A healthy child rarely complains of a headache. Usually, a symptom can be established only after 5 years, when the baby adequately assesses his condition and is able to describe unpleasant sensations. But these complaints are most often expressed by adolescents.
Cephalalgia (the medical term for headache) can occur for a variety of reasons and occur both against the background of diseases and as an independent disease. It is important not to ignore the child's complaints by diagnosing health problems in a timely manner.
Causes of headaches in a child
All factors can be divided into several groups:
- infectious and inflammatory processes;
- vascular diseases;
- head trauma;
- neuralgic disorders;
- abusal (medicinal);
These causes are characteristic of the manifestation of secondary cephalalgia, when the basis for the onset of the symptom lies in the defeat of inflammatory agents or in vascular disorders. The child often has a headache under the influence of external factors - heat, lack of oxygen, too loud a sound.
If the symptom is the only manifestation of malaise, then in children there are only 3 main reasons:
- migraine;
- tension headache (stress);
- bundle or cluster (neurological).
Such pains occur against the background of complete health, and are often intense and prolonged.
Migraine
The disease is characterized by sudden attacks in which cephalalgia is observed in one part of the head, accompanied by photophobia, hyperacusis (a combination of fear of sound and hypersensitivity) and vomiting (nausea). The pain is worse in an upright position or during exercise. This attack lasts from 4 hours to several days.
Usually migraines are provoked by stress, increased emotional and physical stress, the consumption of large amounts of cocoa, chocolate, eggs, fasting, and changes in the weather.
Stress pain
An ailment occurs after prolonged nervous overexcitation, stress. The main characteristic of this type is a compressive pain that encircles the head like a helmet. The child has a headache, forehead, nausea may be present, attentiveness decreases and school performance deteriorates.
This condition is associated with overstrain of the muscles of the head due to stress, and as a result, compression of blood vessels. Usually an attack of this type of cephalalgia lasts from 20 minutes to several hours.
Cluster pain
This type is associated with irritation of the trigeminal nerve, characterized by "point" acute, unbearable pain. Usually the child has a headache in the temples or in the eye area. May be accompanied by accompanying symptoms:
- increased sweating;
- lacrimation;
- drooping of the eyelid or drooping of the eye;
- runny nose.
What to do if a child has a headache
First of all, you need to deal with the accompanying symptoms - fever, nausea, nasal congestion. Try to calm the child down, give him a warm drink, put him to bed. Try to darken the room and provide silence.
Important: do not give any medications without a doctor's prescription!
If a child has a headache in the forehead area, then this may be due to the flu or SARS. In this case, it is recommended to measure the temperature, and, if necessary, give an antipyretic.
If you have frequent complaints, you should definitely consult a doctor. Cephalalgia can hide in itself quite serious infectious, inflammatory or vascular diseases, the treatment and diagnosis of which should be dealt with by a pediatrician or neurologist.
