Headaches in Children
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HEADACHE Headache is a condition that almost everyone has suffered from, and children and adolescents are no exception. Headache can be an important public health problem since it is one of the most frequent symptoms in general pediatric consultation. One of the challenges of this ailment is the primary and secondary causes that pose great difficulties among professionals. In this sense, it is necessary to make a differential diagnosis between an organic process or a functional disease.
MIGRAINE Migraine is the most studied primary headache. This medical condition occurs when the internal and external brain blood vessels contract and then dilate. Migraine is usually cyclical and described as severe pain that comes on suddenly. Sometimes the pain is acute enough that children will abandon their activities and go to the emergency room. Unless there are other significant symptoms, migraine is not a cause for alarm. However, parents should pay attention to this problem if it recurs.
Alarming Symptoms
When your children’s headache is accompanied by fever and a stiff neck, the best is to go to the specialist. If they cannot look up at the ceiling, touch his chin to his chest and shake his head back and forth, you should bring them to an emergency room to rule out other causes such as meningitis. Severe pain must require medical attention when it does not decrease with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
MILD HEADACHE
For a mild headache, put your child to bed in a quiet and darkroom. Place a cool washcloth on his forehead. If the headache persists, give your child acetaminophen, and follow the symptoms.
COMMON CAUSES
Emotional factors (stress, school, family problems) play a fundamental role in involuntary and sustained muscle contracture that causes headaches. On the other hand, some foods and beverages can trigger migraine attacks. In these cases, sensitive patients require specific diets to improve the evolution of migraine. Other possible headache triggers can be head trauma, intense physical exercise, changes in sleep rhythm, fatigue, menstruation, and sun exposure.
For further information, call your trusted professionals on Pineville pediatrics or your Ballantyne Pediatrician.
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