Cluster Headaches | Risk Factors, Triggers, Signs & Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Cluster Headaches | Risk Factors, Triggers, Signs & Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Cluster Headaches (also known as Histamine Headaches) are a type of neurovascular headache disorder involving groups or “clusters” of headache episodes or attacks that occur periodically and often in a pattern. Cluster Headaches can be triggered by a variety of stimuli including hot weather, alcohol use and bright lights. In this lesson, we discuss the risk factors for getting Cluster headaches, more triggers of them, the signs and symptoms, how they are diagnosed and how they are treated by clinicians.

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JJ

**MEDICAL LEGAL DISCLAIMER**: JJ Medicine does not provide medical advice, and the information available on this channel does not offer a diagnosis or advice regarding treatment. Information presented in these lessons is for educational purposes ONLY, and information presented here is not to be used as an alternative to a healthcare professional’s diagnosis and treatment of any person/animal. Only a physician or other licensed healthcare professional are able to determine the requirement for medical assistance to be given to a patient. Please seek the advice of your physician or other licensed healthcare provider if you have any questions regarding a medical condition.

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[brianbruschke]

Thank you. I am 46 years old. My cluster headaches began when I was 19. I suffered terribly for 10 years before I discovered oxygen. Oxygen did a much better job at aborting the headaches and reducing the pain levels. Two years ago, I began eating persimmons and or a bag of dried persimmons as soon as the cluster was about to start. I have gone two years now without having to take Oxygen and the cluster headache no longer develops to anything more than a minor headache. I have no idea if this will work for any other person. However, persimmons are healthy and have no bad side effects. I share this as you are an expert and might know more about why the persimmon fruit has helped me.

[kelly]

I lost my Dad in June 2020. I spoke to him a couple days before he died. He was having an episode. He told me that he would rather eat a bullet than to ever have to have another headache again. Sure enough, 3 days later, my Daddy shot himself. I get horrible headaches but I could never imagine the type of pain he went through. It was totally debilitating. My Dad was the strongest man I knew but the pain was much stronger. I hope they find a cure or a way to help any of you that have to live that way too. My heart is with you. May God ease your pain. RIP RICK BELLINGER. I LOVE YOU, DADDY. <3

[graceevangeline]

My brother has these. Oxygen stopped working for him and trust me, NSAIDS are worthless as well as every other pain medication you can think of. We looked up what systems in the body have a clock like rythym (there's more to our bodies than circadian rythym). We also considered what, if anything, was different about his life (physical/environmental etc) when these clusters started for him.
So, we found multiple studies highlighting that men/young men who lose a significant amount of weight over a short period of time risk lowering their testosterone levels. And it doesn't really correct itself over time... especially if these young men continue mainly heavy cardio workouts (as opposed to weight lifting).
My brother lost a significant amount of weight as a young adult in a short period of time and had been maintaining his lifestyle change with a heavy focus on cardio.
From there, multiple studies showed that low testosterone in men can predispose them to cluster headaches and testosterone shots successfully aborted AND fully treated the clusters in men who had low testosterone. One study showed this treatment also worked for women BUT they didn't have a lot of women to participate in the study.
Testosterone is also released rhythmically in the body.... peaking in the early morning hours.
All of this to say, if you or a loved one is suffering from clusters with no answer/seemingly no reason... maybe ask your doctor about having your testosterone levels checked 🤷‍♀️
We tested our brothers testosterone and sure enough, it was just outside the threshold on the low end of the spectrum. He had low testosterone!
We gave our brother natural testosterone boosters while also advising him to lift weights more than cardio workouts. So far, he's been cluster free this cluster period (change of seasons into fall/spring is when they're usually triggered for him). He knows that testosterone shots are an option but wanted to try lifestyle changes first. So far, so good!

I do hope this helps someone. These things are soul crushing... and its obvious to me why they're also known as suicide headaches 💔😢💔
Love to all

[eunicedelatorre]

Im having an attack right now and this CH is not a Joke. My pain tolerance is HIGH but this pain really hurts me. I hate it </3

[Gennekko]

This is the first time I experience any sharp eye pain in a good while. Thank you for sharing this video. It really helps ease the tension.

[j.c.]

This is so informative. Thank you for this information. I tend to wake up at around 4 a.m. if it starts in the morning. But they come on at all hours. I had one that was involving Bells Palsy. I am 62. My headaches started that I can remember when I was between 6 and 7 years old. Off and on my entire life. My mother had them her entire life.

[b_uppy]

I got something like cluster headaches when I was a 'tween. They hurt so much I'd clench my teeth. They were near blinding. It centered around the eye socket or over the ear. It would only last a minute or so. It always occured in the early afternoon. I was around smokers and have a significant history of allergies, and playground injuries. I had problems for about a year.

My doctors were indifferent at best.

[barend]

Four hours of pure hell. No painkiller works.

[Reinthegreat]

I used to suffer from Migraine for over 10 years. Now im finally free of it. And some times i thought that migraine is the worst pain human can go through but now i see that mine were miles less painful than cluster headaches. I really cannot imagine how can people go through such excruciating pain. So every one that’s going through it i wish you nothing but the best to recover as quickly as possible!

