A headache is the manifestation of pain in the head or neck area. Headaches are common in children and adolescents. Headaches can be caused by many causes such as a cold, stress, dehydration, lack of sleep or vision problems (eg difficulty reading).

Most headaches in children are not due to a serious underlying problem, but they can be bothersome to the child and have an impact on school performance, sports and play activities.

Like adults, children can develop different types of headaches, including migraines or stress-related headaches. Children can also have chronic daily headaches.

In some cases, headaches in children are due to an infection or a head injury. It is important to pay attention to your child’s headache symptoms and consult a doctor if the headache worsens or occurs frequently.

Headaches in children can usually be managed with common pain medications and healthy habits, such as a regular sleep and eating schedule.

How do headaches manifest themselves? Due;

While children have the same types of headaches as adults, their symptoms can be a little different. For example, migraine pain in adults often lasts at least four hours but in children, the pain may not last as long.

Differences in symptoms can make it difficult to recognize a headache in a child, especially a younger child who cannot describe the symptoms. In general though, some symptoms tend to fall more often into certain categories.

Headaches are classified as primary and secondary headaches.

The most common primary headaches are:

Tension headache – the child describes a pain like a tight band around the head. It is a constant, diffuse pain that is felt on both sides of the head, but can be located in the front and back of the head.

Migraine – often described as a throbbing feeling, which may be on one side of the head. Migraines are sometimes accompanied by symptoms of dizziness, nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances.

Other primary headache disorders they are less common and may be associated with sudden, one-sided facial pain and nasal congestion or tearing (without actual crying).

Children who have primary headaches often have people in their family who experience headaches. Lack of sleep and stress are the most common causes.

Secondary headaches are due to an identifiable underlying cause, usually a mild illness (eg viral infection) or dehydration. Rare causes of secondary headaches are tumors or intracranial hemorrhage.

What can we do at home?

An occasional headache can be treated quite simply with some food, water, rest and relaxation. A cool, damp cloth placed on the forehead can help relieve the headache, as can massaging or stretching the muscles of the head and neck.

If these practices do not work, you can give your child a pain reliever such as paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Do not use painkillers for more than two days a week without your doctor’s advice. Overuse of pain medication can cause additional problems or even worsen the headache.

To try to reduce the frequency of headaches, make sure your child gets enough sleep and rest, gets regular exercise and eats a balanced diet. A balanced diet means your child should eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and limit processed foods high in fat and sugar.

It is helpful to keep a headache diary to identify what is causing your child’s headaches. The diary will help your child’s doctor determine how best to manage and treat your child’s headaches in the future. If you find that there are certain situations that seem to cause headaches in your child, you can try to avoid them.

The headache diary should include:

• when the headache started and what seemed to be causing it
• how long it lasted
• in which part of the head it is located
• how severe it was on a scale of 1 (mild) to 10 (severe)
• if anything helped the headache go away
• the time the child went to bed the night before
• if there were other symptoms with the headache
• if he has missed school or activities because of the headache

When to seek medical help?

Most headaches are not serious, but seek immediate medical attention if your child’s headaches:

• They wake your child from sleep.
• Worse or become more frequent.
• Your child’s behavior changes.
• They followed an injury, such as a blow to the head.
• The child has persistent vomiting or visual disturbances.
• They are accompanied by fever and neck pain or stiffness.

Talk to your child’s doctor if you are concerned or have questions about your child’s headaches.

Key points to remember

• Headaches are common in children and are generally not serious.
• They can affect school education and performance, sports and extracurricular activities.
• Keep a headache diary to identify the things that cause your child’s headaches so you can try to avoid them.
• It is important that your child sleeps well, does not fast and gets some physical exercise.

Some headaches can be serious, in which case you should consult your doctor and seek a specialist evaluation.