The Horrible World of the Cluster Headache
There are headaches and then there is the cluster headache. A cluster headache is a very rare and painful type of headache that can occur in a group. They are usually brought on by atmospheric changes or some other external stimulus.
The cluster headache has been known to be so severe that it has actually drive people to suicide which has earned the cluster headache the awful nickname of the suicide headache. No matter how you slice it, the cluster headache is one of the worst kind of headaches you can get and, just like any other headache, very little is known about what causes a such a headache and what may be the most effective treatment for people suffering from a cluster headache.
A cluster headache comes on suddenly and can be categorized by a sharp pain in the eye area or the temple. Some people compare the pain like that of a nail being driven through the eye or scalding hot water being poured directly into the eye socket. The pain can last anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours.
In extreme cases it can last for days which when you consider that many reputable medical journals have called the pain the most significant pain known to man, explains why it has earned the reputation of being called the suicide headache. It is reported that a cluster headache makes a migraine look like a holiday at Disneyworld if that gives you any idea of the kind of pain we are talking about.
Just Not a Good Thing
Anyone suffering from a cluster headache is immediately incapacitated and unable to do anything other than cope with the pain. Muscle tightness, sweating in the face area, and nausea are reported during an episode with one of these headaches and they can also take on the cyclical characteristics of regular and recurring condition.
People with these types of headaches are known to experience them at the same time of day for many days in a row and for almost the same amount of time during each episode. These cluster headaches are known to be so severe that they can wake a person from a sound sleep which has earned them the reputation of potentially becoming a very painful internal alarm clock for the sufferer.
Doctors that are familiar with the cluster headache are more apt to be able to diagnose and treat this rare condition but other doctors have been known to mistakenly diagnose it as a migraine and wind up trying to treat it incorrectly. Over the counter pain medications have no effect on these severe headaches and only certain types of strong steroid like medications have any effect on relieving the pain. Many people that attempt to seek medical treatment for this condition are misdiagnosed and drug addicts seeking a fix as that is the fit that these severe headaches can throw you into. They are serious headaches and if you experience a sharp recurring pain to the eye see your doctor immediately.
