Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches aren't life threatening, but they can cause significant suffering and severely affect your quality of life, so it's important to see someone who is familiar with the known effective treatments for the condition.
The headaches can't be treated with over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol, as these are too slow to take effect. You'll need to have one or more specialist treatments instead.
Three main treatments are available to relieve pain when taken soon after a cluster headache starts. These are:
These treatments usually relieve the pain of a cluster headache within 15-30 minutes.
Cluster headaches begin suddenly and without warning. The pain is very severe and is often described as a sharp, burning or piercing sensation on one side of the head.
The headaches can't be treated with over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol, as these are too slow to take effect. You'll need to have one or more specialist treatments instead.
Alternative treatments may be considered if verapamil is not effective. These may include corticosteroids , lithium medication and occipital nerve blocks (injections of a local anaesthetic into the back of the head).
The first time you experience what you think may be a cluster headache, then you should see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will ask you about your symptoms and may refer you for tests.
Cluster headaches are excruciating attacks of pain in one side of the head, often felt around the eye. It's not clear exactly what causes cluster headaches, but they've been linked to activity in part of the brain called the hypothalamus.