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Symptoms of disease - headache in children

Headache in children is a very common phenomenon and firmly holds among the diseased conditions of the second place after the pain in the abdomen.

In infants it is shown crying, increased arousal, sleep disturbance, vomiting, gushing posseting. In 1.5-2 years the children were able to differentiate the pain, can show where a sore, often asking to lie down, complain of fatigue.

Statistics say that 36 % of all girls and 29 % of boys aged from 7 to 16 years of complaining of a headache.

Headaches of organic origin consequence of the defeat of the central nervous system are relatively rare (0,5-1% of all headaches).

Severe headaches can occur when meningitis, epilepsy and other pathology. In the youngest age cause headaches in some cases is a birth trauma, which is reflected in the increase of intracranial pressure, the development of the so-called hypertension syndrome, overdiagnosis which is typical for pediatrics. The cause may be ophthalmic or ENT-pathology, if laid sinuses of nose when running the sinus or incorrectly picked up the glasses. If the parents time to pay attention to the protracted runny or bought glasses are not the first got the bench, and in a good shop "Optics", the 5-7% of children suffering from headaches of organic nature, recovered it.

Which diseases there is headache in children

Causes of headaches in children:

1. Migraine. 23% of all children, complaining about the pain, headaches, suffer from migraine. Clinic of migraine in children sufficiently specific. We use the diagnostic criteria of the International association for the study of headache (1988) and proposed earlier Prensky (1976) the criteria applied in childhood. According to his proposal, migraine in children is defined as repeated headaches (in the absence of pathological symptoms in interictal period), accompanied by at least three of the six of the following symptoms:
- pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting;
- single-sided localization of pain, or hemicrania;
- pulsed nature of the pain;
- significant improvement of state of health after a short period of sleep;
- aura, which can be visual, sensory or motor;
- family history of migraines.

Age peaks of children's migraines
- 7 years (previously corresponded to the age of the first class)
- 13-15(puberty). By the way, up to 13-15 years on chronic headache often complain about boys, but with 14 years girls "leaps" forward and throughout the subsequent life hold here the leading positions.

The peculiarities of child migraines
- Attack in short: it lasts from half an hour up to 5 hours.
- There is a special link children's migraines with mental sphere, which provokes the development of a variety of emotional and motivational disorders. Most often they manifest decrease in appetite, a sharp decline in the background mood, causeless "boredom" - the child does not do, it all interesting.

By the way, if the child suffers from migraine, most likely, his mom and/or dad also get sick of it.
- For children typical often a combination of headache and dizziness - the so-called basilar migraine, manifested by headache, faintness, dizziness, drowsiness.
- Almost every attack of migraine accompanied by gastro-intestinal disorders. But it is also possible that the attack proceeds absolutely typical, without headaches, and manifests migraine in this case, only the sick tummy.
- Children much more often observe the aura of a migraine attack.
- A stimulating factor for the development of a migraine is an puberty when the body rapidly rebuilt in connection with the onset of puberty, therefore, it is in this period the parents must be especially attentive to the complaints of the children of the headache.

But the prognosis for children's migraines in general good. It is established, that in 41 % of children suffering from severe form of the disease, the age of 16 have not been observed her attacks, and in 35 % - 6 years. But, unfortunately, to 30 years in 60 % of them migraine attack all were the same.

Parents should know: the suffering from migraine child is particularly sensitive type of the nervous system that responds to various stimuli pain in the course of blood vessels in the brain and scalp. Therefore it is very important with the help of a doctor maximum to identify all of the factors provoking the attacks, and to exclude them from the life of children. It is not recommended to give them products that trigger migraine attacks. This is first of all mature cheeses, sausages, sauerkraut, meat broth, chocolate, citrus fruits. Of course, for one child this list is not complete, and the other recognised harmful products are completely harmless. Here it should work the knowledge of the doctor and observation mothers and grandmothers.

2. Tension headaches are the most frequent in children. Tension headaches noted in 70-75% of children complaining about headache. Tension headache often is of a diffuse character. Tension headaches more often localized in the frontal and frontal-temporal, at least - in the parietal areas (place of pain children show a palm). The nature of the pain aching, crushing, squeezing, more often it occurs during the second half of the day. Tension headaches are often provoked by the exhaustion of the school, stress and meteorological factors. The pain lasts from one to several hours, often resolves itself when changing the type of activity, after a rest, a short sleep. As the child matures, there is a trend to more frequent headaches voltage without changing its character.
Chronic headaches can be a consequence of the various mental disorders. Long and never-ending, they occur on the background of the low mood under stress, depression, caused by changes of the circumstances of the child's life, excessive sport exercises.

