Cluster Headache Specialist in New Jersey

Comprehensive Solutions for Cluster Headaches at Gramercy Pain Center

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Treat Cluster Headache by Consulting a Specialist at Gramercy Pain Center in New Jersey

You don’t have to shrug off your headaches anymore, especially if they’re the ones that don't last long, like a chronic cluster headache attack. Don’t let these episodes make you set aside precious moments.

Gramercy Pain Center offers integrated treatment for this episodic cluster headache and other types of head pain. With our board-certified pain management specialists, we offer a wealth of solutions in trying to ease your head pain.

Ending Severe Headache with Gramercy Pain Center

Many headache patients have ignored and endured their sudden and painful headaches for far too long. Some of them had mistaken it for only headaches due to stress, allergies, or migraine headache, but if it happens quite frequently, even if not that long, and involves facial pain, it might be a cluster headache attack.

Gramercy Pain Center strives to provide relief for headache patients from their sudden bouts of headaches to help them have a better quality of life. Aside from prescribing pain medications, we also provide other healthcare services according to our integrated treatment plans.

Treat Cluster Headaches at Gramercy Pain Center

If you experience a short but severe headache in cyclical patterns, that must be a chronic cluster headache attack. It’s a painful type of chronic headache involving pain around an eye at the side of the head, enough to wake you up in the middle of the night.

Cluster Headache

SpeedAbrupt severe pain with the peak being felt after 45 minutes of onset
PainSevere pain usually on one side of the head in every episode

Burning, piercing, throbbing, or constant pain

May spread on the forehead, nose, temple, cheek, or upper gum

Scalp feels tender with sensitivity to blood pulsing in the head
DurationMay last for 15 minutes to 3 hours
RoutineRegular headaches happening usually at the same time every day

Related to the circadian rhythm
FrequencyRegular headaches for 2 weeks to 3 months, with 2 weeks in between where a patient experience no headache

Gramercy Pain Center offers treatment options tailor-fit for every patient who has undergone clinical trials. Our care isn’t confined to providing medications only–we also provide directions for lifestyle changes, exercise routines, and other cluster headache treatment options.

Symptoms of Cluster Headaches

There are many types of headaches, but there are some symptoms that are unique to cluster headache attacks. Here are these symptoms:

  • agitation, pacing, or restlessness
  • swollen or droopy eye
  • smaller pupil in your eye
  • eye-watering or redness
  • congested or runny nose
  • reddening face
  • mild burning sensation or discomfort
  • light sensitivity
  • sweating

Headache patients with a habit of smoking or drinking heavily may experience cluster headaches more often. They may feel more sensitive to nicotine or alcohol whenever they experience a cluster headache episode. During periods where patients don’t experience cluster headache attacks, drinking wouldn’t trigger headaches.

Causes of Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is caused by the hypothalamus–the part of the brain responsible for sleep and wake cycles–triggering the trigeminal nerve. This nerve located near the eye and up to the forehead communicates pain, which might signal a headache–this is why you also experience facial pain.

Triggers

Patients in their cluster period would have triggers that will cause their headaches. That’s why it’s also important to define these, so you’d know what you might want to avoid.

Here are the triggers to cluster headache attacks:

  • alcohol
  • bright lights
  • change in altitude
  • cigarette smoke
  • cocaine
  • exertion or exercise
  • food with nitrates
  • heat
  • strong smells

Schedule a consultation with our cluster headache specialist to receive more guidance about managing your cluster headache, given these symptoms.

Cluster Headache or Migraine?

Episodic cluster headache is often misconstrued as a simple migraine. We don’t blame these patients because the two headache disorders can seem similar. Scheduling a consultation with us here at Gramercy Pain Center allows you to receive the right diagnosis for your type of headache disorder, making you proceed to the right treatment plan.

Cluster Headache or Migraine

Cluster HeadacheMigraine Headache
SpeedAbrupt headache pain with peak being felt after 45 minutes of onsetBegins slowly with warning signs, like food cravings and changes in mood.

