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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Cluster headaches occur in cyclical patterns or clusters — which gives the condition its name. Cluster headache is one of the most painful types of headache. Cluster headache is sometimes called the "alarm clock headache" because it commonly awakens you in the middle of the night with intense pain in or around the eye on one side of your head.

Bouts of frequent attacks — known as cluster periods — may last from weeks to months, usually followed by remission periods when the headache attacks stop completely. During remission, no headaches occur for months and sometimes even years.

Fortunately, cluster headache is rare and not life-threatening. Treatments can help make cluster headache attacks shorter and less severe. In addition, preventive medications can help reduce the number of cluster headaches.

References
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  2. Ropper AH, et al. Headache and other craniofacial pains. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adam's and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3631051&searchStr=cluster+headache. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
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  6. Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm. Accessed Nov. 29, 2010.
  7. Evers S. Pharmacotherapy of cluster headache. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2010;11:2121.
  8. May A. Cluster headache: Acute and preventive treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
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  12. Paemeleire K, et al. Occipital nerve stimulation for headache disorders. Neurotherapeutics: The Journal of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics. 2010;7:213.
  13. Sewell RA. Response of cluster headache to kudzu. Headache. 2009;49:98.
  14. Rossi P, et al. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cluster headache: Results of a multi-centre headache clinic survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2008;16:220.
  15. Capsicum. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/Search.aspx?cs=MAYO&s=ND&pt=100&id=945&ds=&name=CAPSICUM&searchid=23998947. Accessed Nov. 29, 2010.
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  17. Headache diary. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/pdf/Headache_Diary.pdf. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
DS00487 Feb. 8, 2011

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