Home / Headaches: causes, differential diagnosis, therapy, prevention / The causes of frequent headache in a child

The causes of frequent headache in a child

What to do if your child is often a headache? This issue is no surprise. There are many factors that can affect this condition. Perhaps, every fifth child sometimes complains of headache in adolescents this figure rises to 85%. But if the pain is of a permanent nature, it is an important argument for urgent doctor's visits.

Frequent headaches in children

some statistics

Headaches in children are in second place after abdominal cramps. They can disturb not only the older kids, but babies. To determine headache in children in the following symptoms:

  • the constant crying of the child;
  • agitation
  • vomiting
  • poor sleep
  • regurgitation fountain.

When the child becomes older (1-2 years), it is still difficult to determine the nature of the pain, he may complain of fatigue, often wants to lie down.

At school age about 40% of girls and 30% boys complain of headache.

headaches in children need to pay attention to the following factors:

  1. Where the pain in my head.
  2. At what time you receive a migraine.
  3. How often the headache occurs.
  4. At what time of day a headache, are you having any symptoms before it appears.
  5. if the pain is Accompanied by concomitant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, etc.
  6. Are there causes that create or aggravate pain, for example loud noise, incorrect posture, bright light, physical exercise.
  7. After some steps, the pain subsides.

Types of headaches by location

On the nature of the problem

Headache has another name – cephalalgia, it can be divided into two main groups:

  1. Organic pain. Can occur because of volume or infectious processes in the head. For example, to provoke such a condition may be the following diseases: meningitis, encephalitis, cysts or tumors, impaired outflow of cranial fluid.
  2. the Pain of a functional nature. They arise from the fact that the brain is poorly supplied. The reason for this may be: diseases of internal organs, fatigue, other causes of irritation of the head vessels.

frequent causes of headaches in children can be attributed to the following factors:

  1. Headache.
  2. Infectious diseases: pneumonia, URTI, kidney and stomach infections.
  3. Infections of the nervous system.
  4. of Mental disorder, psychosis.
  5. Traumatic brain injury.

Stress and mental overload is a common cause of headaches in children

However, such problems occur not so often.

Usually headaches in children can provoke trivial reasons:

  1. Long presence in stressful situations.
  2. emotional Tension plan.
  3. Large mental load.
  4. Long sleep or, conversely, lack of sleep.
  5. Long stay at the computer or TV.
  6. Psychological problems in school or family.

Sometimes headache may occur because of activities in sport, malnutrition, especially is the case with a teenage girl who wants to lose weight. Allergies to food can also provoke headaches.

Causes of headaches in infants

Frequent headaches in an infant can occur in the adaptation process of a small organism to the environment. Due to the soft and supple cranium of the newborn can be differences in cranial pressure. The cause of increased intracranial pressure in the newborn can be hydrocephalic syndrome.

Prolonged crying in infants with headache

Factors influencing headache in children:

  1. Lack of physical activity.
  2. Due to the development of oxygen starvation from being in a stuffy room.
  3. Fatigue and hunger.
  4. not getting enough sleep.
  5. trauma to the head. If there is nausea and vomiting, and drowsiness, call your doctor, as these symptoms may indicate a concussion.
  6. dystonia.
  7. and some medicines.
  8. fever.

When to call the doctor

Medical assistance may not be necessary if the pain occurs infrequently and there is a specific reason for its appearance, which is considered insignificant. If headache occurs with a certain frequency, it is a chance to go to the doctor. You may need to consult a neurologist. He will prescribe diagnostic tests to identify the exact causes. To diagnostic events include the following procedures:

  1. an Electroencephalogram.
  2. Rheoencephalogram.
  3. a CT scan.

MRI research

If there is a head injury with sequelae, some time should be observed with the neurosurgeon. Only after the situation stabilizes, the child will be placed under the supervision of a neurologist.

Ambulance for a headache is caused when such concomitant symptoms as:

  1. fever.
  2. Nausea and vomiting.
  3. Fainting.
  4. Convulsions.

If a child before the year is constantly crying, worried, then you should show him to a neurologist. If you have problems with the head in children under one year recommendation gives the pediatrician, neurologist and oculist.

In older children causes of headaches can be worm infestation, in this case, treatment prescribed by a gastroenterologist. In some cases, you may need to consult ENT doctor. In order to exclude anaemia and infectious nature of headaches, for the General analysis of blood and urine. You may need ultrasound of the internal organs.

How to remove pain in children

If the pain is mild, does not bring much concern to the child, it is better not to give pain medication. you Need to give the kid sweet tea, to go for a walk in the fresh air or give him rest from all activities, including lessons, if your child is in school. Create quiet in the house, keep your baby away from irritating and distracting factors: TV, computer.

If the pain is not as frequent or first arose, yet there had been no other symptoms, it is possible to give a tablet of paracetamol or ibuklin. If the pain persists, you should seek medical advice.

What to do for migraine

Migraine is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent headache pulsating nature. The pain is localized in one half of the head and accompanied by vomiting and nausea, the child can irritate bright light and noise. To last such a headache from 4 hours to three days. After that the person becomes lethargic, he always wants to sleep.

Correct the order of the day for children

To Diagnose the disease in children is problematic, as the child cannot Express their feelings. Besides the attacks of the disease occur sporadically and erased.

Therapy of the disease occurs in two main areas: prevention of seizures and relief of them to the point of aggravation.

Preventive measures include:

  1. addressing the factors that trigger headaches.
  2. Therapeutic diet that excludes foods containing tyramine and phenylethylamine.
  3. Correct the order of the day with dosing sleep, rest and work.

Medical maintain the body migraine is severe and prolonged attacks that significantly influence our wellbeing. Using medications for a child, be sure to browse the instructions in the application, because often such medications are limited to 16-18 years.

For commonly used drugs against headache include:

  • analgesics;
  • NSAIDs
  • combination medications that contain caffeine.

Children who suffer frequent headaches should be tested in medical institutions. Why the child has a headache, can only be determined by a qualified professional.