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THE CONSERVATORY OF MEDICAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
XVII
THE SEARCHLIGHT MESSENGER
THE SEARCHLIGHT MESSENGER
Blog
MIGRAINES IN CHILDREN
| Posted on May 20, 2017 at 7:23 PM |
Many of you have read my article on
migraines entitled Is
My Headache a Migraine. Recently I have been approached with questions
from my college campus students regarding their children and the brittle
headaches their kids endure. Two students in particular stated that their child’s
doctor had diagnosed them as having migraines, prescribed the medicine, periactin as needed, but did not explain to them what
migraines in children are really all about. This is a little disturbing to me, as I feel the more educated my patients are, the better they are able to manage their headaches and lead normal healthy lives. This falls on the treating doctor, and unfortunately, it seems this new era of doctors is in such a hurry, it has forgotten how to teach. Osler would role in his grave! This part of treatment is obviously more important than the "periactin". And both should be part of an overall plan. "Written down and easy to follow", by both the parents and the little one. So, I thought this would be a good
time to again discuss this very debilitating disorder. No one ever wants to see a child suffer through these. I recommend reviewing the
above article in addition to this one. When you think about someone having
a headache, you probably think of an adult. But many kids have headaches too,
and for many of the very same reasons that adults have them. Children and teens can experience
muscle tension or migraine headaches. Among school age children ages 5 to 17 in the
United States, 20% are prone to headaches. Approximately 15% of these kids
experience muscle tension headaches and 5% are dealing with migraines. Chronic or frequent headaches can be
tough to handle, and are even harder to understand when you are young, especially
if you do not know anyone else who has them. By the time they reach high school,
most young people have experienced some type of headache. Fortunately, less
than 5% of headaches are the result of serious disease, such as a tumor,
abscess, infectious disease, or head trauma. Most headaches are muscle tension type, the
result of good and bad stress, sleep issues, or in a few instances,
environmental or food triggers. About 5% of recurrent headaches will be diagnosed
as migraine. Episodic headaches are those that
occur a few times a month at most. Chronic headaches occur with much more
frequency, even several times in a week. If a child who has only had an
occasional headache (once or twice a month) starts experiencing them more
frequently (two, or three times a week), then these should be considered
chronic and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible. One of the most frustrating aspects
of chronic headaches is the stress factor. Avoiding a known trigger is usually
easier than avoiding stress. Young people want to do well on tests and in
school, and they want to attend important events, but anticipating a math quiz
or musical recital, or eagerly looking forward to a party or being in the
school play, can result in anxiety or excitement. And, for some kids, this
leads to a headache. Up to 4% of children have their
first headache before they reach elementary school, and they may not yet know
how to describe the pain. If a young child has been crying or not eating, or
has been restless or irritable, consult with your doctor about finding the
source of discomfort or pain. Remember, the child has no idea what is happening and this can be very frightening. The more knowledge (and easy to understand guide lines) school health officials, as well as parents have about children and chronic migraines, such as common
triggers, symptoms, prevention, and treatments, the easier it will be to
identify the child who is suffering through these headaches. The best evidence based approach to treatment, interestingly, is the more holistic approach to little patients. It entails two things: 'chronic therapy', which addresses decreasing the frequency and intensity of the headaches, and 'acute therapy', which gives the patient and parents weapons to stave off an evolving attack. About 15% of kids experience a migraine
headache with an Aura. A typical aura is seeing colored or flashing lights,
blind spots, or wavy lines or feeling a tingling in the face or an arm or leg.
