Cluster Headaches - Symptoms

Symptoms

Symptoms of cluster headaches may include:²

• 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 (contracted) pupil on the affected side.
• A stuffy or runny nose on the affected side.
• Headache that emerges 2 to 3 hours after falling 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 per day during a cycle. Between headaches, you may feel physically and emotionally exhausted. Once the cycle of headaches stops, you may be headache-free for days, weeks, or even years before another cycle occurs.

See an illustration of cluster headache symptoms.

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