[ponzo]

Cluster Head since 1985. I thought I was the only person in the world getting these. It took five years to get a diagnosis and my first bottle of Prednisone. Later Sumatriptan, Oxygen, mushrooms. NSAIDS and narcotics do nothing but my best friend has been a big bag of frozen peas. Sometimes nothing works and I burn in hell. Employers don't understand because they're called headaches when actually they should be called cluster attacks or Trigeminal impingement. Calling them headaches is very misleading because people tend to relate it to something they've experienced when actually they couldn't imagine. It's somewhat of miracle I've managed to stay employed or that I'm even alive. If you get these find a neurologist and if you know someone who does support them 100% because it feels like these attacks should kill you and they don't even have the decency of knocking you unconscious.

[vannuvilaiti]

Constipation causes me cluster kind of headache in which pain in different part of skull, eyelid, pain around the eyes, I can feel the impacting pressure from rectal muscle to scalp parts, more pain while touching, usually one side pain or temporal pain, blocked or running nose. These all will not go with pain killer. Only and only two to three days total fasting works. When intestine empty pain resolved. Once start eating even less amount of meals, the center of the skull either left or write or referal pain starts, it grows if Ignore and eat. No other symptoms, no bloating or abdomen complains, never had any stomach issue. Only impacted small pieces of stool creates cluster headache.

[IceWolf-qkpi]

Thanks for putting our this video when I saw it 3 days ago I could finally put i diagnosis to my headaches and red eye... Ironically I haven't had one in a couple of months, but woke up with one this morning 😞 thank you!

[PullPatrick]

Started taking 10, 000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily and haven’t had a cluster headache in 2 years. Before this I would get cluster headaches almost daily for a month around once a year. It’s worth a try!

[jeremyallennossette]

I was involved in a serious car accident in 2008 and a few years later as I turned 30 I began getting nasal blockage, then I was having severe pain like an ice pick was stabbing me behind my eye, my eye began to droop, my mucus had a terrible odor, I was having fainting spells and vomiting from pain which Doctors will say is not possible but believe you me it is. I was diagnosed with chronic cluster headaches, the oxygen does not work, nothing works after a year of suffering from constant attacks one day, I got the vision back in my right eye and there was a strange pop and the headaches left. I am now almost fifty and haven't had an attack since, but I fear God if they ever come back. Definitely the most painful experience I've ever had, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy if I had any.

[edwardcramm]

I'm a 75 year old male. When I was a teen my parents took me to a "Headache specialist"(not sure what they are called now) and he diagnosed me with cluster headaches. He gave me a shot of something which brought on a headache. Thanks doc. Anyway he told me that they would go away after I turned 21. I had bad allergies, smoked and had an occasional beer. I was a part time drummer in a band and those smokey joints that I worked in seemed to bring on those headaches(not good when you are playing drums.) I was lucky that Tylenol would make them go away, I would never be far away from Tylenol. I turned 21 and sure enough I stopped having them and haven't had them since. Over the course of my life I've stopped smoking and taken care of the allergy problem. I've often heard that these headaches were often referred to as Baby Migraines. I sure feel for folks with migraines!

[ronnieberringer]

!!!!THIS SHOULD HELP!!!! I started suffering from these when I was about nineteen, I'm turning 40 soon and I have studied these myself since then..I've paid as much attention as possible to my body when I got these attacks..I am no scientist but I pinpointed where the pain is coming from and it's exactly where the pain starts when you get a brain freeze..I stumbled upon this accidentally, noticing the pain drinking a freezy and I thought I was getting a cluster migraine. Now I know this might sound crazy but when you notice the migraine coming on give yourself a brain freeze.. I'm serious, as much as possible.. you will be amazed. It has stopped the pain and the attack.. I tried this because I tried everything possible. Everything we do is basically only on the outside, cold compress, hot compress, it helps but doesn't work because the pain is on the inside ya know?? I've been on oxygen yes it "might" help, microdosing with mushrooms did "only subside" my pain, but all that just for a headache can't be good for you if you continuously do it.. the brain freeze stopped it in it's tracks..don't know what it is about it, but I seriously think doctors need to look into this. ✌️🍀 Please let me know if it helped you and tell your doctor if it does. We need a way to stop this pain guys..I know what you're going through🍀✌️

[maxnova]

Started with periodic cluster headaches at age 14 and was so happy that they stopped with 20. With 28 they came back turned chronic and almost completely therapy resistant. Neither Oxygen nor pain meds can make them bearable all they do is reduce the pain by 10%, but as a price they prolong the attacks. I‘m at absolute max dosage of Verapamil which does at least reduce the frequency a bit from at least 10 attacks a day to 3 to 9. I tried everything even the new antibody therapy and nerve stimulation implants. Nothing works and out of my old self help group only 2 other people remain. And they didn‘t even suffer from a chronic and therapy resistant form. Only thing that keeps me around is the hope for sudden remission like it happened once before, but to be honest that hope is dwindling fast.

[lavinacrux]

Just realized it was cluster headaches i was expecting 5 years ago due to a head injury. I didn't know how to explain it to my doctor so they brushed it off as me being over Dramatic.

[paintproduct]

Had these since I was 5, my mom who is nurse literally would track my headaches. At 32 I still have then, I can usually get ahead of it a day ahead if I catch the signs.

[oppongsamuel]

Exactly what I’m experiencing. So terrible and painful 😢