What Increases Your Risk

Risk factors for cluster headaches include:

• Being male. More males than females get cluster headaches.
• Being between the ages of 30 and 40, although cluster headaches can begin at any age. It is rare for children age 10 or younger to have cluster headaches.

If you have already been diagnosed with cluster headaches, the risk of triggering a headache increases if you:

• Are a smoker or have been a smoker in the past. Many people with cluster headaches are current or previous tobacco smokers.
• Use alcohol. Alcohol can trigger a headache, especially when you are having a cycle of headaches.
• Take medicines (during a headache cycle) that contain histamine or nitroglycerin.