Kids and Headache

Pain of variable severity affecting the head, sometimes due to an underlying disorder. Headaches are a common symptom in childhood, and about 9 in 10 children complain of at least one headache a year. Childhood headaches normally cause no more than temporary discomfort, but if severe or recurrent, may indicate an underlying disorder and required prompt medical treatment.

Kids have a lot of problems which we cannot judge since we don’t understand their behavior so there are many chances for them getting these different kinds of headaches.

Young children, particularly those under age 5, are often unable to identify the precise location of pain. They may therefore complain of a headache when the problem is toothache, earache, or even a pain located farther away in the body, such as in the abdomen.

What are the causes?

There are many causes of headaches in children, most of which are not serious. In older children especially, the reasons for most headaches are often similar to those in adults. However, parents may be understand-ably worried that their child is suffering from a serious illness such as meningitis, an inflammation of the memb ranes covering the brain, or a brain tumor. These two disorders account for only a tiny percentage of childhood headaches, but it is important that parents are aware of the symptoms so that they know when they should seek medical advice.

Short lived headaches in kids are usually caused by a viral infection, such as a common cold. These infections normally clear up within a few days without needing treatment. Many small age kids suffer from recurrent tension headaches. In most cases, these headaches last no longer than 24 hours and are sometimes related to emotional stress either at school or at home. Sometimes, problem with vision, such as near sightedness, can cause persistent headaches. By age 15, about 1 in 20 children has experienced one or more attacks of migraine.

What can anyone do?

If a severe headache occurs with vomiting or drowsiness, contact your child’s doctor without delay. A kid who has lost consciousness after a head injury, however briefly, should be taken to the hospital immediately. If the headache is mild, encourage your kid to rest and relieve his or her discomfort with acetaminophen.

If you suspect that your child has headaches because of tension, you may be able to help him or her by identifying the particular anxiety. Recurrent headaches that have no obvious cause should be investigated by the doctor.

If your kid is normally well but has regular headache, the doctor may refer him or her to an ophthalmologist because an eye test may be needed to exclude vision problems.