Cluster Headaches May Be Tougher for Women

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

Cluster headachesare more common in men, but may be more severe for women, according to a new study.

Researchers surveyed almost 900 patients diagnosed withcluster headache-- short-lasting but extremely painfulheadaches可能出现连续几天甚至几个星期。The survey asked about symptoms, medications,headache triggersand lifestyle habits.

"Cluster headacheis still often misdiagnosed in women, perhaps because some aspects can be similar tomigraine," said study co-author Andrea Belin, a neuroscientist with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

"It is important for physicians to be aware of how the disorder manifests differently in men and women so the most effective treatment can be given as fast as possible," Belin said in aNeurologynews release. The findings were published in the journal Dec. 21.

Clusterheadacheslast from 15 minutes to three hours. People with chronic clusterheadaches-- a more severe form -- experience recurring clusterheadacheattacks for one year or more without interruption, or with short intermissions with no symptoms that last less than three months.

Looking at the survey results, researchers found about 18% of the women were diagnosed with chronic clusterheadachecompared to 9% of men.

Women also reported that attacks lasted longer. About 8% of women said theirheadachebouts lasted an average of four to seven months, compared to 5% of men. About 26% of women said bouts lasted an average of less than one month compared to 30% of men.

The study also found that women were more likely than men -- 74% vs. 63% -- to report that their attacks occurred at various times throughout the day. Women were also twice as likely to have a family member with a history of clusterheadache-- 15% compared to 7%.

"While the ratio of men to women withcluster headache一直在改变the years, it is still considered mainly a disorder of men, making it more difficult for women with milder symptoms to be diagnosed withcluster headachethan men," Belin said. "It's possible this could contribute to the higher rate of chronic clusterheadachein women."

Participants self-reported their experiences, and memory isn't always accurate, which is a study limitation.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on clusterheadache.

SOURCE:Neurology, news release, Dec. 21, 2022

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