How to Deal with Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches can be very painful but their occurrence is quite rare. While migraines are known to affect at least 10% of the population, cluster headaches affect less than one in three hundred people. Cluster head aches can be even more painful than migraines and the treatment options for such head aches are also very less.

Cluster headaches usually appear at regular times and are accompanied by a stabbing pain close to the temple region or behind one eye. They can appear at the same time everyday and last for an hour or less. This pattern can repeat itself even for months. While migraines are preceded by some other symptoms such as vomiting, cluster headaches can catch a person unawares.

Nobody knows the cause for cluster headaches. Some researchers are of the opinion that they can occur owing to an abnormality of the hypothalamus, the gland responsible for controlling the biological cock of the body. There is another major difference with respect to gender sufferers as far as migraine and cluster head aches are concerned. In the case of migraine headaches, there are more woman sufferers in the U.S, while about 80-90% of those suffering from cluster head aches are men.

As far as the treatment options are concerned, traditional modes of treatments do not have any effect on curing cluster headaches. Drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen also do not have lasting impact. You can resort to inhalation of pure oxygen which is a proven remedy for cluster head aches. This treatment can be given only after the onset of the headache.

Another good treatment for cluster head aches is the usage of drug class called triptans which are also used for relief of migraines. In this case, the drug must be used as a nasal spray. It can also be used as injections. This treatment can also be started only after the onset of the head ache.

As this condition is known to have a clear pattern, you can also opt for preventive medication so that you can prevent the attack. However as this is a rare condition, not much medication and data is available regarding the effective course of treatments available.  Other neurological procedures can be undertaken in the case of severe head aches. However this must be only a last resort which may not be wholly effective.