart is very weak and we can perform the by-pass only after 15 – 20 days.
In the mean time we were discussing this issue with our relatives and friends, we got this new information from one of our family friends.
There is a new therapy in the market which is known as – Chelation Therapy. Or Calation Therapy.
According to this therapy any patient who has to undergo by-pass need not undergo the same.
The patient is given appx. 18 bottles of blood where in some medicines are injected along with it.
The blood cleans the system and removes all the blockages from the heart.
The no. of bottles may increase depending upon the age factor and health of the patient.
The cost of the blood per bottle would be appx. Rs.2,500/- The treatment takes of appx. 1 month.
There are only 4 doctors in India and one of them is Dr.Dhananjay Shah at Malad (Mumbai) another at Karnataka.
He has a list of patients who had to undergo by-pass from Lilavati, Hinduja and other major hospitals but after undergoing the above treatment they are absolutely fine and leading a normal life.
I give below the Doctor’s details for your info:
Dr. Dhananjay Shah.
Hospital Tel: 0091-22-2889 2089.
Mob: 98194 39657.
Email: shahdhananjay@ rediffmail. com
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