About Migraine and Cluster Headache

Migraine is a chronic neurovascular disorder characterized by episodic attacks. According to a 2004 report from the National Headache Foundation, approximately 30 million people in the United States suffer from migraines, with women three times more likely to suffer migraines than men. Migraine attacks typically manifest themselves as moderate to severe headache pain, with symptoms that often include nausea and/or vomiting and abnormal sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines can severely limit the normal daily functioning of patients, who may seek dark, quiet surroundings until the episode has passed.

According to the International Headache Society, the duration of untreated or unsuccessfully treated migraine episodes ranges from four to 72 hours. According to data published in the March 2002 issue of Neurology, 63% of patients suffer one or more attacks per month, 25% of patients have one or more attacks per week and the median duration of an untreated migraine is approximately 24 hours. Overall, the cost burden of migraine in the United States was estimated by Thomson Medstat in June 2006 to approach $25 billion annually, including $12.7 billion in direct medical costs and nearly $12 billion in indirect costs related to employee absenteeism, short-term disability and workers’ compensation costs to employers.

Cluster headaches are characterized by groups or clusters of debilitating headaches lasting weeks or months, then disappearing for months or years. This type of headache affects an estimated one million sufferers in the United States, and approximately 90% of these sufferers are male, according to the National Headache Foundation website. Due to the severe nature of cluster headache, patients are commonly treated with prescription medication.