Cluster headaches are those that are different in the extent of agony because of their distinctive pattern and agonizing severity. Typified by agonizing, usually unilateral head pain around the eye, temple or forehead, they take place in recurrent cycles, or “clusters”, lasting weeks or months with several attacks in a day.

The mere anguish that comes with these episodes has given them the horrible nickname “suicide headaches”, a true depiction of the damage they cause to the sufferers both physically and mentally.

What is Cluster Headache?

Unlike building a migraine or an indistinct ache of a tension headache, a cluster headache comes swiftly and forcefully. The pain is usually intense and is sharp, stabbing, or burning in nature and is usually localized around one eye that can become red and watery.

Other related symptoms on the affected side may include a runny or blocked nostril, drooping and swelling of the eyelid, facial sweating, and restlessness or agitation. These attacks can range from 15 minutes to 3 hours and can come more than once per day, at the same time each day or night.

This repetitive nature of the cluster period, which can last for weeks or months with no respite, differentiates the cluster headache from the other primary headache disorders. The spells of fury activity are usually preceded by remission periods that may last for months or several years.

Cluster Headaches: Why They’re Called “Suicide Headaches”

Use of the term “suicide headache” is not an exaggeration. It portrays the extent of unbearable pain, which can lead to people thinking of committing suicide as a way of getting out of the pain. This high-level suffering and having such a grim nickname for himself are brought by several factors:

• Unmatched Intensity: Sufferers often liken the pain to the worst they had ever felt, a burning, piercing agony that’s sensation is as if a hot poker is being driven through the eye. Such a degree of suffering may be physically and emotionally overwhelming.
• Frequency and Disruption: The possibility of repeated episodes of such headaches each day is enough to ruin the life of an individual. The continual dread of impending attack develops anxiety, and the failure to find any enduring remedy may culminate in in-depth frustration and hopelessness.
• Sudden Onset and No Warning: The sudden occurrence of cluster headache gives little preparation and coping strategies. The intense and suddenly appearing pain can be terrifying and make people feel as though they have no control over something.
• Ineffectiveness of Common Pain Relief: Common over-the-counter pain killers, which could provide some comfort in other headaches, will have hardly any effectiveness on the acute pain of a cluster headache. The absence of quick relief makes people despair more.
• Impact on Mental Health: The constant fear of suffering excruciating pain can be very detrimental to mental health. The chronic nature of the condition, as well as its intensity of attacks, can cause depression, anxiety, and tragically, suicidal ideation as an escape from the suffering.

 Conclusion:

Awareness of the severity and looking for solutions. Cluster headaches are a rare but debilitating neurological disorder that inflicts unimaginable agony on their human victims.

The term suicide headache is a rather grim reminder of the ability of the disorder to cripple a person’s quality of life and mental health.

Dr. Navin Tiwari
Consulting Neurologist