Migraine Headaches and Children

Children suffer migraine headaches too. About five percent of children are affected by migraines. They suffer a higher ratio of the migraine variants (atypical migraine) than adults. The four type of migraine variants are hemiplegic migraine, opthalmoplegic migraine, abdominal migraine, and basilar artery migraine. Most children with migraines get abdominal migraines. Boys and girls are almost equally affected by migraines when they are very young. But after puberty, girls has two to three times more migraines than boy. This shift in teenage girls is related to hormonal changes at the start of menstruation.

Children under five years ago rarely have migraines. If you send your child to a doctor for migraine diagnosis, prepare a comprehensive family medical history. You can expect a general physical and a neurological examination for your child before the doctor can determine your child's headache as migraine.

About ninety percent of children with migraines have family history. Should migraines run in your family, it is better for you to observe whether your child is experiencing any kind of motion sickness. Motion sickness is often seen as an early sign of the possible development of migraines later on.

In addition, kids with migraines experience colic, nightmares or disturbances in sleeping patterns. The throbbing pain can be so intense that it disrupts their school and normal daily activities. You should also be aware that physical activity can make the situation worse. So make sure your child’s school PE teacher is aware of your child’s condition.

Auras may or may not accompany your child’s migraine headache. However, the aura your child experiences is different from the adult. Auras in children usually include confusion, hallucinations ("Alice in Wonderland" Syndrome), dilated pupils, and slurred speech. Their head pains are on both sides instead of one side. Children often get abdominal migraines rather than typical migraine. So, they experience stomach pain instead of throbbing head pain as in adults.

Treatment for children’s migraines often includes the use of medications. Most children benefit from acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands), or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. If these over the counter medications don't alleviate your child's pain within several hours, you may need to look into the possibility of prescription medication. You can ask your child to keep a headache diary for few weeks to help him to identify migraine triggers and symptoms.

Studies have shown that non-drug therapies such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques and acupuncture can reduce the frequency of migraines. These approaches do not replace medication. They complement with medical treatment. Help your children to get good nutrition and to stay active. Regular sleep routine can help your child to cut down the frequency of migraines.

If you suspect that your child having migraines, consider making an appointment with your pediatrician after first keeping a migraine journal with the following information:

• How many headaches your child had each week.
• Where on the head was the pain located.
• How painful was the headache?
• How long the headache lasted.
• Did any foods, drinks or activities seem to set them off?
• Does your child's headaches affect his/her normal activity?