The Pain Relief Site is Here to Help

Is there such a thing as a cluster headache? And how does it feel like?

Public Comments

1. yes and its actually worse than a migraine from what i hear

2. Yes, they are much like migraines.

3. Cluster headaches are very real and very painful. Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about cluster headaches: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cluster-headache/DS00487

For loads of info, just check google:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=cluster+headaches

4. There is such a thing as a cluster headache. Contrary to what somebody else said, they are not at all like migraines. I get both clusters and migraines and the two are extremely different.

Cluster headaches are usually on only one side of the head, with the vast majority of the pain located behind the eye. Sometimes people have other effects that go with the headache; for example, I get clusters on the right side of my head, and when I have them, my right nostril runs, I get teary in my right eye, and my neck sometimes goes stiff only on that side. Most people find that moving around helps the headache a little; unlike a migraine, laying still in a dark room is not usually the best way to deal with it. The pain of a cluster headache is extreme - most doctors agree that it is the greatest pain known to man, and women who have experienced both say that cluster headaches are more painful than childbirth. It feels like a very sharp pain. However, the headaches usually don't last that long. When I have migraines, they can last a whole day, or even two days. My cluster headaches never last more than two hours and can be much shorter - so the pain is worse, but it is more short-lived.

The reason they're called "cluster headaches" is because you get them every day, sometimes several times a day, for a period of weeks (some people have "chronic clusters," which never go away, but this is unusual). So the pain is extreme and hurts more than anything I've ever had; but it goes away after a relatively short time; but you know it will come back at the same time the next day, which understandably can drive people to depression or even madness.

Anyway, I hope that helps!