Some patients may see auras before migraine.
DurationMay last for 15 minutes to 30 hours4 to 72 hours
PainSevere headache usually on one side of the head, at the back of the eye in every episode or facial pain

Burning, piercing, throbbing, or constant pain

May spread on the forehead, nose, temple, cheek, or upper gum

Scalp feels tender with sensitivity to blood pulsing in the head
Throbbing pain on one side of the head, though it can also be on either side or along the forehead

Worsens when you move your head
Symptomsagitation, pacing, or restlessness

swollen or droopy eye

smaller pupil in your eye

eye watering or redness

congested or runny nose

reddening face

mild burning sensation or discomfort

light sensitivity

sweating
nausea and vomiting

sensitivity to light, smell, and sound

seeing auras or colored lines, spots, sparkles, or flashing lights

weakness

tingling or numbness

trouble hearing or speaking
RoutineRegular headaches happening usually at the same time every day

Related to the circadian rhythm
With triggers

Followed by postdrome or a migraine hangover
Triggersalcohol

bright lights

change in altitude

cigarette smoke

cocaine

exertion or exercise

food with nitrates

heat

strong smells
hormonal changes

change in weather or pressure

chocolates

food with MSG

stress

fatigue

change in sleep pattern

If you suspect that you have either chronic cluster headache or migraine, you can schedule a consultation at Gramercy Pain Center. We offer chronic migraine treatments as well.

How We Can Help

Gramercy Pain Center prepares an integrated treatment plan for patients experiencing different types of pain to reduce discomfort and improve their quality of life. We offer not only pain medicine but also surgical and nonsurgical treatments, physical therapy, dietary guidance, and more.

  • Tailor-Fit Treatment Plans
  • Board-Certified Cluster Headache Specialists
  • Supportive and Caring Team

Diagnosing Your Condition

Gramercy Pain Center often starts with diagnosing the type of head pain you have, be it a tension headache, migraine headache, or others. This is so we can come up with the right headache treatment plan for you. With the many kinds of headaches patients may experience, it’s crucial to be certain.

  • Evaluation - during consultations, our board-certified doctors will be asking about your symptoms, like what type of pain you feel, when it happens or when it starts to subside, even your medical records. It would help patients keep a cluster headache diary for a more substantial and productive consultation.

    Your headache diary may include the following:
    • date
    • duration
    • intensity
    • triggers
    • symptoms
    • headache medicine
    • relief
  • Imaging Tests - our healthcare professionals may already have possible diagnoses throughout your consultations, but we would also run some tests:
    • MRI - this will show detailed images of the brain, along with the blood vessels.
    • CT Scan - this shows cross-sectional images of the brain in detail.
  • Neurological Examinations - we may also conduct neurological examinations to detect signs of neurological disorder.

Integrated Treatment Plan for Cluster Headache

Once we’ve already diagnosed your headache disorder based on the tests and consultations, we will come up with an integrated cluster headache treatment plan for pain management to restore your quality of life.

Patients may expect to be prescribed:

  • Pain Medicine
  • Physical Therapy
  • Home Exercises
  • Interventional Pain Management Procedures (i.e. Botox injections for nerve block, surgery, etc)

Schedule a consultation with us to know more about treatment for different types of pain and headache, such as tension headache, chronic headache, sinus headache, and more.

An End to Sudden Bouts of Pain

Gramercy Pain Center has solutions tailor-fit for every patient with different types of pain.

  • High-Quality Services - we ensure providing the best primary care for our patients because of our dedication to helping them achieve wellness and comfort.
  • Licensed Healthcare Professionals - our staff is made up of highly-trained and board-certified experts, so patients can become confident in undergoing treatment with us.
  • Supportive Team - our team is made up of friendly and supportive staff that will make patients more relaxed in seeking treatment.
  • Integrated Treatment - we offer holistic treatment options, including physical therapy, home exercises, and surgical and nonsurgical options, aside from pain medicine or headache medicine.

Call Gramercy Pain Center for Your Cluster Headache Concerns

Embrace a life of comfort without headaches by seeking treatment at Gramercy Pain Treatment. Episodic cluster headache is a very painful headache that immensely affects its patients’ quality of life. We provide an integrated treatment plan that allows patients to manage their condition.

The first step towards your betterment starts with us. Schedule a consultation by calling our office or filling out the form on our website.

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