Cluster Headaches

Q:  What can I do to lessen the pain of cluster headaches? The pain is devastating.

A:  Devastating is an appropriate word to use to describe this variant form of a migraine headache. Cluster headaches produce intense pain that seems to originate from behind one eye and is often accompanied by tearing, sensitivity to light and occasionally nausea and vomiting. For some, the attacks are frequent and unpredictable, others may be frequent and associated with clear provocateurs. Until recently, the medications available could only lessen the pain and occasionally shorten the duration of the attack.

These headaches were once thought to be due to a spasm in blood vessels in the brain, but now seem to be associated with special chemicals in the brain called "neuotransmitters." A new class of drugs, including sumatriptan, can be administered by injection, in the form of a nasal spray, or taken as a pill and has dramatic results. There also seems to be a place for antidepressants for the purposes of prevention.

See your doctor just to make sure this is what you really have. Migraines usually all have approximately the same characteristics with each attack. Headaches that increase in frequency and intensity or that awaken you from your sleep can mean that something more serious is happening and require prompt evaluation.

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