An aura alerts a migraine sufferer to the onset of a headache, warning the
child several minutes before the pain starts. A small percentage of migraine
sufferers also encounter temporary motor weakness, as they may lose their sense
of coordination, stumble, or have trouble expressing themselves. What causes a migraine? This is
treated at length in my original
article. For most kids, migraine is inherited from a parent. Migraine
occurs because of alterations in a person’s genetic makeup. An
individual migraine attack is often triggered by a particular environmental or
emotional event. In some cases, triggers can be identified. Among the most
commonly recognized ones are stress (good or bad), a change in routine, a change in sleep
pattern, bright lights or loud noises, or certain foods and beverages. Let’s
look at these for moment. One of the things I first have
patients, especially children do regarding brittle migraines, is keep a diary
of foods, sleep patterns, and other possible triggers. The best way to do this
is to get the whole family involved, and
use a big wall calender with plenty of space for everyone to write down what
they observe, as one person may notice something another didn't. There are many triggers in childhood
migraines that should be weeded out. Foods are huge, but other things as
mentioned above, like stress level, even positive stressors like more money,
new teacher, family gatherings, etc. can be big. Sleep can be a major player. I can't stress enough, the value of regular sleep
patterns and at least 9 hours of sleep every day for kids. Food is probably the biggest player, so you have to read labels closely. Here
are the biggest triggers I've seen in practice:
(1), Caffeine in any form, even in medicines. Keep in mind that caffeine is
also used to treat headaches, but can be a two edged sword, and, induce “rebound
phenomena”. (2), Mint, it's in everything, start tossing it out. (3), Red food
dyes. (4), Yellow food dyes. (5), Hard aged cheeses, like Parmesan, and
cheddars, remember also, that cheeses are not naturally yellow ( they have
yellow dye in them). (6), Pizza. (7), Lunch meats. (8), Hot dogs and sausages. (9),
Bacon, use "fresh-side", or "sugar cured". The above meats have nitrates in them which
induce migraines.
(13), The additive, Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is a monster and must be avoided, it is in
everything from snack foods, frozen foods, bullion, and ramen, to canned soups. (14), All citrus products. And watch out for sugar binges. Remember to write down every little detail that appears significant on that calendar,
and let your doctor know how it's going. After a formal diagnosis, a doctor's
goal is to help reduce or eliminate the symptoms of a migraine and prevent
future attacks. In regard
to treatment, sometimes children, especially young
children, do not need any medication to treat a headache. Often there are
non-medicinal treatments that can provide primary, or added benefit. During a migraine attack, a child
should be allowed to rest, and even sleep, in a quiet, dark and cool room.
Raising the child’s head up on a pillow and providing a cool compress for the
eyes or forehead can help them feel more comfortable. When at school, a child should
be allowed to go to the nurse’s office and rest. Sometimes a quick nap is all
it takes and they can return to the rest of the school day. Trigger avoidance and a regular
schedule are huge preventive measures that can be taken to avoid the frequency of
attacks. Relaxation and stress management
techniques can be helpful during an attack and to help alleviate stress before
it becomes a full blown an attack. Daily physical activity is also very
important in headache management and stress reduction. Two methods that have
been well documented to help children with migraine include meditation and
biofeedback. There is also much research that suggests hyper-hydration with plain water may
prevent frequency in migraine attack. Once a migraine has begun, several
types of medication can alleviate the symptoms. Analgesics, such as acetaminophen or
ibuprofen, are first-line pain relievers for treatment of headaches in children
and adolescents. The Triptans can be helpful in those children who don’t find
simple analgesics helpful. There are several different triptans available and
two (almotriptan [Axert®] and rizatriptan [Maxalt®]) are FDA-approved for
children. In addition, your doctor may also prescribe anti-emetics to stop the
nausea and vomiting or a sedative to help a child rest. Aspirin is not generally recommended
for kids, as there is now, well documented evidence linking aspirin to the development of
Reye's Syndrome, a rare disorder that children and teenagers can get while they
are recovering from childhood infections, such as chicken pox, flu, and other
viral infections. Reye's symptoms include nausea, severe vomiting, fever,
lethargy, stupor, restlessness, and even delirium. Children and adolescents who
experience migraine attacks more than twice a week and which interfere with
school or social activities, may be prescribed a daily medicine to try to
prevent headaches. There are no medications that have been specifically
designed for migraine so they all come from other categories including
anti-seizure, blood pressure and anti-depressant drug classes. Common
preventive medicines include beta blockers, tricyclic antidepressants,
topiramate, and valproate. Please note: none of these medications are approved
for migraine treatment in children. However, research in this area continues
with excellent progress and doctors will utilize these medications as "off label" prescriptions. Frequent headaches, especially those
that occur more than once a week, deserve treatment, with both medication and
non-medicinal options. Headaches are not good for the brain and
headaches often lead to more headaches. With the right treatment regimen your
child can get his or her headaches under control and prevent further
progression. Further questions can be directed
below, and look for continued articles on headaches in future posts on The Searchlight Messenger.  Dr. Counce |
Categories: Education, Medical Advise, Medical Opinion
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433 Comments
Reply
xanax reviews
10:14 AM on November 14, 2012
As a working women I faced weekly with headache problem due to work load but when my year child complain about this problem I get shocked, But now I get well information about his health problem, thanks for this valuable information .
