One of the discomforts that affects people from children to adults and can occur for several reasons, from tiredness, flu, and difficulty seeing, complaints of headaches in children have been increasing every day. In the case of younger children and babies, parents should watch for signs since they are not always able to describe what they feel and explain exactly where it hurts.
It’s usually noticed that the child is downcast and doesn’t want to do activities they usually enjoy. Headache in children, or cephalalgia as doctors call it, is a symptom that can happen several times in life and is a sign of a wide range of problems, so it should be investigated carefully to find the real cause of the pain1. Studies indicate that around 10% of children who deal with headaches go to daycare and kindergarten, with the number being even higher in children already attending elementary school, reaching 50%.
Unrestricted use of computers, television, and video games is one of the main causes of headaches in children, as it strains their vision, causing cephalalgia2. However, the symptom can also come from several other causes, such as eating certain foods, and can even be one of the symptoms of a bad flu. The main causes of headaches are:
- Insufficient sleep
- Hunger or going too long without eating
- Excess of certain foods containing sugar, chocolate, fat, and caffeine.
- Childhood dehydration
- Difficulty seeing
- Excessive exposure to the sun or high temperatures
Hormonal problems, excessive anxiety and childhood depression, loud noises and strong smells can also cause headaches in children. About 10% of cases that appear at pediatric offices are headaches related to flu and colds, ear infections and sinusitis.
How to Prevent Headaches in Children
Headache in children is a symptom that can’t always be prevented, as it may accompany an illness or physical problem. But it’s possible to prevent routine headaches and daily cephalalgias caused by stressful routines and disorganized schedules.
Setting schedules and time limits for using computers, watching television, and playing video games is the first step. If your child complains about headaches at school, a visit to the eye doctor is recommended; perhaps your child needs glasses to help them see better. Meal times should be respected and no meals should be skipped, as very long gaps without eating cause the blood sugar level to drop very quickly, resulting in headaches. Setting a regular bedtime is also essential to decrease the chances of headaches, as lack of sleep and excessive tiredness also cause cephalalgia.
Check if your child grinds their teeth while sleeping. Teeth grinding or bruxism3, as it’s known, is a fairly common problem and when it happens often, it causes severe headaches, as the jaw is tensed for a long period during the night. If your child has recurrent and daily headaches, they may be suffering from migraines. Migraines can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and discomfort with light and noise. If the problem persists, it is recommended to consult a neurologist, who will assess the situation and recommend appropriate treatment.
See Also: Childhood Migraine, What Now?
Photo: Christos Tsoumplekas, Dave & Lorelle
