Does children have headache?
Yes, children from any age may have. However, the reaction may be different in young child who cannot speak. Children more than 2 yrs are able to tell about their symptoms.
What types of headaches do children get?
Like adults, children also may have similar headache pattern. The two common types are tension type headache and migraine headache. These are called primary headaches.
More commoner can be headaches that come along with common cold, the flu, a sore throat or a sinus infection. In rarer cases, headaches in children are due to serious infection (eg;meningitis), severe high blood pressure or brain tumors. These are called secondary headaches.
When should the child be brought for doctors advise?
Any child with persistent headache should be seen by an expert. Depending on whether its primary or secondary headache the treating doctor will advise investigation and medications.
Does all children with headache need an MRI or CT scan of brain?
Not all children need neuroimaging(CT or MRI brain.)
It is done in following scenarios:
- If neurological examination shows any abnormalities.
- If there is frequent vomiting, altered consciousness, convulsions.
- Headache that wakes up the child or gets worse after awakening.
- Headache in children <6yrs or who cannot describe the symptom in detail.
What are the symptoms of childhood migraine?
The headache comes episodically, may lasts for months and years. There will be one or the combination of following symptoms:
- Lasts for hours.
- Unilateral(many times bilateral), pulsating, throbbing quality
- Nausea and vomiting
- Doesnt like noise and excessive light and prefers to sleep in quiet,dark room.
- Pain increases on exertion or any activity.
What are the symptoms of tension headache?
Children may have:
- Pressing tightness in muscle of head and neck
- Non pulsating in nature
- Moderate to severe in grade, no nausea/vomiting.
- Pain doesn’t increase on exertion
How are headches in children treated?
The doctor will try to find the cause of headache and will decide whether to do a neuroimaging or lumbar puncture. Treatment depends on underlying cause.
Eg: Headache due to viral fever may subside with simple analgesics (eg: Paracetamol or ibuprofen)
Migrainous headache may need different medication and sometimes it may need to be continued for many months as well.
How to prevent headache in children?
The doctor will try to find the cause of headache and will decide whether to do a neuroimaging or lumbar puncture. Treatment depends on underlying cause.
Eg: Headache due to viral fever may subside with simple analgesics (eg: Paracetamol or ibuprofen)
Migrainous headache may need different medication and sometimes it may need to be continued for many months as well.
- Practising healthy behavior: Healthy food, good sleep, plenty of oral fluids.
- Identifying and preventing headache triggers: eg: eating food in time, avoiding direct sunlight for longer time, preventing sleep deprivation etc. Trigger may vary on case to case basis.
- Maintaining headache diary
- Reduce stress. Meditation and yoga can be helpful in adolescents.
- Following doctors advise and plan of care.
P.S: Do not hesitate to ask your enquiries through phone call or Whatsapp.