Are Cluster Headaches Part Of Sleep Apnea Syndrome?

Do you know that the headache you are experiencing is the result of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a life threatening disease which is characterized by partial or complete closure of your airway during sleep.

The partial or complete closure of your airway reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood which is carried to your brain.

Therefore the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, sudden death, stroke and headaches increases.

Hypoxemia, reduced oxygen in the blood is partially responsible for headaches.

20% patients with sleep apnea will have cluster headaches and 25% of patients with other sleep disorders will also experience cluster headaches approximately.

Musculoskeletal headaches also known as tension headaches are difficult to be differentiated from sleep apnea headaches. Headache associated with sleep apnea is located above the eyebrows (bifrontally). They last for at least one to two hours after awakening and tend to be dull in character. You will not experience any other symptoms of migraine or other typical headaches.

People with sleep apnea will not get the deep and relaxed sleep they need and it is the cause for headaches. Many researchers indicated a link between cluster headache and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea triggers cluster headache during the first hours of sleep which leads to a bout of apnea headache.

Cluster headache is characterized by constant, severe pain in and around one eye, area around the eye, and the temporal area on the same side. This type of headache has nasal congestion, tears and runny nose. This headache is triggered during sleep and occurs on daily basis up to several weeks.

Your throat becomes dry and sore, wake up in the morning with restlessness and excessive sleepiness during day. The triggers of cluster headaches are alcohol, heat, certain medications, high altitudes, and bright light.

Relation between sleep apnea and cluster headaches:

• Sleep apnea and headaches are related in different ways. Headache is the most common TMJ symptom and TMJ dentist will often diagnose that a patient has a sleep apnea. You will get the headache in the back of the head below skull. This area is called occipital area.
• Because of the effects that obstructive sleep apnea has on muscles, sleep apnea and headaches are related. When muscle tightens, body part moves. There are many little muscles present in the back of the head that tighten and lift the front of the head upwards.
• Headaches are common in sleep apnea patients because of allergies. Patients with allergies have blocked nasal passages and can’t breathe through their noses. Patient has to breathe through the mouth. Head should be rotated backwards for mouth breathing. Muscle spasm and pain in the occipital muscles is caused due to the constant pulling back of the head.

Over the counter medications can cure the problem temporarily. Sleep disordered breathing should be treated to treat headaches. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP machine) is the effective method to cure sleep apnea and also eliminates sleep apnea headaches. CPAP opens the airways which improves both the conditions. If you have mild sleep apnea, weight loss or surgery can be a benefit for you.