DISEASE SCANNER

Global Incurable Diseases Tracker

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Neurological Disease

Cluster Headache

HIGH SEVERITY

An extremely painful primary headache disorder characterized by severe unilateral orbital, supraorbital, or temporal pain lasting 15-180 minutes, occurring in clusters (periods of frequent attacks). Known as 'suicide headache' due to intensity. More common in men.

Global Affected

1.0M

Countries

111

Symptoms

Severe unilateral eye pain
Restlessness/agitation
Tearing (ipsilateral)
Nasal congestion/rhinorrhea
Eyelid edema
Forehead sweating
Miosis/ptosis
Sense of doom
Attacks at same time daily

Treatment Options

High-flow oxygen (acute)
Sumatriptan injection (acute)
Zolmitriptan nasal (acute)
Verapamil (preventive)
Lithium (preventive)
Corticosteroids (transitional)
Galcanezumab (preventive)
Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation

Risk Factors

1Male gender (3:1)
2Age 20-50
3Smoking
4Family history
5Alcohol (trigger during cluster)
6Seasonal patterns
7Hypothalamic dysfunction

Diagnostic Methods

  • 1Clinical diagnosis (ICHD-3)
  • 2Headache pattern recognition
  • 3Response to oxygen/triptan
  • 4Neuroimaging (rule out secondary)
  • 5Sleep study (associated sleep apnea)

Prognosis

Episodic form: clusters lasting weeks-months, then remission. Chronic form: no remission. Attacks decrease with age. Suicide risk increased during attacks.

Prevention

  • Verapamil prophylaxis
  • Avoiding alcohol during clusters
  • Regular sleep schedule
  • Smoking cessation
  • Monitoring for sleep apnea

Research Status

High-flow oxygen first-line acute treatment. Triptans effective. Verapamil main preventive. CGRP monoclonal antibodies being studied. Psilocybin and LSD analogs showing promise in trials. Deep brain stimulation for refractory cases. Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation.

Affected Countries

United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaGermanyFranceItalySpainJapanChinaIndiaBrazilRussiaSwedenNetherlandsBelgiumSwitzerlandAustriaDenmarkNorwayFinlandPolandCzech RepublicHungaryRomaniaBulgariaCroatiaSloveniaSlovakiaLTLVEEIrelandPortugalGreeceCYMTLUIcelandNew ZealandSouth KoreaSingaporeTaiwanHong KongMalaysiaThailandVietnamIndonesiaPhilippinesSouth AfricaNigeriaEgyptTurkeyIranSaudi ArabiaUAEQatarKuwaitOmanJordanLebanonSyriaYemenIraqAfghanistanPakistanBangladeshLKNPMMKHLAMNKazakhstanUzbekistanTMKGTJAzerbaijanAMGEUkraineBelarusMDALBAMEMKSerbiaXKMexicoArgentinaChileColombiaPeruVenezuelaEcuadorUYPYBOCRPAGuatemalaHNSVNIBZJMHaitiDominican RepublicCuba

Sources

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions
  • https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases

Medical Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult healthcare professionals for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment.