Identifying and managing headaches in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Phan Ngoc Hai - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Headaches tend to increase in children. Headaches in children have many causes. The most important thing in the management of headaches in children is to find the cause of the headache and treat it according to the cause.

1. Causes of Headaches

Headaches in children can be acute, especially in the case of a sudden, severe headache that can be a serious central nervous system problem. In addition, headaches can also be a symptom of other physical or psychological health problems. Causes of headache such as:
Infection
The most common cause of headache due to an infection is sore throat, flu, rhinosinusitis, otitis media, .. Headache usually appears at first with manifestations in diseased organs In addition, serious causes that can lead to rapid death in children due to infectious causes are central nervous system infections such as encephalitis, meningitis, pressure brain car ,.. often accompanied by serious symptoms such as mental disturbances, high fever, vomiting, stiff neck,... Head trauma
Head trauma can also be the cause of headaches in Young children should take a careful history of headache. If your child can't speak yet, look closely for bumps and bruises that cause headaches. In case of a strong fall and a head injury or a hard blow to the head, go to a medical facility to detect the hematoma early for timely treatment.
Brain tumor, ruptured cerebral blood vessel.
Brain tumours, ruptured blood vessels in the brain are rare causes of headaches in children. Often causes chronic headaches with manifestations such as seizures, dizziness, vision problems, ..
Headache caused by psychological stress.
Children suffer from stress, anxiety or insomnia when worrying about exams, conflicts with friends, teachers, parents. More seriously, if stress and anxiety are not relieved, children are more likely to become depressed, causing more severe headaches.
Headache caused by food.
Processed foods such as bacon, hot dogs can cause headaches. Also, too much caffeine, a substance found in soda, chocolate, coffee and tea can cause headaches.
Other causes of headache such as:
Migraine headache Epilepsy, cluster headache Cerebral vascular malformations Eye causes Chronic oxycarbon poisoning, hypertension, Cyanotic congenital heart disease Failure respiratory, severe chronic anemia. See more: Where to check for headaches for children?

2. Diagnosis of headache in children

Diagnosis of headache in children is based on clinical and laboratory symptoms.
Clinical
Exploit pain details: duration, intensity, circumstances of occurrence or cause of pain. Clinical examination should note meningeal signs, movement, coordination, signs of focal and sensory nerve damage. Subclinical: Indications are based on clinical symptoms
Electroencephalogram to detect epilepsy, .. CSF puncture if suspected meningitis, encephalitis. Brain scan if suspected brain hemorrhage, brain tumor,.. CT scan is also sometimes indicated in case of persistent headache with unknown cause to rule out dangerous diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging provides more detailed images of the brain, diagnosing tumors, strokes, vascular malformations, and other brain abnormalities.

3. How to handle headaches in children

If you suspect an infectious headache When your child has a headache, check the baby's temperature. Reduce fever with a warm compress, loosen clothes, if the temperature is above 38.5, you need to reduce fever with paracetamol Take your child to a medical facility as soon as possible Post-traumatic headache can be treated like a chronic headache or tension headaches by measures such as: For children with tension headaches. Encourage your child to lie down and relax, with their head slightly elevated. Reducing stress in studying for children, talking to them helps them relieve all worries and find ways to overcome them. A warm or cold towel can be placed on the forehead and or neck. Lifestyle changes such as drinking enough water, reducing or limiting caffeine, exercising, eating and sleeping at regular times, and not smoking. Encourage children to participate in fun and learning activities at school. Relaxation training, yoga are helpful in treating chronic headaches. Children with tension headaches can be treated with pain relievers such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen. If headaches do not improve with pain medications, see a neurologist and receive small daily doses of tricyclic antidepressants. For children with migraines, it is essential to minimize irritation. I like feeling like: Turn off the lights in the room, close the curtains, ask family members not to make noise. Prescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used. Migraine headache treatment requires treatment to relieve attacks and prevent relapses as prescribed by your doctor. In case of severe pain, you can relieve the pain at home with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Take the child to a medical facility immediately if the child has acute symptoms such as severe headache accompanied by lethargy, high fever, convulsions, confusion, etc. Take the child to the doctor early in school. In case of prolonged headache, fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision, etc. If they notice any unusual problems in their child, parents should take the child to see a doctor and consult a specialist. Do not forget to follow the website: Vinmec.com regularly to update many other useful information.

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