What causes cluster headaches?

The cause of cluster headaches is uncertain. Could it be that certain parts of the brains begin to function for unknown reasons. Hypothalamus, the area lies at the base of the brains is responsible for the biological clock of the body and in May to be part of the brains that is the source of headaches. When the brain scans performed on patients in the middle of a cluster headache, there is abnormal activity in the hypothalamus.

Cluster headaches also:

tend to run in families and this suggests that there may be a genetic role.

Can be caused by changes in sleep patterns.

Can be caused by drugs (eg nitroglycerin, used for heart disease).
If the patient is subject to a period of cluster headaches, smoking, alcohol and some foods (eg chocolate) may cause headaches.

What are the symptoms of cluster headache?

Cluster headaches are headaches that come in groups (clusters) for several weeks or months, separated by pain-free period of several months or years.

During the period when the show cluster headache, the pain usually one or two times a day, but some patients may hurt more than two times a day.

Each episode of pain lasting from 30 minutes to one hours and half.

The attacks usually occur at the same time every day and often wake patients from sleep well at night.

Pain is usually painful and is located around or behind one eye.

Some patients describe the pain as feeling like a hot poker in the eye. Can be affected around the red, inflamed and watery.

The nose on the affected side from May to become clogged and runny nose.
Unlike patients with migraine, cluster headache patients are often restless. They are often tempo floor, bang head wall, and can be driven to desperate measures. Cluster headache is more common in men than women. How cluster headache diagnosis?

Diagnosis of cluster headache is a history of the patient's symptoms. Description of pain, like, the clock is usually sufficient to make a diagnosis of recurrence to.

If an attack on the center of the investigation, the patient is usually in a painful crisis, and possibly watery eyes and nose as described above. If the patient's pain, he put us there is no physical examination is normal, once again appeal to diagnose the patient's history of dependence.

How cluster headache?

Cluster headache is difficult to handle, but take trial and error to find a specific treatment program, will work with each patient. Because headache recurrence needs, every day, two courses of treatment. First incident, it must control the pain, and can avoid the need for additional headaches.

Initial treatment options may include the following:

Inhalation of high concentrations of oxygen (although this does not work if the headache is the establishment of a);

Tryptan injection drugs such as sumatriptan (Imigran), zolmitriptan (Tanzania), and Merck Lizza (Imitrex), which is normally used to treat migraine, and use;

The injection of lidocaine, a local anesthetic in the nose;

Dihydrotestosterone (DHE, Migranal), drug therapy leading to vasoconstriction;

Caffeine
Cluster headache preventive treatment plan may include:

Calcium-channel blockers [eg As verapamil (Karan, Verelan, Verelan Clock, Isoptin, Covera - HS), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac)]

Prednisone (Deltasone, Liquid prednisone)

Antidepressants

Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)

Valproic acid, divalproex (valproate, valproate sustained-release Depakene, Depacon) and topiramate (ester) (usually the control of the use of inspection) Cluster headaches can be prevented?

As indicated in cluster headache may be distributed, and as the first of the new cluster headaches can not be prescribed daily medication is not justification.

Changes in lifestyle can help reduce the risk of flare of cluster headache. Quit smoking and avoid alcohol to minimize future collection of cluster headache.