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Cluster Headaches - Get An Online Diagnosis
Cluster Headaches Symptoms And Causes Cluster headaches are rare and not life-threatening but are very intense. The headaches strike rapidly, typically with out forewarning. Signs and symptoms of cluster headaches include: * Excruciating, burning or knife-like pain sensed behind or close to one eye which spreads over that half of the face or head and may radiate into the neck and shoulder * Congested and runny nose * Sweating * Swelling around the eye on the affected side of the face * Difficulty closing the afflicted eyelid (Ptosis) or a drooping eyelid * Extreme tearing and redness of the eye on the affected side * Diminished pupil measurement * Restlessness (pacing or rocking behavior) Cluster headaches are usually brief, typically lasting only 15 mins and rarely lasting more than a few hours. However, they are excruciating and intense. The pain should end as speedily as it began. After an attack the person will be absolutely free of pain, but exhausted. Some could report migraine-like symptoms which includes nausea, sensitivity to lights and sound or an aura, however, as opposed to a migraine, these signs and symptoms may be noticed on only one side of the head. As the name suggests, cluster headaches typically happen for a few weeks to months then disappear. A sufferer may have signs and symptoms in a cyclic pattern with headaches appearing at approximately the same time every year. Signs commonly arise in the spring and fall. Cluster headaches are not common. Ninety percent of cluster headache sufferers are male, most in between the ages of 20-30 years old (though headaches can begin at any age). Possessing a family background of cluster headaches could make you much more susceptible to getting them yourself. The definitive cause of cluster headaches is not fully known , but may involve abnormalities of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls your "internal biological clock" which regulates sleep and wake cycles. It is thought that the hypothalamus plays a role in activating the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is the main nerve of the face and is responsible for sensations such as heat and pain. Once activated, the nerve causes the eye pain felt with cluster headaches. It also stimulates an additional group of nerves responsible for the tearing, redness, nasal congestion and runny nose linked with these headaches. Cluster headaches tend to be influenced by seasonal changes, with the spring and fall being the more common times for headaches to come about, this may be tied to the abnormalities of the hypothalamus. Through a cluster period, headaches may be brought about by alcohol consumption or smoking. Other possible triggers include histamine injection and nitroglycerin ingestion. Cluster Headaches Diagnosis And Treatment An individual who just began experiencing cluster headaches is advised see a doctor to rule out various other disorders. The headache pain, though extreme, is generally not the consequence of an underlying disease, even so, other conditions such as a brain tumor or aneurysm could mimic the signs or symptoms of cluster headaches. A correct diagnosis will be mostly founded on the characteristics of the headache like the sort of pain and the pattern of attacks. An evaluation by a healthcare doctor may involve a physical exam , blood tests, and imagining tests such as CT or MRI scans. Alternate diagnosis which will have to be ruled out include: Migraines (in particular facial migraines), Raeders Paratrigeminal Syndrome, Trigeminal Neuralgia, internal carotid aneurysm, or headaches owing to TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) or infarction of lateral medulla. There is no known remedy for cluster headaches. Treatment should be geared toward lowering the intensity of the pain and shortening the duration of the attacks and the length of the cluster period. Over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen are typically unsuccessful in the treatment of cluster headaches owing to the truth that the headaches come on suddenly and generally subside within a brief time, leaving no time for the drug to have an effect. Having said that, there are a number of fast-acting treatment options that can provide some pain relief. These fast-acting treatments include: * 100 % Oxygen inhaled by way of a mask * The injectable form of sumatriptan (Imitrex) * Octreotide (Sandostatin, Octreotide Acetate) injections * Local anesthetics such as lidocaine (Xylocaine) applied intranasally * Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal) administered intraveneously Various other drugs may be recommended as preventive therapy. The objective of these medications is to suppress an attack as it starts. Your doctor may prescribe: * Calcium channel blocker agent, verapamil (Calan, Verelan) * Coticosteroids such as prednisone * Lithium carbonate * Nerve block * Ergotamine (Ergomar) * Melatonin * Divalproex (Depakote) Surgical treatment to block the trigeminal nerve could be an option for those who do not tolerate the drugs or who have not been aided with standard treatment. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Take an active role in your health by learning all you can about having a Cluster Headaches You can read more about this condition and use a free tool that walks you through your symptoms and leads you to an online diagnosis. Prepare yourself before your doctor's visit and figure out what your symptoms means using this Medical Symptom Diagnosis Tool. |
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