Electric Shocks in the Brain: The Agony of Cluster Headaches

The pain can be worse than a broken bone. It strikes with sudden, electric-shock jolts behind one eye. For one teacher, it began on a normal Monday. A sharp pain bloomed behind her right eye during class. The pain would ease, then return stronger. Over-the-counter painkillers did nothing. The headaches returned every autumn and spring. They became a predictable, annual pattern. The routine was a warning aura, then early twinges, then "full-blown agony" by mid-morning. After years of suffering, a doctor diagnosed her with cluster headaches. This is a debilitating and often misunderstood neurological condition. While there is no cure, specific drugs and therapies can offer relief.