3. Headaches for ent-diseases. Very often headaches in children appear on the background of common infection diseases and inflammatory processes on the part of ent organs. Headaches in children's infections appear in the acute period of the disease or directly precede him. Toxic effects on the blood vessels of the brain, irritation of the meninges, the high temperature reaction, and a tendency to increase in intracranial pressure make such pain is pretty intense. However, with the disappearance of acute manifestations of the illness they are reduced and then pass. The treatment of infectious diseases in children, accompanied by headaches, should necessarily include fever, pain medication and drugs, reducing intracranial pressure.
Pathology of ent-organs (sinusitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, adenoids expansion) often become independent cause of headaches in children, very often wearing a stable character, in spite of the active treatment. Getting rid of them depends on the complete cure of chronic foci of infection in the nasopharynx with the subsequent obligatory their prevention. Very useful application of sea-bathing and tempering of the organism of the child.

4. Headaches when CNS. In the clinical picture of CNS diseases they are an essential symptom and always combined with other signs of the nervous system (this includes vomiting, violation of consciousness, convulsions and focal symptoms in the form of motor and sensory disorders and disorders of the functions of pelvic organs). These manifestations of the disease are due to a heavy defeat of the shells and of the substance of the brain and spinal cord.

5. Headaches in children with brain tumors. This is one of the early signs of this terrible disease. Often in the early stages of it this pain for a long time remain the only symptom of the disease symptoms. Feature of them is a stable, permanent, they arise in the morning, and patients often wake up in the morning with a headache. The accompanying such pain vomiting is continuous and does not bring the patient relief. In the subsequent to these complaints join the symptoms of focal lesions of the central nervous system depending on the localization of the pathological process.

6. Headaches and pathology of organ of vision. This pain often occur in children of school age, and they are poorly removed analgesics. Typical direct link headaches with prolonged tension of view during the reading, drawing, drawing or tv. As a rule, these pains will disappear after the limitations of visual load and additional correction of view.

The most common causes of headache in children of school age
- Various infections in children of the first 6 months of the occurrence of headache is a high probability of meningitis).
- Mental disorders.
- Migraine.
- Craniocerebral trauma.
- Emotional tension and stress.
- A short-or, on the contrary, too long sleep.
- Long watching tv or play on the computer.
- Stress in the family.
- Stress and failure in school (fear before the tests or bad mark, etc.).
- A sharp change of weather.
- Frustration, unfulfilled dreams and hopes (especially among girls).
- Excessively intensive sports.
- Irregular meals (in some cases - just missed lunch).
- Intolerance of some products, for example, cheese, chocolate, milk, etc.

Tips for parents with a headache, child
Young children do not know how to complain of a headache, but become restless and irritable.
- For frequent headaches in children necessarily should establish their cause with the help of a doctor.
- Students have the cause of the headaches often happens fatigue.
"We must plan the day of the child so that he had free time for the rest of the game (on the computer is not in the account), and to physical and mental pressures do not exceed its capacity.
- During an attack of pain be, if possible, next to a child. However, it cannot be allowed that the child because of the headaches became the home of "divinity ", it helps to perpetuate the pathological pain reflex, especially in the case of psychogenic pain.

The examination of children, suffering from headache, begins with a thorough examination of the complaints, the history of the development of the disease and thorough medical examination. If the obtained when the data are typical for migraines or tension headaches, the resort to additional research is not necessary. However, if during the examination reveal symptoms of organic lesions of the central nervous system, the special instrumental and laboratory tests for specification of the diagnosis is essential. They do not need to be afraid of. On the contrary, without delay, a follow all prescribed by the doctor. For only then will the result of treatment your child will be provided as close as possible.

Which doctor should I contact if there is a headache in children

• Neurologist
• Infectious Disease Physician
• Children's psychologist
• Psychiatrist

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Do you feel head hurts in children? You should be very careful approach to your health in general. People pay not enough attention to the symptoms of the disease and don't realize that these diseases can be critically dangerous. There are many diseases that in the beginning didn't manifest in our body, but in the end it turns out, unfortunately, it have already been treated too late. Every disease has its own specific features typical symptoms - called symptoms of the disease. Definition of symptoms is the first step in the diagnosis of diseases in general. You just need a few times a year to be screened by a doctor, not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in a body and the organism in general.

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Map of the symptoms and the types of pain is intended solely for educational purposes. We strongly recommend do NOT self-medicate; on all matters relating to the definition of the disease and ways of its treatment, contact your doctor. Md-tips is not responsible for the consequences of use information posted on the site.