The Understanding Of Cluster Headache

Coutii Healthy - Headaches cluster (cluster headache) is a pain in the head that occurs repeatedly in a specific pattern or cycle. Because of cluster headaches occur regularly at certain periods, most people think of cluster headache as a symptom of seasonal allergies or depression due to employment.

Cluster headaches that occur at night, often awaken sufferers with severe pain on the perimeter. A cycle of cluster headache may occur every week to every month, followed by a period of reduction or disappearance of pain when a headache had stopped. The period known as the period of remission it can last for a few months to several years.

Cluster headache can be divided into two types, namely episodic headaches and chronic headaches. Episodic cluster headaches occur 1-2 times in a period of 7 days up to one year, with periods of remission (free of headaches) at least 1 month. Chronic cluster headaches occur more often than episodic cluster, and without periods of remission or remissions period less than 1 month.

Cluster headache rarely occur in people who do not have risk factors. In addition, cluster headache is not fatal. The treatment is carried out aiming to lower intesitas pain, shortening the length of the pain lasts, as well as lowering the frequency of the emergence of cluster headache.

Causes Of Cluster Headaches

The main causes of cluster headaches to date has not been ascertained. Based on the emergence of cluster headache cycle, suspected the cause of the disorder is biological clock which is regulated by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus that disturbed will enable the stimulation to the trigeminal nerve that causes the emergence of a sense of heat and pain in parts of the face and around the eyes.

A number of factors suspected of plundering triggered cluster headache are:

Hot weather
The use of nitroglycerin
Stress
Relaxation
Extreme temperatures
Allergic rhinitis
Sexual activity

While some factors that can increase the risk of a person exposed to the cluster headache are:

Gender men. Males are more often affected than women cluster headache.
Age. Although cluster headache may occur at any age, these conditions generally appear at the age of 20-50 years.
The habit of smoking. Most sufferers of cluster headaches is the person who has the habit of smoking. However, stop the smoking habit is also no guarantee can lower the risk of the emergence of the clsuter headache.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can trigger the onset of attacks headaches in people who are at risk of against this condition.
A family history. Someone at risk of experiencing a cluster headache when having a family member with a history of it.

Cluster headache is generally going to be a problem throughout the life of the sufferer. Even so, there were no cases of death caused by this condition. However it should be noted that with a heavy headache condition, sufferers have to risk injuring yourself, being a smoker or increase the frequency of smoking, increasing the consumption of alcohol, or even try to commit suicide.

Symptoms Of Cluster Headache

Cluster headache often appears suddenly and without any symptoms that precede. Increased pain due to headaches cluster until it reaches the peak of the pain lasted about 5-10 minutes. But in some people, the occasional occurrence of cluster headache is preceded by nausea and headaches such as migraines. Symptoms of cluster headache that often arises is as follows:

The agonizing pain that generally appears in the area around the eyes and may spread to the neck area, head, shoulder, or face.
Unable to rest or sleep.
Spending excessive tears.
Pain on the body.
One of the eyes become red or swollen, depends on the side of the head that are experiencing pain.
One nostril become runny or stuffy nose, depending on the side of the head that are experiencing pain.
Sweat appeared at the forehead and face.
The skin around the face became pale.
Eyelid down.
The pupils shrink.

Although cluster headache often strikes unexpectedly, some of these symptoms may appear before the attack of pain increased. The appearance of the symptoms above, is a warning to sufferers before the cluster headache pain to reach the Summit.

During the period of cluster, sufferers can experience things as follows:

Headaches that occur almost every day, with a duration of 15 minutes to 3 hours.
Headaches can appear multiple times in a day.
Headache frequently appears at night, usually around 1-2 hours after bedtime.
Headaches can appear and disappear suddenly. After the attack the headache ended, most people won't feel the pain again, but will experience fatigue.
Becoming restless and stagnant.
Don't want to take a break and prefer to move around.
Screaming in pain.

Immediate medical help if someone search experience things as follows:

Severe headaches appear suddenly.
Severe headaches accompanied by nausea, vomiting, neck pain, mental disorders, seizures, stiff, or difficulty speaking which showed symptoms of illness such as a stroke or meningitis.
The headache comes after an injury, especially if the headaches worsened.
The headache worsened after days and have a pattern that varies.

Cluster Headache Diagnosis

Cluster headache has the characteristics and special patterns that distinguish it from other headaches. Some of the factors that must be known to the doctor to make a diagnosis of cluster headache are:

Description and characteristics of the headache.
The location of the headache.
The severity of the headache.
The frequency of headaches.
The duration of the headache.

After the doctors get the information, the physician will perform the next diagnosis methods, namely:

Neurological examination. Diagnosis procedure is done by checking the function of the brain, sensory abilities, the reflex of the patient, and the patient's neurological abilities in General. This procedure serves to find the physical symptoms of a cluster headache.
Scanning. If the patient suffers from severe headaches are not uncommon and the results of the diagnosis of neurological examination shows that there is an abnormality, doctors can do a follow-up examination with scanning, which aims to find the causes of the emergence of a headache , such as a tumor or aneurysm. A scan that can be used are:

MRI. This method is done using magnetic waves to display the image of the internal organs of the body in detail.
Ct Scan. These organs in the scanning method is done using x-rays.

