Migraine also affects children, even the youngest ones, although it may have slightly different, quite unusual symptoms. Most adults with migraines admit that they experienced their first attack of migraine before the age of ten. How to recognize migraine in children? How can you help a child who has a migraine?
Migraine in childrenmay be limited to vomiting or lead to paresis lasting up to several days. The mechanism of migraine development in children is the same as in adults and is due to vascular disorders in the brain. How do you know thata child's headache is migraine ? How to treat a child with migraine?
Migraine in children: causes
Migraine is a hereditary condition - if there are people in the family suffering from migraines, or if the child's parents themselves experience migraine attacks, there is a very high probability that the child (sooner rather than later) will also start having migraine attacks.
Migraine in children: symptoms
- vomiting
- imbalance
- nystagmus
- fear without a reason
- photophobia
- sensitivity to sounds
In children between 4 and 8 years of age, a migraine may be headache-free and limited to these symptoms only. In addition, younger children often suffer from migraine:
- hemiparesis that lasts from several hours to even several days
- speech disorder
- disturbance of consciousness
- visual disturbance
- tinnitus
Migraine in children: natural treatment
First of all, you should closely monitor your child and eliminate all possible risk factors from his life that may cause a migraine attack. In addition, the following are usually much more effective than in adults:
- relaxation exercises
- acupressure
- herbal infusions
- aromatherapy
Migraine in children: drug treatment
The medications we use to treat migraines depends on the age of the child, but just as in the case of adults, be careful not to lead to drug-induced headaches (so-called rebound pain). Young children under the age of 6 are usually given adequate doses of paracetamol oribuprofen. In older children (over 15 years of age), acute migraine attacks are given adult migraine medications, but in appropriately reduced doses.