Cluster headaches, also called suicide headaches, are a neurological condition characterized by immense pain mainly around the forehead and temple region. These headaches have been termed cluster headaches, as they generally occur periodically and in groups or bunches. An individual suffering from such type of headaches might get them for weeks or months and may have respite from them only for small periods of time.
Commonly men are more affected than women by cluster headaches, although the cause for such occurrence is still unknown.
Symptoms Associated with Cluster Headaches
The duration of a common attack of cluster headaches can range from 10 minutes to about 4 hours. Some of the symptoms and signs associated with cluster headaches are pain, swelling of the eyelids and watery eyes.
Pain
Patients suffering from cluster headaches generally experience unbearable pain which they often described as a explosive, piercing form of headache pain.
Patients generally experience such pain near the periorbital [vein near the eye] or near the temple region. In some case,s this pain shifts down to the neck and shoulders, too. In most of the cases the pain remains localized to one side near the temple area, however in a few cases the pain switches its position from one side to the other during each attack.
Regular Timing
Cluster headaches generally develop around the same time during each attack. This property and symptom of cluster headaches led to a hypothesis that the brain's circadian rhythm plays an important role in the cluster headache attacks.
Physical and External Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms associated cluster headaches include a runny nose and excessive sweating.
Physiological Symptoms
Various physiological or internal symptoms are also seen in patients suffering from cluster headaches. These symptoms include tachycardia, which is a medical condition characterized by increased heart beat rate. Another common symptom is Homer's Syndrome, which is a medical condition associated with frequent closing of the eyelids and modification of the pupil size.
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