

Headache (cont.)

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What causes cluster headaches?

Cluster headaches are so named because they tend to occur daily for periods of a week or more followed by long periods of time -- months to years -- with no headaches. They occur at the same time of day, often waking the patient in the middle of the night.


Cluster headaches also:

  • may be triggered by changes in sleep patterns; and

If an individual is in a susceptible period for cluster headache, cigarette smoking, alcohol, and some foods (for example, chocolate and foods high in nitrites like smoked meats) also are potential causes for headache.

What are the symptoms of cluster headaches?

Cluster headaches are headaches that come in groups (clusters) separated by pain-free periods of months or years. A patient may experience a headache on a daily basis for weeks or months and then be pain-free for years. This type of headache affects men more frequently. They often begin in adolescence but can extend into middle age.

  • Each episode of pain lasts from 30 to 90 minutes.


Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 11/13/2015

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