Cluster Headaches
Symptoms
Symptoms of cluster headaches may include:
- Headaches that come on suddenly without warning.
- Pain that is severe, excruciating, piercing, burning, or sharp.
- Pain that affects only one side of the face, head, and neck.
- A drooping eyelid.
- A watery, red eye and a smaller (constricted) pupil on the affected side.
- A stuffy or runny nose on the affected side.
- Headaches that happen at the same time or times of day each time you get them (for example, a headache that usually happens 2 to 3 hours after you fall asleep).
- Pain that quickly intensifies, peaking within 5 to 10 minutes of onset.
- Intense pain that can last from several minutes to 3 hours.
- A sweaty forehead.
- A warm and red (flushed) face or forehead on the affected side.
You may have several minutes or hours of being headache-free until the next headache in the cycle begins. You may have from 1 to 8 headaches a day during a cycle. Between headaches, you may feel physically and emotionally exhausted. After the cycle of headaches stops, you may be headache-free for days, weeks, or even years before another cycle occurs.
See a picture of cluster headache symptoms
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Other conditions (such as migraine headaches or trigeminal neuralgia) can cause symptoms similar to cluster headaches. Your doctor will usually be able to distinguish these conditions from cluster headaches by a careful medical history and physical examination.
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: April 11, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology | |
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