Clusterheadaches.com Message Board


    
      
        Clusterheadaches.com Message Board
        (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
        
(Message started by: caseman on Oct 17^th, 2006, 9:16am)

Title: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by caseman on Oct 17^th, 2006, 9:16am

Hey everyone, i'm new here and just posted my horror story on the getting to know you page. Anyway, I read in 2 different articles (including Wikipedia) that a Deviated Septum may cause cluster headaches. The articles said that even a very small deviation, which can't be seen on an MRI, could cause them. Apparently the deviation can press against the vessels and cause nerve contact points. This would make perfect sense for me because I have a fairly large deviated septum on the right side of my nose which is the same side the pain is on. I don't know if this has been mentioned here before but here is a link for anyone who is interested. It's under Abortive Treatment.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headaches#Abortive_treatment

Title: Re: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Oct 17^th, 2006, 10:15am

I dont know, but that sounds weird to me. Deviated septum is quite common, while cluster headaches are not. It would seem that if cluster headaches are caused by a deviated septum, it would be more common.

Welcome Case. Sorry you had to come lookin for us.

B$

Title: Re: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by floridian on Oct 17^th, 2006, 10:58am

Deviated septum, chronic sinusitis, jaw problems, ... they all may aggravate or contribute to clusters. They are not the cause (which is probably in the brain) - but they help to create a circuit of inflammation and pain that may increase cluster activity.

Title: Re: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by nancyc on May 3^rd, 2007, 12:37pm

I was told I had a deviated septum and had surgery....continued to have clusterheadaches and even turned chronic. PF now due to medications...but, dont let anyone tell you that will stop the clusters...a bunch of bull. smiles,nancyc

Title: Re: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by Batch on May 3^rd, 2007, 10:59pm

Welcome to the cluster club... As noted earlier, there are a lot of things that can act as a trigger. A deviated septum could be the culprit if the other nostril is non-functioning... At that point most of us snore. I came from the factory with a deviated septum and managed to increase the deviation playing base ball and water polo. It's not the cause.

Reading between the lines, I'd guess you're getting hit while sleeping... Most of us have this problem. There are a number of threads here on the boards that address potential solutions to this problem. Hits that come during sleep are caused by a couple of things... The beast has his alarm clock set to screw you up as much as possible and a condition called respiratory acidosis.

You get this condition during sleep due to reduced respiration rates and tidal flow in and out of the lungs. This causes a buildup of CO2 in the bloodstream and an attendant shift in the pH of your blood from neutral to acid. Respiratory acidosis acts as a vasodilator, and that is a very real trigger. 100% medical O2 at 8 to 15 liters/min is the silver bullet for most of us. It acts as a vasoconstrictor much the same as Imitrex only at a much lower cost and with virtually no side effects.

It's common to look for the cause when you finally discover you've become a chuster headache sufferer. Ultimately, you kick the can a lot further down the road when you figure out what works best for you as a preventative and abortive.

In the mean time, get some "Breathe Right" strips. They really work in keeping the nasal passages clear while sleeping. You can also get a mild saline solution nasal spray that will help clear the nasal passages prior to going to bed. Both are available over the counter.

Title: Mucosal Contact Point Headache
Post by cluster on May 4^th, 2007, 9:14am

Hello caveman,

There is an entity in the IHS Headache classification called "Mucosal Contact Point Headache". If you have a deviated septum with a mucosal contact point the doctor would do a test with a local anesthetic. If this helps to abort an attack you can then decide, if you want to try the surgery.

=> IHS ICHD II Mucosal Contact Point Headache (http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/05_anhang/11.05.01_anhang.html)

Please see also:
Topic: Endoscopic sinonasal surgery (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1165778983)

pf wishes,
Friedrich

Title: Re: Deviated Septum as a possible cause??
Post by pieface_49 on May 5^th, 2007, 4:28pm

I had surgery to open the nasal passages and straightening of a deviated septum surgery in 1992. Both accomplished during the same surgery. Clusters began in 1993.

Donnie