A type of migraine occurring in clusters — that is, a patient may have an attack daily for several days and then none for weeks or months. The pain is on one side of the head, often centred over the eye. The pain is excruciatingly severe and often associated with tears, nasal discharge and production of thick saliva from the same side of the mouth. It is treated either with drugs such as sumatriptan or with breathing 100 per cent oxygen.
A series of headaches, typically occurring in men, that are intense, recurring, felt near one eye, and often associated with nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and watering of the affected eye. They typically occur 1 or 2 hr after the patient has fallen asleep, last for about 45 min, and recur daily for several weeks before spontaneously resolving. The etiology of the headaches is unknown, but their recurrence during certain seasons of the year and certain times of day may suggest a circadian or chronobiological mechanism.
Cluster headaches, characterized by brief yet intense head pain that recurs multiple times a day over a span of several days or weeks, have a propensity to affect either the head or face on one side, often following a distinctive pattern. These headaches may also induce discomfort and excessive tear production in the affected eye. The exact cause remains uncertain, although it is possible that they stem from the dilation of blood vessels in the brain, similar to migraines. To mitigate the severity and frequency of cluster headaches, medical practitioners may administer betablocker medications, which serve to restrict the expansion of blood vessels.