Cluster Headache
Cluster headache is a severe headache that begins in the area around one eye and spreads to areas around the face. Each headache lasts about half an hour to three hours, but the episodes can occur many times in one day or night (in outbreaks) for several weeks or months. On average, about one to three daily headache episodes during a period of four to eight weeks.
However, once this outbreak episode ends, the headaches may disappear for months or years. Although the exact mechanism behind an outbreak of headache remains a mystery, researchers believe that these headaches may be related to abnormal cell activity in a brain region known as the hypothalamus.
Approximately 1 million people in America suffer from headaches and the condition is 5 to 6 times more common in men than in women. The first outbreak usually occurs sometime between 20 and 50. About 80% of headaches occur at night. The cluster headache is rarely caused by food, but often is triggered by alcohol.