Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is an incredibly rare headache condition that affects 0.1% of the population. Studies have shown that 1st degree relatives of those with cluster headache are 18 times more likely to also suffer from cluster headache. Cluster headache occurs in “cycles” that can last, on average, anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months (sometimes longer!). An individual can enter a cluster “cycle” at any time, but the most common time people enter their cluster “cycle” is surrounding the longest and the shortest days of the year. During a cluster “cycle,” an individual has cluster “attacks” that can last anywhere from 45-60 minutes on average – by definition, the attacks never last more than 4 hours. Likewise, during a cluster “cycle,” an individual can have, on average, 1-3 “attacks” per day (and sometimes more). Once a person exits their cluster “cycle,” they will not have anymore cluster headache “attacks” until they enter their next “cycle.” This could be anywhere from several months to several years later.