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Easy Appointment Booking

Get cluster headache treatment online quickly and easily. Book a virtual appointment, speak to a doctor from home, and receive a personalised plan to help manage and reduce the frequency of your painful headaches.

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Personalised Pain Management

Find relief with cluster headache treatment online. Our doctors provide tailored pain relief strategies and prevention tips to help reduce attacks. Access professional advice that fits your needs without the hassle of visiting a clinic.

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Ongoing Care Support

Receive ongoing support after your cluster headache treatment online. Our medical team will monitor your progress, make necessary adjustments to your plan, and help you manage your headaches confidently and conveniently.

Medically Reviewed

By

Chrysoula I. Liakou

MD, PhD, Internal Medicine Specialist and
Cancer Immunology Researcher.

What Is a Cluster Headache and How It Develops

A cluster headache is a very painful type of headache. It usually happens in groups or "clusters," where you get several headaches close together. The pain is intense and usually feels as if it’s centred around one eye or on one side of the head. Each headache can last from 15 minutes to three hours and may occur up to eight times a day. These headaches often come at the same time each day, and you might even wake up from sleep because of the pain.

Cluster periods can last for weeks or months and then suddenly cease. After a cluster period ends, you might not have headaches for months or even years before they return. Cluster headaches are rare, affecting fewer than 1 in 1,000 people, and they occur more frequently in men than in women. Most people get them in their teens or twenties, but they can happen at any age.

Experts don’t know exactly what causes cluster headaches, but they think a nerve in your face is involved, creating severe pain around one eye. The pain is so bad that many people can’t sit still and might pace during an attack. While there’s no cure, treatments can help make the attacks shorter, reduce pain, and prevent headaches from occurring as often.

Common Symptoms of Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches typically occur suddenly, often without warning. They are known for causing extreme pain and can feel much worse than other types of headaches. The pain is usually very intense and sharp, often described as stabbing. It is generally centred in, behind, or around one eye but can also spread to other areas of the face, head, and neck.

Common symptoms of cluster headaches include:

  • Severe Pain: Usually on one side of the head, often around or behind one eye.

  • Eye Symptoms: Redness, watering, or swelling around the eye on the side that hurts. The eyelid may droop, and the pupil might appear smaller.

  • Nasal Symptoms: A stuffy or runny nose on the side of the pain.

  • Sweating: Your forehead or face may become sweaty.

  • Skin Changes: Redness or changes in skin colour on the side of the face where you feel pain.

  • Restlessness: The pain can be so bad that many people feel agitated, pace, or rock back and forth.

Cluster headaches often happen in cycles and may co-occur each day, even waking you up from sleep. The symptoms usually get very severe within five to ten minutes, making it hard to stay still.

What Causes Cluster Headaches?

Doctors don’t fully understand the exact cause of cluster headaches, but they have some strong ideas about how they might start. Here are some key causes and triggers explained simply:

The Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain that controls functions such as sleep, body temperature, and the daily body clock. If it isn’t working correctly, it may trigger cluster headaches.

Blood Vessel Changes:

During a cluster headache, blood vessels in the brain and face widen. This widening puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve, which sends sensations from the face to the brain, causing severe pain around one eye or on one side of the head.

Chemical Releases

Sudden releases of chemicals like histamine (involved in allergies) and serotonin (helps send nerve signals) may trigger the pain.

Common Triggers

Drinking alcohol, bright lights, hot weather, and eating foods with nitrites (like processed meats) can set off cluster headaches, especially during a headache cycle.

 

Cluster headaches often occur in a predictable pattern, aligning with seasonal changes, possibly due to their connection to the hypothalamus.

Keeping a journal of your headaches, what you eat, and your activities can help identify specific triggers and patterns.

How To Treat Cluster Headaches Effectively

Treating cluster headaches focuses on relieving the intense pain quickly and preventing future attacks. Although there’s no cure, various treatments can help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of headaches.

Pain Relief Options

When a cluster headache starts, fast-acting treatments can help relieve the pain:

  • Oxygen Therapy: Breathing 100% pure oxygen through a mask can ease the pain within 15 minutes for most people. However, it may not always be practical to have oxygen equipment readily available.

  • Triptans: These medications, like sumatriptan (Imitrex) or zolmitriptan (Zomig), are given as injections or nasal sprays and work by narrowing blood vessels to reduce pain. Injections act quickly and are very effective.

