Like adults, it's common for children to experience headaches from time to time. While most headaches are harmless and will go away on their own within a few hours, some headaches might be a symptom of something serious. To know if a call to the pediatrician's office is necessary, it's important to understand the different types of headaches and what they can mean.
Common headaches include tension, migraine, congestion, analgesic rebound, and post-head injury headaches.
Tension headaches are considered fairly mild and often occur in the middle of the day. Your child might experience a constant dull pain with a sensation of tightness around the head. They might also have pain in the forehead, sides of the head, and/or neck, along with fatigue.
Signs of a migraine include throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head, light or noise sensitivity, fatigue, mood changes, nausea, vomiting, or seeing flashes of light. Typically, your child will not want to watch TV or continue playing.
With congestion headaches, your child might feel pain and pressure above their sinuses and will have a congested or runny nose.
Analgesic rebound headaches occur from medication overuse. Pain usually starts behind the eyes and moves up to the front of the head. Your child might experience grogginess, irritability, and flu-like aches. Too much caffeine can also cause these headaches.
Post-head injury headaches can cause dizziness, mental fogginess, fatigue, moodiness, blurry vision, or nausea. The pain typically feels like pressure inside the head.
With any of these types of headaches, you should call the pediatrician if they're happening on a daily basis, they're accompanied by eye or ear pain, they're causing confusion, nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound, or they keep coming back or are getting worse in frequency or severity. For headaches following a head injury, call the doctor if the headache doesn't go away after 2 days. If the headaches are very painful and affect your child's sleep, they should see their pediatrician or go to the ER. It is also never normal for a child to wake up in the early morning complaining of headaches.
In situations where your child has sudden severe head pain, especially with double vision, confusion, or sleepiness, or they have a headache with a stiff neck, neck pain, or fever, you should seek emergency care.
There are many reasons why headaches occur, and identifying the cause is the first step to helping your child find relief. Some common triggers are tension or stress, dehydration, hunger, illnesses like colds or sinus congestion, insufficient or poor quality sleep, and eyestrain. Encouraging your child to follow healthy habits can reduce headaches. Make sure they get adequate sleep, eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet, drink enough water, and engage in practices that relieve tension and stress. To prevent eye strain, limit the time they spend on electronic devices and discourage them from reading in poor lighting. Many home remedies can improve headaches. Staying hydrated and getting rest is important for pain relief. You can also apply a cold or warm compress on the forehead, as well as the neck if there's any stiffness or pain there. Additionally, head massages help relax muscle tension and improve circulation, which can relieve the headache. If these methods don't work, you may want to give your child over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen and make sure to follow the appropriate dosage for your child's age and weight.
For questions about using medications or concerns about headaches, please call our office to schedule an evaluation.
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