Headaches: Cluster - Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms

Cluster headaches usually strike suddenly and without warning, although some people have a migraine-type aura before the attack. The pain is deep, constant, boring, piercing, or burning in nature, and located in, behind, or around the eye. The pain then spreads to the forehead, jaw, upper teeth, temples, nostrils, shoulder or neck. The pain and other symptoms usually remain on one side of the head.

The pain generally reaches very severe levels within 15 minutes. Patients may feel agitated or restless during an attack and often want to isolate themselves and then move around. Gastrointestinal symptoms are not very common.

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Other typical symptoms include:

• Swollen or droopy eyelid
• Watery, tearing eye
• Contraction of the eye pupil
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Forehead and facial sweating
• Restlessness and agitation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Intolerance to light and sound

Review Date: 09/29/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).