Headaches in children are common and usually aren't serious. Like adults, children can develop different types of headaches, including migraine or stress-related (tension) headaches. Children can also have chronic daily headaches.
In some cases, headaches in children are caused by an infection, high levels of stress or anxiety, or minor head trauma. It's important to pay attention to your child's headache symptoms and consult a doctor if the headache worsens or occurs frequently.
Headaches in children usually can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications and other lifestyle measures.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Children get the same types of headaches adults do, but their symptoms may differ. For example, migraine pain in children may last less than four hours, whereas in adults, migraines last at least four hours.
Differences in symptoms may make it difficult to pinpoint headache type in a child, especially in a younger child who can't describe symptoms. In general, though, certain symptoms tend to fall more frequently under certain categories.
Migraines can cause:
Even infants can have migraines. A child who's too young to tell you what's wrong may cry and hold his or her head to indicate severe pain.
Tension-type headaches can cause:
Younger children may withdraw from regular play and want to sleep more. Tension-type headaches can last from 30 minutes to several days.
Cluster headaches are uncommon in children under 10 years of age. They usually:
Doctors use the phrase "chronic daily headache" (CDH) for migraine headaches and tension-type headaches that occur more than 15 days a month. CDH may be caused by an infection, minor head injury or taking pain medications â even nonprescription pain medications â too often.
Most headaches aren't serious, but seek prompt medical care if your child's headaches:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
A number of factors can cause your child to develop headaches. Factors include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
To learn about the nature of your child's headache, your doctor will likely look to:
If your child is otherwise healthy and headaches are the only symptom, no further testing usually is needed. In a few cases, however, imaging scans and other evaluations can help pinpoint a diagnosis or rule out other medical conditions that could be causing the headaches. These tests may include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The following may help you prevent headaches or reduce the severity of headaches in children:
Record your child's response to taking any headache medication. Over time, the items you note in the headache diary should help you understand your child's symptoms so that you can take specific preventive measures.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Although they haven't been well-studied, a number of dietary supplements have been suggested to help children's headaches, including:
Check with your child's doctor before trying any herbal products or dietary supplements to be sure they won't interact with your child's medicine or have harmful side effects.
Several alternative treatments may also be helpful for headaches in children, including:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
OTC pain medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), are usually effective in reducing headache pain. Before giving your child pain medication, keep these points in mind:
In addition to OTC pain medications, the following can help ease your child's headache:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Any child can develop headaches, but they're more common in:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
We respect your privacy and aim for the best website experience in compliance with local laws. Allowing cookies enables a tailored experience, while disabling them may reduce personalization. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.