Migraines In Kids An Overview of Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Migraines occur surprisingly frequently among kids. They typically report a throbbing, severe pain. It is believed that as many as 5% to 25% of children experience recurrent migraines. They usually report a throbbing, severe pain. The pain can last from 2 hours to 2 days. Migraine headaches in kids may be classified broadly as common migraines and classic migraines.

Stages Of Migraines In Kids

There are four phases of migraine: the prodrome, the aura, the pain, and the postdrome phases.

Prodrome: This stage is when classic symptoms of the migraine occur, usually several hours before onset of a migraine headache sometimes as much as 48 hours in advance. The child complains of light and sound sensitivity, loss of appetite or food cravings, and they may feel tired, are cross and down.

Aura: This stage is exclusive to classic migraine sufferers. The children complain of seeing auras, which can be positive or negative auras. An aura is described as seeing sparkling lights, shapes, and zigzag lines, called a positive aura or as seeing blind spots, tunnel vision, dark holes, called a negative aura. Some children may experience both aura types. The aura usually occurs half an hour before a migraine headache and lasts for about 10 to 30 minutes. During the aura stage, the child may feel tingling in their hands and legs, experience trouble talking, amnesia, attention loss, have, vertigo, increased clumsiness and may feel disoriented.

Pain: The child suffers agonizing pain and may lose their color and be ill during an attack. They could experience throbbing on one half of the head, in the forehead, or over their whole head during this stage. The pain gets worse as a result of physical activity. Their face tingles and they may complain of experience nausea, experience numbness, are unusually light and sound sensitive, and feeling cold. Aversion to eating, excessive perspiring, loose stools/constipation, aversion to smells, vomiting, and clumsiness are other common experiences.

Postdrome: The pain and other symptoms subside leaving the child feeling feeble, drained, and wiped-out, often for as long as 2 days.

Causes Of Migranes In Children:

There are several theories such as the vascular theory, mutation of genes, cortical-spreading depression, sterile inflammation process, changes in serotonin levels, nitrous oxide, and mitochondrial dysfunctions.

Some other factors that can cause migraine headaches in children are strong smells, changing their changes in altitude, changing their sleeping pattern, deafening noises, strong bright lights, and fasting, vigorous physical activities.

Some foods, too, can bring on migraine headaches in children particularly canned, aged, or processed foods, cheese, aspartame, caffeine, chocolates, marinated and pickled foods, and those including MSG (mono sodium glutamate).

Subcategories Of Migraine Headaches

Subcategories of migraine headaches are termed Retinal Migraine, Abdominal Migraine, Status Migrainosus, Acute Confusional Migraine, and Acephalic Migraine of Childhood.

Treatment

Parents can help by seeing to it that the child sleeps well, eats a healthy diet, exercises properly and avoids known triggers, like any foods that could bring on an attack. Click here for more information on common migraine food triggers.

Doctors usually give them prophylactic medicines such as, amitriptyline and propranolol, which many parents do not prefer because of the possibility for rebound headaches.

Herbs like butter root, ginger, feverfew, gingko and valerian root juices, and ginger tea are said to be helpful. Exercise, meditation, nutritional supplements such as vitamin B2, biofeedback therapy, yoga, relaxation therapy and aromatherapy are said to be effective in reducing occurrences of migraine headaches in children by half.

Care During A Migraine Episode

The child can rest in a cool, dark room that is as noise-free as possible. A wet cloth or an ice pack can be used, too. Make sure that the child recognizes the symptoms and takes medications that are prescribed by the doctor.

If parents and child learn the symptoms and learn to identify triggers, they can cut the occurrence of migraines in half or more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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