Treatment Of Cluster Headache

The main goal of treatment of cluster headache is to relieve pain, reduce the duration of the appearance of headaches, and prevent the emergence of a headache. Based on these objectives, the types of treatment that can be administered to the patient cluster headache are as follows:

Fast treatment (acute). Quick treatment is applied to eliminate and reduce cluster headache that comes up unexpectedly by using:

Administering oxygen. Administering pure oxygen as many as 12 liters per minute to patients can decrease the severity of pain resulting from cluster headache. In addition to cheap, in this way effectively to relieve headaches that appear suddenly and can be used directly on the patient.
Triptan. Triptan medication sumatriptan types is given through injections. Triptan is generally given to sufferers of migraine headaches, but can also be given to sufferers of cluster headaches. In addition to the given through injections, triptan can also be given in the form of nasal sprays/nasal spray (an example is zolmitriptan spray). Triptan should not be given to patients who are having problems high blood pressure or heart disease.
Okreotida. Oktreotida is a synthetic drug of the hormone somatostatin that can relieve the pain of a cluster headache.
A local anesthetic. The granting of local anesthetic through intranasal can relieve pain resulting from cluster headache.
Dihidroergotamin. Dihidroergotamin can help decrease pain of headaches cluster either given by way of injection or intranasal.

Preventive treatment. Preventive treatment is done to reduce and eliminate the pain resulting from cluster headache. But after the pain is gone, the drug still continued with smaller doses. This type of medicine are:

An inhibitor of calcium pump. Peghambat calcium pump drugs such as verapamil are often used as the first choice in treating cluster headache. To treat cluster headache, chronic verapamil can be used in the long term. Side effects of verapamil can be constipation, nausea, fatigue, swelling of the ankles, and low blood pressure.
Corticosteroids. The bitter taste of drugs such as corticosteroids prednison may work to treat cluster headache that comes up once in a while with a period of remission that is long enough. It should be noted, however, the side effects of long-term use of corticosteroids, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cataracts.
Lithium Carbonate. Lithium carbonate is often used to treat bipolar disorder can be used to prevent the emergence of cluster headache. Side effects that may arise from the use of this drug is tremor, increased thirst, and diarrhea. In addition, lithium carbonate may cause kidney failure in some cases.
Barrier to the nerves. A barrier to such nerve anesthesia if combined with corticosteroid drugs can be used to relieve chronic cluster headaches. The second combination drugs can be injected into the occipital lobe (the back of the brain) if another quick treatment for cluster headache yet to be used.

Surgery. Cluster headache treatment through surgery is rarely recommended by a doctor. The method of surgery to relieve cluster headache is by stimulating one side or both sides of the occipital lobe. The procedure is done by planting electrodes on one or both parts of the occipital lobe. Other surgical method is by the stimulation of the brain the inside or by damaging the nerve fibres that govern the area around the eyes. Given the complications of both of these methods are fairly heavy for sufferers, considerations for choosing the second method of surgery should be done well.
Implant stimulant. In sufferers of headaches chronic cluter can't be handled with other treatment methods, the installation tool for stimulants relieve the pain due to headaches cluster can be done. Grown stimulant tool serves to stimulate the nerve parasimpatetk and relieve cluster headache. Such a device was planted on the side of the head. At the time of cluster headache attacks appear, this tool can enable the sufferer to drain the electrical impulses to the nerves so relieve cluster headache.

Management Pattern Of Life For Sufferers Of Cluster Headaches

Cluster headache sufferers will have problems at the time of cluster headache attack at any time. Cluster headache attacks sometimes will not be halted by the sufferer and can give rise to feelings of deperesi and anxious. In addition, the physical and mental condition are plagued by the cluster headache can affect personal and social lives of sufferers. Therefore, consultation with a therapist or counselor will really help the sufferers of cluster headaches in dealing with problems that arise. The doctor may recommend a therapist or group counselling to help sufferers of cluster headaches.

Cluster headache sufferers are highly recommended to avoid consumption of alcoholic beverages because it triggered the emergence of bouts of headaches. Keep your hours and regular sleep patterns are also important for sufferers cluster headache.

Prevention Of Cluster Headache

Although cluster headache may occur at certain periods, there are a number of ways that can be done to avoid the emergence of sudden pain, including:

Avoid triggers headaches, such as alcoholic beverages, perfumes, chemical compounds, paint, or smelling of gasoline.
Not doing sports at a time when the weather is hot.
Taking any medication pain reliever that is specific to cluster headache by the time period of cluster headache attacks began. Consumption of medicines still performed until the headache attack is estimated to be finished.

The Understanding Of Cluster Headache