Posted by gary g on January 27, 1999 at 15:55:26:
In Reply to: Could Clusters be Seasonal? posted by Loretta (wife of sufferer) on January 27, 1999 at 09:35:44:
IMPORTANT:
in any of these questions there will always be exceptions - just too many variables between individuals to make absolute rules, and most folks report great variabilty in their own experience (at least if they've got LONG history of CH)
seasonality seems to be a VERY STRONG commonality
and once they've started, anything goes
I've had at least 50 clusters of a month to 9 months, over 28 years
at the mildest end of the range they will usually be in the Fall, and of relatively short duration
next intensification makes the Fall cluster last longer and worse
next "up" adds a spring cycle
went virtually chronic 16-18 years ago (my definition: continuing headache for a year or more with no remission of of a month or more interspersed)
I find my experience matches the theory of seasonality quite well, even though any individual cluster or year may be a big exception
THINK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHT - and it may be very subtle - like the RATE of change of daylight on a day-day basis in the equinox periods of the year - - hell this effect is what drives birds to migrate through EXACTLY the same brain function as research is now linking to cluster headaches - - researchers have prevented birds from migrating by artificially changing the rate of change of sunlight intensity light exposure at migration season
migration is a PRETTY BIG deal - much more so physiologically than these headaches
this may well sound like REAL hocus-pocus to folks whose interests lay elsewhere than the natural sciences - understandable - but don't laugh it off til you've done some homework 0 this is looking REAL solid, the more research is coming in
good luck
don't forget to try oxygen for attack relief