Discover the Key Causes of Migraines in Children

The causes of migraines in children are important to know, because if your child is suffering from migraines, you are probably suffering, too!

It’s tough to watch an innocent child suffer with pain, and migraine pain especially can cause intense discomfort.

The main symptom of a migraine headache is head pain which throbs, pulses or pounds. This pain usually gets worse when the child moves around. Migraines also tend to trigger enhanced sensitivity to sounds and light. As well, they can cause a sick stomach, an abdominal migraine in children and painful vomiting. Since these symptoms are so unpleasant, it’s important to examine the root causes of migraines in children.

Today, we’re going to explore these root causes, to help you figure out what is triggering your son or daughter’s headaches. Our guide is factual. However, it’s not designed to be a substitute for the medical advice of a pediatrician. For this reason, we definitely encourage you to reach out to a pediatrician or other licensed physician.

Doing so will be the best way to access an effective treatment plan for your child. We’ll include some information about popular treatments for kid’s migraines at the end of this article.

Causes of Migraines in Children and Why They Happen

Most migraines in children (whether they are headaches or not) are caused by illnesses. For example, if a child has an infection or a cold, a migraine may develop as a result. Treating the underlying illness may be the key to resolving the headache or, at the least, preventing a recurrence. The fevers which develop due to illness are key causes of migraines in children. This is why migraine treatments are recommended. While there is no cure for the common cold, there are ways to treat infections and/or fevers and doing so may provide your child with a lot of relief.

Main Causes

In general, the main causes of migraines, aside from underlying illnesses, are a bit mysterious. In other words, physicians aren’t really sure why migraines develop, although these medical professionals do understand that they relate to brain chemistry alterations, as well as changes within the body.

Genetics

It’s possible that genes play a role. In fact, if no illness is present, the odds are good that there is a genetic component which is causing your son or daughter’s migraine, as seventy percent of children who experience these headaches have relatives who also had the same types of headaches when they were younger.

These young migraine sufferers may also be triggered by the same things that triggered their relatives. Examples of migraine triggers which may be genetic include intense light, tiredness and differences in the weather.

Emotions and Other Causes

Emotions may also play a role. Emotional causes of migraines in children may include stress which is related to being a student or problems with peers or family issues. Some kids get these headaches because they need glasses or suffer from neck or back problems. Bad posture may be an issue. Lastly, kids who are depressed may be more likely to get migraines.

What to Look Out For

If you’re trying to determine the severity of your child’s migraines, look for vision problems, speech problems or weakened muscles. These headache symptoms indicate that immediate medical attention is needed, as they may signal the presence of other health issues which may be serious.

As you can see, there are a lot of possible causes of migraines in children. This is why a doctor will look at the child’s general health and medical history in order to determine what is triggering these painful headaches. Once a child is examined, a doctor will be able to design a treatment plan which is just right for him or her…

These headaches may be disabling and ten percent of schoolchildren suffer from them. Luckily, there are ways to reduce the pain and suffering.

Treatment Options

If you’re not heading for the doctor right away (and you should consider doing this!), your child may benefit from quiet time in a dark room which is at a cool temperature. Sleep is often very helpful. In addition, placing an ice pack on the artery which is throbbing may be helpful in terms of decreasing discomfort. In most cases, drugs known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are good choices for kids who have migraines. Examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs include Advil and Aleve.

Some parents prefer to give their children Tylenol, which is also known as Acetaminophen. Tylenol will control pain and may reduce fever, if fever is present. A doctor will be able to let you know if prescription-strength pain relievers are better choices for your child.

If you’d like to investigate other options, there are also other ways to treat the causes of migraines in children in a natural and holistic path to wellness.