Children With Migraines

Headaches are very common in children and adolescents. In one study, 56% of boys and 74% of girls between the ages of 12 and 17 reported having had a headache within the past month. By age 15, 5% of all children and adolescents have had migraines and 15% have had tension headaches.
Many parents worry that their child’s headache is the sign of a brain tumor or serious medical condition, but most headaches in children and adolescents are not the result of a serious illness at all.
Children get the same types of headaches adults do, including: tension headaches, migraines, and sinus headaches. There are also many parents who believe that children cannot get a migraine but it is true that they can.

Migraine Triggers
Migraines are incapacitating, throbbing headaches frequently located in the temples or frontal head regions. In children, the headaches are often bilateral and may be associated with no throbbing. Aura is infrequent prior to age 8 years. During the migraine episode, the child often looks ill and pale. Nausea and vomiting are frequent, particularly in young children. Children who experience migraines need to avoid light, noise, strong odors, and movement same as with adults. Relief typically follows sleep.
Children get headaches for many of the same reasons adults get headaches. But, most headaches in children are usually due to an:
• Illness
• Infection
• Cold
• Fever
Other conditions that can cause headaches include sinusitis, inflammation or infection of the throat, or ear infection.
The exact causes of migraines are unknown, although they are related to changes in the brain as well as to genetic causes. For many years, scientists believed that migraines were linked to the expanding (dilation) and constriction (narrowing) of blood vessels on the brain’s surface. However, it is now believed that migraines are caused by inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain.
Most children and adolescents (90%) who have migraines have other family members with migraines. When both parents have a history of migraines, there is a 70% chance that the child will also develop migraines. If only one parent has a history of migraines, the risk drops to 25%-50%. Children and adolescents with migraines may also inherit the tendency to be affected by certain migraine triggers, such as fatigue, bright lights, and changes in weather.
Some migraine triggers can be identified such as stress, anxiety, depression, a change in routine or sleep pattern, bright light, loud noises, or certain foods or drinks. Too much physical activity or too much sun can trigger a migraine in some children or adolescents as well.
Common causes of tension headaches include striving for academic excellence as well as emotional stress related to family, school, or friends. Other causes of tension headaches include eyestrain and neck or back strain due to poor posture. Depression may also be a reason your child is having headaches.

First Have Your Child Evaluated
If your child has headache symptoms, the first step is to take your child to his or her doctor. The doctor will perform a complete exam and a headache evaluation. During the headache evaluation, your child’s headache history and description of the headaches will be evaluated. You and your child will be asked to describe the headache symptoms and characteristics as completely as possible.
A headache evaluation may include a CT Scan or MRI if a structural disorder of the central nervous system is suspected. Both of these tests produce cross-sectional images of the brain that can reveal abnormal areas or problems.
If your child’s headache symptoms become worse or become more frequent despite treatment, ask your child’s doctor for a referral to a specialist. Children should be referred to a pediatric neurologist, and adolescents should be referred to a headache specialist. Your child’s doctor should be able to provide the names of headache specialists.

Migraines May Go Away or Improve In Children
Headaches may improve as your child gets older. The headaches may disappear and then return later in life. By junior high school, many boys who have migraines outgrow them, but in girls, migraine frequency increases with age because of their hormonal changes. Migraines are three times more likely to occur in adolescent girls than in boys.

Tags: children and migraines, chronic migraines, hormonal changes, migraine, migraine headaches, migraine symptoms, migraine trigger