Cluster Headaches: Symptoms

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Symptoms

Symptoms of cluster headaches may include:

• Headaches that come on suddenly without warning.
• Pain that is severe, excruciating, piercing, burning, or sharp.
• Pain that affects only one side of the face, head, and neck.
• A drooping eyelid.
• A watery, red eye and a smaller (constricted) pupil on the affected side.
• A stuffy or runny nose on the affected side.
• Headaches that happen at the same time or times of day each time you get them (for example, a headache that usually happens 2 to 3 hours after you fall asleep).
• Pain that quickly intensifies, peaking within 5 to 10 minutes of onset.
• Intense pain that can last from several minutes to 3 hours.
• A sweaty forehead.
• A warm and red (flushed) face or forehead on the affected side.

You may have several minutes or hours of being headache-free until the next headache in the cycle begins. You may have from 1 to 8 headaches a day during a cycle. Between headaches, you may feel physically and emotionally exhausted. After the cycle of headaches stops, you may be headache-free for days, weeks, or even years before another cycle occurs.

See a picture of cluster headache symptoms .

Other conditions (such as migraine headaches or trigeminal neuralgia) can cause symptoms similar to cluster headaches. Your doctor will usually be able to distinguish these conditions from cluster headaches by a careful medical history and physical examination.

Last updated:	April 11, 2008
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC