One of the most painful types of headaches, cluster headaches are characterized by cyclical patterns or cluster periods and frequently cause people to awaken in the middle of the night with severe pain in or around one eye on one side of the head.
Cluster periods, which are characterized by bursts of frequent attacks lasting a few weeks to several months, are frequently followed by remission periods during which there are no headaches for weeks, months, or even years.
Treatments can shorten and lessen cluster headache attacks, and medications can lessen the frequency of cluster headache attacks. Fortunately, cluster headache is uncommon and not life-threatening.
CHARACTERISTIC OF CLUSTER HEADACHE
The beginning date and length of each cluster period might be consistent from period to period, and a cluster period typically lasts for several weeks to months. For instance, cluster periods can occur seasonally, such as every spring or every fall.
The majority of people experience episodic cluster headaches, which can last anywhere between a week and a year before going into remission for up to 12 months before another cluster headache starts.
The duration of chronic cluster periods can range from less than a month to more than a year.
During a cluster period:
- Most days, there are headaches, and sometimes there are several.
- Between 15 and three hours can pass between attacks.
- The attacks frequently happen every day at the same time.
- Most attacks happen at night, typically 1-2 hours after you go to sleep.
Most people are pain-free but exhausted after attacks, and the pain usually ends as abruptly as it began, with a sharply descending intensity.
SYMPTOMS OF CLUSTER HEADACHE
- Usually behind, in, or around one eye, but it can also spread to other parts of the face, head, and neck, is excruciating pain.
- One-sided pain
- Restlessness
- Excessive tearing
- eye rashes on the side with the problem
- the affected side’s nose is congested or running
- sweating on the side that is affected of the face or forehead
- flushing or pallor of the skin on the face
- on the affected side, swelling around the eye
- The affected side’s eyelid is drooping.
Some migraine-like symptoms, including sensitivity to light and sound, can occur with a cluster headache, though typically on one side. People with cluster headache, unlike those with migraine, are likely to pace or sit and rock back and forth.
CAUSES OF CLUSTER HEADACHE
Cluster headache patterns indicate that abnormalities in the body’s biological clock (hypothalamus), which is not yet known to be the exact cause of cluster headaches, may be a factor.
Cluster headaches typically don’t have triggers like foods, hormonal changes, or stress like migraine and tension headaches do.
However, drinking alcohol during a cluster period may quickly result in a splitting headache, so many people with cluster headache avoid alcohol during a cluster period.
HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE OF CLUSTER HEADACHE
CEDRON :Very helpful for cluster headaches when there is severe pain around the eye at a specific time; there is a periodicity in the periorbital pain’s occurrence; this pain may radiate into the ear; in some people, this pain may radiate to the temples or back of the head; and there may be watering from the eyes with burning; this pain may appear on either side, but it is more helpful when the pain over the left side of the eye is felt more frequently.
BELLADONNA :Very helpful when lying down worsens the pain and tight bandage or pressure seems to provide relief. There is sudden onset of a violent headache. The attacks are usually throbbing or shooting in nature, with congestion and redness in the eyes. The eyes also show protrusion.
SPIGELIA :Especially on the left side, there is a severe, violent pain around the eye and in the eye socket; the eyeballs also appear large; there is a digging, boring, shooting, violent, throbbing or stitching pain; there is pain in the eye on moving or turning the eye; there is pain with redness of the eyes with sensitivity to light; and there is pain with dropping of the eyes that also indicate their presence.
SANGUINERIA CAN :Useful for pain that settles over or around the right eye. There is a bursting sensation and a sensation that the eyes will be forced open. There is periodicity of pain that is noted most often with pain starting in the morning and lasting until the evening.
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