Pay attention to 5 important symptoms associated with headaches in children

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Specialist in pediatric neurology Assoc. Dr. Hepsen Mein Serin stated that contrary to popular belief, not all headaches are harbingers of a tumor: “Headaches have many causes and the diagnosis can be easily made with a detailed history and neurological examination. However, if a child complains of frequent headaches, has difficulty doing daily activities, does not want to go to school, and cannot do homework, it is imperative to see a doctor. An important point that families should pay attention to is not to give painkillers to a child who has a headache. Because frequent painkillers can cause children’s headaches to last longer and be more severe, making it difficult to treat.” speaks.

CHILDREN WILL ALSO HAVE MIGRAINES

Migraine, which can affect almost any age, also develops in children, and its incidence especially increases during adolescence. Recurrent and recurring headaches, such as migraines, can have a negative impact on children’s quality of life. Migraine symptoms in children may be slightly different from those in adults. For example, seizures can subside in less than an hour. Usually, unlike in adults, pain can affect both areas of the head. As with adults, children may experience problems such as dizziness, sensitivity to light and smells, blurred vision, and fatigue. In addition to a detailed history taking, a neurological examination is sufficient to diagnose migraine in children. Treatment of migraine is divided into three parts: identifying and eliminating the causes of headache, treating acute attacks of headache and preventive treatment. Planning can be done according to the frequency and severity of the child’s seizures.

CHILDREN’S HEADACHES ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS

Headache is a symptom that occurs as a result of exposure to pain-sensitive structures inside and outside the skull for various reasons. Children’s headaches are divided into two groups: “primary” and “secondary”.

Primary headaches: Migraine and tension headaches are common causes of headaches in childhood, usually during adolescence.

Secondary headaches: They occur due to viral and bacterial infections, nasal congestion, dental caries, visual disturbances, hypertension, brain tumor, hydrocephalus, cerebral hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury.

DON’T MISS 5 IMPORTANT SIGNS

Headaches in children can be a sign of serious problems such as mass phenomena, cerebral hemorrhage, and hydrocephalus. It is extremely important to intervene quickly in such tables. Specialist in pediatric neurology Assoc. Dr. Hepsen Mine Serin lists symptoms requiring immediate medical attention:

Especially the first and most severe headache in his life, or a headache that gets worse from time to time and changes in its characteristics.

Headache accompanied by vomiting

Develops early in the morning or is severe enough to wake you up at night

Development of additional complaints such as double vision/blurred vision

Personality and behavior changes

TREATMENT PLANNED FOR THE CAUSE

To treat headaches in children, the underlying cause must first be determined. Specialist in pediatric neurology Assoc. Dr. Hepsen Mine Serin stated that in the treatment of migraine and tension headaches, first of all, measures were taken to improve the quality of life, and continued her words as follows:

“Prophylactic measures can be useful for headaches that have attacks for a long time, but do not cause a deterioration in the general condition of the child. Life habit adjustments are made, such as avoiding migraine-causing nutrients, not skipping meals, reducing screen exposure, providing solutions for stressors, arranging bedtime according to the child’s age, avoiding intense exercise, and organization of study time and homework. . Despite this, if the attacks continue, preventive drug treatment is started to reduce the frequency and severity of pain. For secondary headaches, treatment is planned depending on the underlying cause.

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