Cluster Headache Patients: Watch Out for Related Issues

It’s no surprise that cluster headache has a major impact on life, leading to significant disability, sick days, loss of productivity and family time. But what is less known is that cluster is also connected to other diseases that can make life challenges even greater.

A study out of Sweden, published this month in Neurology, looked at the common types of diseases and conditions that tended to go along with cluster headache.

What we’re talking about here are “comorbidities”, that is, diseases and conditions that tend to go together. The term makes no comment on what caused what – did one cause the other? Are they the result of a common root? Is the treatment for one triggering the other? Or were more issues diagnosed because the patient was already seeing a specialist (e.g. a neurologist)? Those are separate questions.

For cluster patients, the most common comorbidities were neurological. In fact, they were diagnosed with far more neurological conditions than the reference group. That would include things like migraine, and depression.

Other types of conditions that tend to be more common in cluster headache patients include:

• Eye diseases
• Respiratory
• Gastrointestinal
• Musculoskeletal systems and connective tissue

On the positive side, there are some areas of disease that are less likely in cluster patients, such as:

• Blood and immune system
• Endocrine and metabolic
• Pregnancy/childbirth related
• Cardiovascular (from previous studies)
• Diabetes (previous studies)

However, when cardiovascular conditions do go along with cluster, they tend to significantly increase disability.

Also, the study gives an important reminder. Although cluster is much more common in men, it does attack women, and can lead to even more disability and comorbid conditions in them.

So what is the value of knowing this information? Is there anything you can do about it?

First of all, because one may cause or trigger the other, it is important to be aware of and treat both (or all) conditions. Because resolving one may help resolve the other.

Second, sometimes other conditions can be ignored because of the incredible pain of cluster headache. The patient may not be thinking about other conditions, or the doctor may not think to ask (especially if it is outside their area of specialty).

Third, some treatments may be preferred, or avoided, once a diagnosis of comorbid conditions is made. Maybe there is a treatment that could make the other condition(s) worse, or a treatment that could help both.

So if you are suffering from cluster, do be aware of some of the most common other conditions to look for. A more in-depth eye check-up, a closer look at stomach problems, and so on, could resolve a lot of symptoms.

For more, including information about economic/work-related issues, see the full study: Multimorbidity and Sickness Absence/Disability Pension in Cluster Headache Patients and Matched References: A Swedish Register-Based Study