Cluster Headache vs Migraine - Difference and Comparison

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	Cluster Headache	Migraine
prodromal aura before headache:	absent	present
Triggers:	Nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate), hydrocarbons (petroleum solvents, perfume), Alcohol, napping, etc.	Bright lights, loud noises, Physical or emotional stress, Changes in sleep patterns, exposure to smoke, Skipping meals etc.
Severity of pain:	very severe	At least moderate in severity
Time of onset:	short , headaches peaks within 45 mins	long, headache gradually peaks in around 4-24 hrs
Location of pain:	Deep stabbing pain around the temple or the eye	Pain located near the eye on affected side
Runny nose and red, watery eye:	present	absent
Sensitivity to light or sound:	rare	typical
Sex predominance:	more in males	more in females
Characterisitics of pain:	Stabbing	Deep throbbing and pulsating
Nausea or vomiting:	not common	common

Cluster headaches are rare, extremely painful and debilitating headaches that occur in groups or clusters. They often appear during seasonal changes. They are also described as suicide headaches, a reference to the excruciating pain and resulting desperation that has culminated in actual suicide.

A migraine is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by a combination of vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the blood vessels. During a migraine attack, the temporal artery enlarges. (The temporal artery is an artery that lies on the outside of the skull just under the skin of the temple.) Enlargement of the temporal artery stretches the nerves that coil around the artery and cause the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the artery magnifies the pain.

1 Signs and symptoms:
2 Prevalence
3 Genetics
4 Triggers
- 4.1 Cluster Headaches
- 4.2 Migraine
5 Diagnosis
6 See Also
7 References

[edit] Signs and symptoms:

[edit] Cluster Headaches

Deep stabbing pain around the temple or the eye which is usually unilateral.
Stuffy or runny nose
Tearing or redness in eyes, droopy eyelids

[edit] Migraine

Moderate to severe, throbbing head pain.
Most commonly one sided pain; less frequently both sides of the head are affected
Pain located near the eye on affected side
Pain that worsens with physical activity
Sensitivity to light and/or sound
Nausea or vomiting
Debilitating pain that hinders daily activities

[edit] Pain and Other symptoms

Pain during cluster headaches is far worse, significantly more severe than a migraine.
Cluster headaches are frequently associated with Horner's syndrome, ptosis (drooping eyelids), conjunctival injection (which results in red, watery eyes), lacrimation (tearing), miosis (constricted pupil), eyelid edema, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea (runny nose), and sweating on the affected side of the face. The neck is often stiff or tender in association with cluster headaches afterwards, and jaw and teeth pain are sometimes reported.
Sensitivity to light is more typical of a migraine, as is vomiting, but both can be present in some sufferers of cluster headache, although rare.
It has been known to strike at the same time each night or morning, often at precisely the same time during the day a week later.

[edit] Prevalence

While migraines are diagnosed more often in women, cluster headaches are diagnosed more often in men. The male-to-female ratio in cluster headache ranges from 4:1 to 7:1. It primarily occurs between the ages of 20 to 50 years.

[edit] Genetics

First-degree relatives of sufferers are more likely to have the condition than the population at large.

[edit] Triggers

[edit] Cluster Headaches

Nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate)
Alcohol
Hydrocarbons (petroleum solvents, perfume)
Heat and napping may also act as a trigger.

[edit] Migraine

According to the National Library of Medicine's Medical Encyclopedia, Migraine attacks may be triggered by:

Allergic reactions
Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
Physical or emotional stress
Changes in sleep patterns
Smoking or exposure to smoke
Skipping meals
Alcohol or caffeine
Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills
Tension headaches
Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)
Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods

[edit] Diagnosis

The diagnosis of migraine without aura, according to the International Headache Society, can be made according to the following criteria, the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 criteria":

5 or more attacks
4 hours to 3 days in duration
2 or more of - unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe pain, aggravation by or avoidance of routine physical activity
1 or more accompanying symptoms - nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia