Cluster Headaches

What/Where, When, How Long

Symptoms

*Symptoms include:

*Unilateral pain in head (one sided)

*Typically centred over one eye, temple or forehead

but can spread to a larger area.

*Difficulty sleeping

*Blocked or runny nose on same side of head as pain.

*Droopy eyelid

*Watering/redness in one eye

*Flushed/sweating face

What/Where

?

Dr M. Hanna - Migraine

Headaches,

Difference Between Different Forms Of

Headaches

*Symptoms can occur:

*Often at a similar time each day.

*At night (1-2 hours after gone to bed) which causes

restless sleep.

*Every second day or up to 8 times a day.

*Spring/ Autumn (episodic)

When?

*Symptom duration:

*Pain reaches its full intensity within 5-10mins

*Pain can last 15mins to 3 hours depending on the

person.

* It stops abruptly

*On and off headaches can last 4-12 weeks ( 80% of

people) once a year around the same time.

*20% of people have “chronic cluster headaches”

which last year round in waves.

How Long?

Cluster

headaches

australia-

severe

Diagram of common

symptoms

Cluster headache pains are caused by the activation of the

trigeminal nerve. There is no proven cause for this activation,

but there are theories.

Causes

Diagram of the

trigeminal nerve

One widespread theory is that the hypothalamus gland plays a role in cluster

headaches. The hypothalamus is suspected as it regulates the circadian clocks

of humans, and cluster headaches come during apparently set time periods.

Also while some patients have been undergoing cluster headaches, PET scans

have shown activity in their hypothalamus’. An activation of the hypothalamus

might cause vasodilation*, which could create enough pressure to stimulate

the trigeminal nerve.

*The process in which

blood vessels dilate

Hypothalamus

Diagram Showing

the

Hypothalamus

Although cluster headache pain is caused by the trigeminal

nerve, secondary symptoms such as watery eyes, and nasal

congestion, are caused when the trigeminal nerve sends signals

to the parasympathetic system.*

Secondary Symptoms Cause

*A division of

the autonomic

nervous system

Watery Eyes and

Nasal Congestion

Cluster headache periods often commence when there is a

seasonal change.

Triggers

*

Both drinking and smoking have been shown to provoke cluster

headaches, but neither are believed to be direct causes.

Triggers

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD-nDye-k5I

Video Demonstrating a Cluster

Headache Attack

* Cluster headaches are considered one of the most painful ailments. They are similar to childbirth in terms of pain but are deemed worse because the duration of the pain can last much longer.

* Cluster headaches do not harm the human body in terms of long term damage, they only inflict large amounts of discomfort. As it is just nearly unbearable pain that they cause, death is not something this condition leads to.

* However, because the pain can reach such extreme levels, cluster headaches are also known as “suicide headaches”. Medication and remedies can only do so much for the pain, so in some cases people have killed themselves in order to escape the pain.

Mortality Rate?

Treatments

There is no known cure for cluster headaches, which means there

are only acute treatments, which help to lower the intensity of the

headaches, as well as preventive medication, which help to prevent

the headaches, but are only used after a cluster headache period

has started.

*Oxygen Inhalation

* Triptan injections

*Anesthetics

Acute Treatments

A non rebreather

mask, used to

inhale oxygen.

*Calcium blockers

*Anti-Inflations drugs. Ex: Prednisone (Can only

be used for short term treatment, as they can

be lead to diabetes and hypertension.)

*Nerve Blocks

*Melatonin

Preventive

Melatonin is also used to

prevent cluster headaches.

There is currently research about possible

surgical operations to prevent cluster

headaches. One concept is incorporating

electrodes into patients’ heads, which would

send impulses to the occipital nerve and would

hopefully prevent or lessen pain signals.

Ongoing Treatment Research

Electrodes

Who Is Affected?

Approximately 1 out of every 1000 people suffer

from cluster headaches. Although they are

uncommon cluster headaches affect a wide

variety of people. Both males and females can

have the headaches, but males are more

susceptible to them. It is not known why.

Generally the headaches develop in people ages

20-50 years. Also studies show that 65 percent of

people who suffer from cluster headaches are

smokers. Cluster headaches do not appear to be

hereditary.

Young male smokers are more likely

to suffer from cluster headaches.

A chart showing the age of onset of

people with cluster headaches.

* Is the hypothalamus truly the cause of cluster headaches?

*Will electrode surgeries provide a permanent cure for cluster headaches?

* I enjoyed learning the nervous system specific explanations for these headaches.

* I found the information difficult to find, as research is still ongoing.

* I want to know more about the occipital nerve’s ability to stop pain signals

A’s Room for Further Inquiry

*Why exactly are cluster headaches episodic?

*I want to know if there is a difference in the

biology of people who suffer the headaches

once a year and the people who suffer from

“chronic cluster headaches”

*I found it interesting just how intense these

headaches can be.

B’s Further Inquiry

*Why are males affect more than females?

*How does melatonin help prevent cluster

headaches?

*How many people have committed suicide

because of cluster headaches?

* I found it interesting that experts are

researching possible surgical treatments.

C’s Further Inquiry

*Beck, J. (2013, November 19). Cluster Headaches: The Worst Possible Pain? Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/cluster-headaches-the-worst-possible-pain/281524/

*(n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Cluster_Headaches

*Cluster headache. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cluster-headache/basics/treatment/con-20031706

*Cluster Headache: Learn About Symptoms and Triggers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cluster_headache/article_em.htm

Bibliography

*Cluster Headache: Learn About Symptoms and

Triggers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cluster_headach

e/article_em.htm

*Cluster Headache Support. (n.d.). Retrieved

November 30, 2015, from

http://www.clusterheadaches.com/about.html