Which type of headache commonly includes eye redness as a symptom?

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Cluster headaches are characterized by severe pain localized around one eye or one side of the head and are often accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as eye redness, tearing, nasal congestion, and eyelid swelling. These headaches typically occur in cyclical patterns or clusters, hence the name, leading to intense and debilitating episodes that can last from 15 minutes to three hours. The involvement of the autonomic nervous system results in the eye redness, which distinguishes cluster headaches from other types.

In contrast, tension headaches generally produce a steady, dull pain that feels like a tight band around the head, and while they might cause some mild discomfort across both sides of the head, they do not typically present with eye redness. Migraines are also associated with unilateral, throbbing pain but are more commonly linked to photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea rather than autonomic symptoms like eye redness. Rebound headaches occur from overuse of analgesics and are not associated with redness of the eye and instead stem from alterations in the pain cycle due to medication use.

Thus, the unique presentation of cluster headaches, particularly the prominent eye symptoms, is a vital clinical feature that helps identify the condition correctly.

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