Oxygen may ease cluster headaches

The cluster headache, a variation of the migraine, is so named because it occurs in clusters over time. Although these headaches strike only about one out of every 1,000 people, for those unlucky few, they can be incredibly burdensome. Headaches come on rapidly, and they can occur multiple times daily and last for several weeks. Each spell is usually on one side of the head and can last a few minutes or a few hours. Other symptoms include tearing, a droopy eyelid and a sweaty face.

Treatments are similar to those for migraines and include oxygen therapy. A recent London study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" suggests that this therapy may be more effective than previously thought. Researchers studied 76 cluster headache sufferers during four separate episodes to see whether high-flow oxygen administered via a face mask was more effective at stopping cluster headaches than plain air. The oxygen treatment stopped a cluster headache within 15 minutes 78% of the time, compared with only 20% of the time when using the room air placebo treatment. For more information, see your doctor.