June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about one of the most painful types of headache: the cluster headache.
Cluster headaches occur in cyclical patterns or cluster periods that can last from weeks to months. During a cluster period, headaches usually occur daily, sometimes several times a day. A single attack can last from 15 minutes to three hours. The attacks often occur at the same time each day, most often at night, and usually one to two hours after bedtime. Cluster periods usually are followed by remission periods when the headaches stop. Remission periods can last from months to years.
A cluster headache strikes quickly, usually without warning, although you might first have migrainelike nausea and aura.
Men are more likely than women to have cluster headaches, and most people who develop cluster headaches are between 20 and 50, although the condition can develop at any age.
