The data indicates that migraine is the most common type of headache on the entire planet. In the case of children and adolescents, almost 75% of them experience a migraine at some point in their life.
In the following article we will talk about the most common symptoms of migraine in children and adolescents and what parents should do to alleviate such symptoms.
Symptoms of migraine
There are a number of symptoms that help differentiate migraine from other types of headaches:
- Migraine appears suddenly and quite abruptly.
- The pain usually affects one part of the head, although it can also occur along the entire forehead of the child.
- The strong pain it is usually accompanied by vomiting and nausea.
- The pain in the head intensifies much more with lots of light and certain noises.
- Migraine often recurs over time with greater or less intensity.
Children often have a type or class of migraine popularly known as a migraine with aura. In this type of migraine, before the headache the child has another series of symptoms such as strong fatigue or blurred visibility. Although each migraine is different, it is normal for them to last between 4 hours and 3 days.
At what age can children start to have migraines?
The normal thing is that the episodes of migraine occur from the 7 or 8 years. It is very rare for a young child to suffer from severe and severe headaches. Migraine can occur in both boys and girls indistinctly.
Diagnosing migraines in children
More than half of the children who suffer from migraines usually have a close relative who also usually suffers from them. This is important when making a good diagnosis. With a simple physical examination and knowing the history, the doctor is usually right when diagnosing migraine.
How to deal with migraines in children
There are a number of risk factors that can indicate why your child suffers from headaches such as migraines:
- The intake of certain foods such as chocolate or cheese. In the case of adolescents, regular alcohol intake can also be the cause of migraine headaches.
- A life too stressful.
- Hormonal changes that young people suffer to reach adolescence
- Bad sleep and a fairly significant lack of sleep.
If parents observe that their child suffers from migraine, it is important to help him to rest in an environment without any light or noise. It may happen that sleeping helps the migraine go away. If you notice that despite the rest, the migraine does not finish, you can offer a paracetamol to mitigate the severe pain. If despite everything, the migraine still does not disappear, it is important to take the child to the doctor to start an appropriate treatment such as prophylaxis.