I have lost count of the amount of times i have been asked what on earth is cluster headaches? are they like migraines? or is it just a normal headache but you get lots off them? Surely you can't be in that much pain , its only a headache..!
Sometimes i just keep quiet and chuckle inside knowing that these people haven't got a clue and if the think a migraine is bad then they have never experienced real pain. There are other times where i would love to smack then across the head and tell them to get a grip and read up on it before you make judgements and comments about people who suffer the condition. How someone can comment when they have never seen let alone experienced an actual attack is just beyond comprehension.
The truth of the matter is it is actually a nerve inside the brain that is either infected or damaged and when the nerve decides to play up, swell or start causing problems is when an attack arises and the person effected by this will then experience pain like no one can ever describe. Specialists who have actually suffered from the condition say it is like having a body part amputated with out anaesthetic and not actually passing out, having to ride the pain for the entire time. The pain level of these attacks are so strong that many beg for death within 5 minuets of experiencing the attack.
If a sufferer doesn't have any kind of medication to help the effects of the attack then god help them as an attack can last well over an hour. There is no cure for this condition and very little treatment so you cant actually stop the attack happening all you can do is shorten the length of the attack and help you to get through it by using some very strong medication that in itself causes many health problems. I personally don't know how i have managed myself over the years and wonder how i am still alive today and how i get through each day knowing an attack is just around the corner, but its the strength of knowing there are others just like me and people out there that are worst off than i am that keeps me going each day.
I pray to god no one i know ever has to deal with this condition and thank god that it can be passed on or caught. Why this happens to us we will never know and only through time as more and more people become aware of the condition and more research is done they may one day be able to understand it and treat it. I can't ever see that happening in my life time but with medication and medical research advancing over the years you never know, anything is possible. Until then it will remain probably THE most painful condition known to a human being and i wouldn't let an animal suffer as much as we have to suffer.
There are 2 types of CH sufferers
(1) Episodic ( Where attacks come in bouts and can last a few weeks maybe a month and then you get long periods of being pain free in between bouts. This also means you can live a normal life during the pain free periods but when the attacks come your world changes) This is probably the most common type.
(2) Chronic ( This is when you have attacks on a daily basis and very few pain free periods. Sometimes attacks can be as many as 8 or 10 per day for extreme sufferers. Attacks Last over an hour at most times but can be shortened with medication. A chronic sufferer can become episodic with the help of strong medication.) This type is the worst and has a very low survival rate as most chronic sufferers have ended up committing suicide or dying from an attack related illness such as heart failure or Stroke
This is Why "CH" is nick named "Suicide Attacks"
due to the chronic sufferers low survival rates .
"I myself am a "Chronic" sufferer and i refuse to be beaten by the beast and i will fight this condition to the end with all my strength and will keep fighting until the day comes when i take my last breath" ( Martyn Russ )
