The pain quickly intensifies, compelling the victim to pace the floor or rock in a chair. The pain is unbearable. Other symptoms include a stuffed and runny nose and a droopy eyelid over a red and tearing eye. Cluster headaches last between 30 and 45 minutes. But the relief people feel at the end of an attack is usually mixed with dread as they await a recurrence.
Clusters can strike several times a day or night for several weeks or months.
Then, mysteriously, they may disappear for months or years. Many people have cluster bouts during the spring and fall. At their worst, chronic cluster headaches can last continuously for years. Cluster attacks can strike at any age but usually start between the ages of 20 and 40. Unlike migraine, cluster headaches are more common in men and do not run in families.