Reply
Taylor McCuteon
5:36 AM on November 19, 2012
Though the number of the sufferers is not so high but it's concerning enough for those parents who have to take care of such kinds of kids as constant headache like migraine is very painful for the adults so how much it is for the kids. Truly a big pain for our children! Thanks doctor for pointing out the issues of the reasons of the complication and giving some precious suggestion.
Reply
family daycare
12:16 PM on November 30, 2012
Migraine is a common problem that is introduced in today's advance lifestyle, and children are also included in this situation. So, take care of them and take the suggestions of this post.
Reply
Muscle building
8:48 AM on December 18, 2012
Useful advice about Migraine pain. This has become the most common diseases of children. Your blog holds some useful tips to get rid from this problem. Thanks for the review and keep writing concerning this issue. Thanks...
Reply
Dr. Counce
4:48 PM on December 19, 2012
Muscle building says...
Useful advice about Migraine pain. This has become the most common diseases of children. Your blog holds some useful tips to get rid from this problem. Thanks for the review and keep writing concerning this issue. Thanks...
You are very welcome
Reply
Dr. Counce
4:56 PM on December 19, 2012
Taylor McCuteon says...
Though the number of the sufferers is not so high but it's concerning enough for those parents who have to take care of such kinds of kids as constant headache like migraine is very painful for the adults so how much it is for the kids. Truly a big pain for our children! Thanks doctor for pointing out the issues of the reasons of the complication and giving some precious suggestion.
You are very welcome
Reply
Dr. Counce
4:57 PM on December 19, 2012
family daycare says...
Migraine is a common problem that is introduced in today's advance lifestyle, and children are also included in this situation. So, take care of them and take the suggestions of this post.
You are very welcome
Reply
Susan Kunzman
9:10 AM on December 21, 2012
This Migraine problem has began very serious! My little boy also is suffering from this problem. Hope your suggestion will help me lot for this matter. Thanks!
Reply
Pharma Wholesalers
8:00 AM on December 31, 2012
I am really thankful to you for providing this unique information. Please keep sharing more and more information...
Reply
Dr. Counce
10:52 PM on December 31, 2012
Susan Kunzman says...
This Migraine problem has began very serious! My little boy also is suffering from this problem. Hope your suggestion will help me lot for this matter. Thanks!
You are very welcome.
Reply
Dr. Counce
10:52 PM on December 31, 2012
Pharma Wholesalers says...
I am really thankful to you for providing this unique information. Please keep sharing more and more information...
It is my pleasure.
Reply
Rudolph Heyd
1:44 PM on January 13, 2013
I wouldn't know about the MIGRAINES IN CHILDREN. After reading out your blog I have come to learn the cause of this migraine in children. Thanks a lot mate for making me conscious about this. Carry on.
Reply
Dr. Counce
3:53 PM on January 13, 2013
Rudolph Heyd says...
I wouldn't know about the MIGRAINES IN CHILDREN. After reading out your blog I have come to learn the cause of this migraine in children. Thanks a lot mate for making me conscious about this. Carry on.
You are most welcome, Mr. Heyd.
Reply
ainol venus
6:59 AM on January 16, 2013
Thank you for giving me the information provided, let me once again disintegration. Thank you, hope you the next post birth, looking forward to.......
Reply
Dr. Counce
5:25 AM on January 17, 2013
ainol venus says...
Thank you for giving me the information provided, let me once again disintegration. Thank you, hope you the next post birth, looking forward to.......
You are welcome.
Reply
PIPO U1Pro
7:42 AM on January 30, 2013
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Reply
Dr. Counce
6:38 PM on January 30, 2013
PIPO U1Pro says...
This post was very well written, and it also contains a lot of useful facts. I enjoyed your distinguished way of writing the post. Thanks, you have made it easy for me to understand.
Thank you. My pleasure.
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8:25 AM on February 1, 2013
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