  • Dihydroergotamine (DHE): This is a prescription drug that can be given through an injection or inhaled. The injectable form works faster than the inhaled version.

  • Lidocaine Nasal Spray: A local anaesthetic used as nasal drops to help relieve pain.

Preventive Medications

Doctors may also prescribe medicines to prevent headaches from starting or reduce how often they occur:

  • Calcium Channel Blockers: Medications like verapamil are commonly used to prevent cluster headaches.

  • Corticosteroids: Drugs like prednisone reduce nerve inflammation and can be helpful for short-term prevention.

  • Lithium Carbonate: Sometimes used to manage chronic cluster headaches.

  • Occipital Nerve Block: This involves an injection of an anesthetic and steroids at the base of the skull to block pain and reduce symptoms temporarily.

Surgical Options

In rare cases where medications don’t work or aren’t well tolerated, surgery may be considered. This might involve procedures to block or stimulate nerves associated with the pain, but these are only used as a last resort due to the risk of side effects.

Researchers are also exploring new treatments, such as nerve stimulation devices and deep brain stimulation, to provide more options for people with severe cluster headaches.

Cluster Headache Treatments and Their Effects

Treatment Option Purpose How It Works
Oxygen Therapy Quick pain relief Inhaling 100% oxygen reduces headache within 15 minutes
Triptans (Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan) Abort attacks fast Narrow blood vessels to stop headache pain
Dihydroergotamine (DHE) Alternative acute relief Injectable drug that targets pain receptors
Lidocaine Nasal Spray Temporary relief Numbs pain signals in nasal cavity
Verapamil (Calcium Channel Blocker) Prevent future attacks Reduces frequency of headache cycles
Corticosteroids Short-term prevention Lowers inflammation and nerve irritation
Occipital Nerve Block Reduces severity Blocks pain signals from the skull base

 

How Mobi Doctor Can Help 

You can get relief from cluster headaches without leaving your home. Speak to an online doctor who can create a personalised plan to ease your pain and help you manage your symptoms effectively.

Cluster headaches are incredibly painful and can be hard to manage alone. Whether you experience sudden, intense pain or regular attacks, online doctors are here to support you. They’ll listen to your experience through a convenient consultation, understand your needs, and create a treatment plan just for you. This could involve pain relief strategies, preventive measures, or lifestyle changes to reduce triggers.

 

How To Prevent Cluster Headache Attacks

While you can’t fully stop cluster headaches from happening, there are ways to lower the chances of triggering an attack. Here are some simple tips:

Avoid Common Triggers

  • Stay away from alcohol, especially during a cluster headache period, as it is a common trigger.
  • Try not to smoke, as it can make headaches worse. Quitting or cutting back on smoking can help.

Be Careful With Your Environment

  • Avoid strong smells and hot weather, which can trigger headaches.

  • Avoid foods high in nitrates, like bacon, hot dogs, and preserved meats.

  • Be cautious with hot baths and avoid strenuous activities, especially in high altitudes.

Manage Health Conditions

Talk to your doctor if you have sleep apnea or another condition related to your headaches. Treating these conditions might help reduce headaches.

Use Preventive Treatment

Some medications can help prevent or reduce the severity of cluster headaches. Speak to your doctor about which treatments might be right for you.

By avoiding triggers and following your doctor’s advice, you may be able to reduce how often cluster headaches happen and make them less painful. Mobi Doctor offers easy and convenient online consultations for managing cluster headaches. Our doctors can help identify your triggers, suggest effective treatments, and provide guidance to prevent future headaches, all from the comfort of your home.

FAQ

Cluster headaches are linked to changes in the hypothalamus, blood vessel dilation, and nerve irritation. Triggers include alcohol, strong smells, stress, and hot weather.

You can consult an online doctor who will assess your symptoms and recommend treatments such as oxygen therapy, triptans, or preventive medications.

Oxygen therapy and injectable triptans are the most effective ways to stop pain quickly. Your doctor can prescribe these treatments if appropriate.

Yes. Avoid alcohol, processed meats, smoking, and heat exposure. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule and reduce stress to lower attack frequency.

While not life-threatening, they cause intense pain and can affect quality of life. If headaches change suddenly or are accompanied by vision loss or weakness, seek immediate medical help.

No. Standard painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen are usually ineffective. Prescription treatments are required for cluster headache relief.

Some people experience long periods without attacks (remission), but they can return. Preventive treatment helps extend remission and reduce severity.


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