Both men and women experience headaches. However, certain types of headaches may be more common in one sex than in the other.
Cluster headaches are a good example. Men are about six times more likely to have cluster headaches than women.1
Cluster headaches tend to occur in clusters at the same time of day or night for several weeks or months, followed by a period of time during which there are no cluster attacks.2
Head pain from a cluster headache is severe2-4 and may last from 15 minutes to 3 hours.2 Pain is usually isolated to one side of the head and behind and around the eye.2-4 Other common cluster headache symptoms include red, watery eyes and a blocked or runny nose that only affect the painful side.2,4
It’s not clear why men get cluster headaches more often than women. Some known trigger factors for cluster headaches include smoking and drinking alcohol,3 though it is not known whether these triggers differ significantly for men and women. Cluster headaches may also have a genetic link. A family history of cluster headaches may increase the risk, and play a role in the increased incidence.5
Cluster headache symptoms and onset are also slightly different in men than in women. Women tend to have two cluster headache development peaks in their lifetime, in their teens and 40s.1 Men, on the other hand, usually have only a single headache development peak, in their 20s. Both men and women have an average of three cluster headaches per day.1 Women, however, experience shorter periods of head pain than men.1
Despite these differences, treatment for cluster headaches is the same for both sexes. Treatment options if the headache is severe may include prescription drugs to treat or prevent the headache and the use of oxygen therapy.2,3 Over-the-counter pain relievers may not work in cluster headache as they take too long to have an effect and the headache may be over by then.6
If you’re in any doubt or would like to find out more, please consult your doctor.
