Things that can cause cluster headache...So what exactly can cause cluster headache? These strange headaches have been a mystery to modern science, but new research may be starting to give us some clues. Like migraine, the exact cause of cluster headaches is still a bit of a mystery. What are the theories about what can cause cluster headache?The Michigan Head Pain & Neurological Institute (MHNI) has listed some of the parts of the body that seem to at least have a part in the creation of the cluster. These include the sphenopalatine ganglion and cavernous sinus (both these things are related to the sinus area), and the hypothalamic region (the hypothalmus is a gland that helps regulate the autonomic nervous system). The close relation to the nervous system is a connection that has become more and more of a focus in the research of what can cause cluster headache. In 1997 some research linked clusters with serotonin, which has for years been closely linked with migraine. Other relations to migraine include the dilation of blood vessels (although studies have been unclear), and the trigeminal nerve.Because of the cycles that clusters go through, studies have especially focused on the natural rhythms of the body. Serotonin and the hypothalmus especially, because of the way they work on the nervous system and help regulate the automatic functions of your body, may hold the key to discovering the root cause of cluster headache. Cluster headaches have also been known to be relieved by melatonin, possibly because of the changes in body temperature that go along with clusters. Cluster headache patients are known to be sometimes deficient in melatonin. Read more from MHNI about what can cause cluster headache... Recently cluster headaches have been connected with sleep apnoea. One study, in fact, showed 80% of the patients with cluster also had sleep apnoea. The June 27 issue of Neurology in 2000 reported on this study. People with this disorder can stop breathing during the night. Perhaps a lack of the proper flow of oxygen to the body can either trigger or cause cluster headache. Read more about this study on the cause of cluster headache in this article from the Medical College of Wisconsin. In the mean time...Check out some of the treatments written about on this website - many are effective for different types of headache, including clusters. We have an article specifically about cluster headache treatments here.
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