Very bad headaches called migraines are not only found in adults but also occur in children as young as 18 months old. Thankfully only about 2% at this tender age actually experience a migraine. Usually these attacks go undiagnosed and untreated simply because they are so different than the ones striking adults, and consequently have a negative impact on their wellbeing.
MIGRAINES AND SCHOOL AGE KIDS
Half of all people suffering migraines have their first attack before 12 years of age. Migraines are generally shorter than the adult variety, having nausea and in some cases vomiting accompany the headache. Stress, anxiety, excitement or school exams may trigger an attack. Motion sickness has also been considered an early warning for the possibility of childhood migraine.
Boys have more migraines than girls before puberty. When adolescence approaches, the girls then have more of these headaches due to estrogen levels changing in their young bodies. Varying in every child, about 60% who incurred a migraine at the onset of puberty tell of having ongoing migraines after age 30.
Children are terribly disabled with these painful headaches and are usually absent from school and other activities that are so important in the development of the child. Anticipating a migraine often results in anxiety that could inadvertently trigger one to start.
One of the more disabling types of migraine is called chronic daily migraine (CM). Teenagers as well as young people are diagnosed with CM when they experience migraine headache for 15 days out of the month, lasting more than 4 hours and for more than 3 months at a time. It can be a real challenge for these young adults to have any quality of life. Along with the head pain other common symptoms show up as fatigue, lack of concentration, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, dizziness and sometimes aura or visual impairment. Aura doesn’t happen to often in children.
Changes in the behavior of these young people often warn parents of an impending attack. Lethargy, withdrawal, sensitivity to sound, light or smell, appetite loss, irritability, and sleep walking are a few indicators noticeable in children prior to a migraine headache. Triggers for childhood migraine are most often skipping a meal, stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, weather conditions, bright lights and or loud noises. Food isn’t a factor so much as it is in adults.
Parents are sometimes overwhelmed with the suffering of their children and family strain can easily filter in. Children shouldn’t have to suffer these awful headaches but unfortunately a lot of them do. We can only offer medication and a lot of understanding of what they go through to help these youngsters cope with and perhaps try living a normal life.
Tags: children and migraines, chronic migraines, hormonal changes, migraine, migraine headaches, migraine symptoms, migraine trigger
Leave A Reply (No comments so far)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
No comments yet