How to treat headaches in children
Before the headaches of the little ones we present the possible causes, the diagnosis and the most recommended treatment to follow.
The headache is one of the most common pain . It affects the neck, head and scalp area. The most common is the tension headache caused by muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, jaw, head and neck. It can come from various causes, be they physical such as improper posture or head trauma, or psychic such as stress or depression. Pain can occur when you have other common illnesses such as the cold or the flu. Also when fever occurs or in premenstrual syndrome. Normally, it goes away with analgesia.
Index
BRIEF NOTES ON HEADACHE
A common type of headache is what is known as migraines or migraines. They consist of sharp, stabbing, throbbing, bulging or throbbing pains . They are very intense and although they normally affect one side of the head, they can spread to both. Usually, before the pain begins, the person notices other symptoms such as nausea or vision problems, which is called an “aura.” In addition, the pain intensifies when traveling. The causes that produce migraine can be varied and the result of the union of multiple factors.
GENETICS IS A FACTOR THAT TRIGGERS MIGRAINE
The same happens with alcohol. The disorders of sleep, sleep little or too much, can also affect its appearance. Likewise, other environmental factors such as temperature changes, spending a lot of time in front of the computer, noise, etc. must be taken into consideration. There is no specific age to suffer them. However, it is common for them to start between the ages of 10 and 30 , increasing their incidence during puberty .
You can also get a rebound headache caused by heavy drug use . As for types of headaches, we find: cluster headaches, which are very intense and acute. They appear for a few months, several times a day and then disappear for a while; and sinus headache, caused by sinusitis, which is the inflammation of the paranasal sinuses in the tubes found in the cheeks, nose and eyes . On more rare occasions, pain can be a symptom of diseases such as meningitis or brain tumors.
HEADACHES IN CHILDREN. WHEN TO GO TO THE DOCTOR?
Children often suffer from headaches similar to those of adults. On many occasions, a cold, an ear or mouth infection , and events that cause tension and stress in children can cause a headache. In other words, any event related to your health and your environment can be the cause of pain. It is convenient to observe the frequency with which the pain occurs and the environmental circumstances in which it occurs. If the child has been playing and it was very hot, if he has fallen, if he is sad about a problem at school or is afraid because of a movie he has seen, if he has slept badly. Many times they may have a momentary tension headache, which will subsidewhen taking analgesia.
IF IT REPEATS OVER TIME, YOU SHOULD GO TO THE PEDIATRICIAN
On the other hand, it is convenient for parents to look at how the headache occurs in their children, that is, if it is accompanied by other symptoms. If you feel like vomiting or if you feel dizzy. Also, if the child is unwell before and after the pain, it can be a symptom of an illness . That parents observe their children is very important when making a diagnosis. Children may have difficulty expressing symptoms or how they are found.
Sometimes it is difficult for parents, doctors and teachers to know what the real state of children is, since the pain could come from a circumstantial cause or a serious problem . It can even be an excuse for not completing a task. Therefore, it is important to stay alert without becoming distressed. Observing is essential for the health of your children. If the pain seems to be recurring, it will be of great help for a future diagnosis to record the date and time the headache occurred, the circumstances in which it occurred, the diet and the duration of the pain in a diary. . Also how you tried to stop, that is, did you take any painkillers or not. Any data can be important. In children over 10 years old, you can try to put a note on pain, since they already understand these types of scales.
Childhood migraines follow the same course as those of adults . So it will be necessary to observe if the “aura” or previous symptoms occurs. Other factors that can help to quantify and classify symptoms can be a decrease in the level of attention, momentary or persistent problems in vision (lights followed by the typical black hole that precedes pain), tingling sensation, lack of energy, fever and any obvious symptoms of infection , loss of interest in recreational activities and others that he likes, school problems …
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
You don’t need to see a doctor to treat common headaches. If the pain is severe, it is advisable for the child to rest and in any case give him some analgesic medication such as drugs with acetaminophen.
A DIARY IN WHICH THE DAYS OF PAIN WILL BE NOTED WOULD BE USEFUL.
To delineate the physical causes, the doctor will perform a review of the nervous system , vision, and the back of the eye to rule out brain problems caused by increased pressure. Also in an examination of these characteristics, blood pressure will be evaluated.
If the child is diagnosed with a migraine, an attempt will be made to determine the triggers. Your doctor may very well prescribe a diet free of chocolate, nuts, or cheese. The most normal thing is that some type of analgesic, sedatives and / or mild vasoconstrictors are prescribed. If your child suffers from chronic migraines, his doctor will refer him to the specialist to consider prescribing a stronger medication such as cyproheptadine and propranolol.
In case of tension headache, it is important to inform the doctor if the child has taken any medication in order to adjust an effective dose and not overload the body with analgesia that could even cause and aggravate headaches. The most common are acetaminophen, with or without codeine, and ibuprofen , which have great analgesic power.
HOME REMEDIES FOR HEADACHES
The administration of analgesia in large quantities can be harmful to health, since the higher the continuous dose, it will be less effective and even worse the problem. An alternative to avoid overloading children with one medication or the combination of several is to complement the treatments with home remedies that can help alleviate the pain and will not negatively affect their health. Some of them are
– Put the children to bed in a cool, dimly lit room.
– Perform breathing exercises.
– Apply wet compresses to the forehead and neck , alternating heat and cold.
– Apply a few drops of hyssop essential oil to the temples and wrists.
– Massage neck and neck.
– Move arms and hands with energy so that the blood can flow and the head clears.
– Along the same lines, immerse your hands in hot water for periods of five minutes.
– Bathe children with warm water. At the same time they should be given an infusion of mint.
– Give a few tablespoons of honey as soon as the child feels that the pain begins.
– Rosemary steam baths.
– Boil an orange with oil and put it on the child’s temple .
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.