Brief Answer:
Altitude, smoking, alcohol, strong odors, and being a male

Detailed Answer:
Hi there

This sounds awfully like a cluster headache. Cluster headaches are usually one sided, excruciating, sharp, searing, piercing pain that is localized in the area around the eye and temporal region. Some people will also get tearing, redness, and nasal congestion on the same side. It is common to find your self pacing around and rubbing your eye. Usually attacks last 15 to 180 minutes if untreated and occur from once every other day to 8 times per day. Attacks usually occur in series (cluster periods) lasting for weeks or months separated by remission periods usually lasting months or years. However, about 10-15% of patients have chronic symptoms without remissions. The etiology is complex and incompletely understood.

Cluster headaches are more common in:
Male gender
Cigarette smoking, alcohol, and strong odors can cause and worsen cluster headaches
Family history of cluster headache
Head trauma

I would recommend:
Avoid major changes in sleep habits.
Get screened for sleep apnea.
Stop smoking.
Avoid use of alcohol during cluster period.
Avoid extreme changes in altitude due to changes in oxygen levels.
Avoid exposure to chemical agents/odors

Oxygen is actually the main therapy for cluster headaches. Actually it's the only therapy. Oxygen at 100% provides relief within 15 minutes for almost all patients with cluster headaches. Narcotics and pain medication can actually make the headache worse.

I would recommend going to see your doctor to get screened for routine medical problems such as electrolyte imbalance, vitamin deficiencies, endocrine disorders, and metabolic disorders such as kidney, liver, and thyroid dysfunction.

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