Cluster headache is a type of vascular headache. It is the most painful type of headaches. There is no warning before the attack. It often attacks suddenly at night or after you have fallen asleep. The pain peaks shortly. For many patients, headache attacks at fixed time within 2-3 months (known as cluster period). For many patients, the cluster period is in the same season each year. Patients may have no headache for several months to years, but then it comes again. Cluster headache is very rare, and not life-threatening. Medication includes analgesic, inhaling oxygen (6L/min), amitriptyline and lithium carbonate. Calcium channel blockers are effective in some cases. Severe cases can take adrenal cortex hormones.
How is Cluster headache treated in practice?