What are the symptoms of cluster headaches?

Introduction

Cluster headaches are a severe type of primary headache disorder characterized by intense, unilateral head pain and associated autonomic symptoms. These headaches are known for their periodicity and can significantly impact the quality of life of those affected.

Key Insights

Severe Unilateral Pain:
- Cluster headaches are marked by severe, unilateral pain, often described as excruciating and typically localized around or behind one eye .
Autonomic Symptoms:
- Common autonomic symptoms include eye tearing or redness, nasal congestion or runny nose, sweating or flushing, and eyelid swelling, all occurring on the same side as the pain .
Restlessness and Agitation:
- Patients often experience restlessness or agitation during an attack, with a tendency to pace or rock rather than lie still, contrasting with the behavior seen in migraine sufferers .
Circadian Rhythmicity:
- Attacks often occur at predictable times, commonly in the early morning or late evening, and are associated with the body's circadian rhythms .
Duration and Frequency:
- Each attack typically lasts between 15 minutes to 3 hours, and the frequency can range from one attack every other day to multiple attacks per day during a cluster period .
Cluster Periods:
- Cluster headaches occur in bouts or periods, which can last weeks to months, followed by remission periods. Some individuals experience episodic clusters, while others may have chronic clusters with little to no remission .
Triggers and Risk Factors:
- Common triggers include alcohol, particularly beer, and smoking. There is also a noted association with sleep apnea and a higher prevalence among males .
Premonitory and Prodromal Symptoms:
- Some patients report premonitory symptoms days to weeks before a cluster period and prodromal symptoms minutes before an attack, such as changes in mood or physical sensations.
Aura:
- A small percentage of patients may experience aura symptoms similar to those seen in migraines, such as visual disturbances or sensory changes, typically on the same side as the headache.

Conclusion

Cluster headaches are characterized by severe, unilateral head pain accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as eye tearing, nasal congestion, and eyelid swelling. These headaches are often associated with restlessness and occur in predictable patterns linked to circadian rhythms. Attacks are short but frequent during cluster periods, which can last weeks to months. Common triggers include alcohol and smoking, and some patients may experience premonitory or prodromal symptoms. Understanding these symptoms can aid in the timely diagnosis and effective management of cluster headaches.

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What are the symptoms of cluster headaches?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is a primary headache disorder characterized by repeated short-lasting attacks of severe, unilateral head pain and autonomic symptoms, likely due to abnormalities in the circadian hypothalamic generator and trigeminovascular activation.

Cluster Headache

Cluster headaches are a severe, one-sided headache characterized by eye tearing, redness, and other symptoms on the same side of the head as the pain.

Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of cluster headache

Cluster headache is a severe, unilateral headache disorder involving abnormal activity in the hypothalamus, trigeminovascular system, and autonomic nervous system.

Cluster headache: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management

Cluster headaches are a chronic pain syndrome characterized by unilateral severe pain in or around the eye, with circadian rhythms and regular recurrence, and a neurovascular factor playing a key role in the illness.

Premonitory and Prodromal Symptoms in Cluster Headache

Cluster headache patients experience warning symptoms, including prodromes that start minutes before attacks and premonitory symptoms that precede cluster periods by days to weeks.

Pathophysiology of cluster headache: a trigeminal autonomic cephalgia

Cluster headache is a primary neurovascular headache involving the trigeminal-autonomic reflex, with the posterior hypothalamic grey matter playing a key role in its pathogenesis.

Cluster headache with aura

Cluster headache with aura occurs in 2% of patients with cluster headache, involving symptoms similar to migraine aura, suggesting central nervous system involvement.

The pathogenesis of cluster headache.

Cluster headaches are likely caused by chronobiological aberrations, impaired sympathetic nervous system activity, and neurovascular inflammation, with potential triggers including altitude hypoxia, sleep apnea, and vasodilators.

Cluster headache: a review

Cluster headache is a rare headache that predominantly occurs in younger males, with ergotamine as the first choice for symptomatic treatment and ergotamine, methysergide, lithium, and prednisone as effective prophylactic treatments.

Epidemiology and genetics of cluster headache

Cluster headache has a prevalence of one per 500 and is likely autosomal dominant with low penetrance, with genetic heterogeneity and potential ion channel and clock genes as potential targets for future research.

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