7 Causes Of Headaches In Children

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

7 causes of headaches in children

Parents are usually not alarmed when a child complains of a headache - if it is accompanied by a cold illness with fever and severe fever. As a rule, with the correct treatment prescribed by a doctor, all the symptoms of the disease disappear, and with them the head stops hurting. But what about the fact that the baby complained of pain in the head, while being completely healthy? How to take it - as an alarming symptom or just a child's invention?

Why would a healthy child suddenly have headaches? Parents often believe that this is a purely "adult" ailment, and this simply does not happen in children. And they are mistaken.

In fact, the head can hurt regardless of the number of years lived. It affects very young children, adolescents, and people of mature age. According to the international classification, there are 13 main groups and 162 types of headaches. Surprisingly, many of these types are not directly related to head problems.

Therefore, it is very important to correctly identify the root cause of the ailment in order to deal with it, and not with painful sensations. Of course, it is impossible to consider all the reasons here, but it is quite realistic to identify several of those that can cause severe headaches that appear, seemingly from scratch.

Content:

• Vascular disorders
• Improper nutrition
• Migraine
• Neurological problems
• Head injury
• Psychological problems
• External factors

Vascular disorders

Of all the vascular diseases in babies, hypertension is the most common. This term, derived from two Greek words - "hyper" and "tonos", literally means "excessive stress".

Essential hypertension occurs as a result of impaired blood circulation in the brain. With strong pressure surges, the vessels narrow. It does not matter whether this phenomenon is permanent or temporary - the main thing is that the various systems of the body are not sufficiently supplied with blood. This affects them negatively; especially the brain suffers. The reason for the diagnosis "hypertension" is a systematic (within a month - more than three times) increase in blood pressure.

The factors that provoke the development of hypertension can be: heredity, weather conditions, sleep disorders, etc. Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper daily routine are very important as preventive measures against hypertension.

Do not rush to give your child medicine - first take a short walk in the fresh air with him. Against this type of headache, soothing tea with chamomile or mint, infusion of hops, cloves, flowers of meadow clover and geraniums (1 tablespoon is poured into a glass of boiling water, infused until it cools. Take a quarter of a glass before meals) and beet juice (a third of a glass of 3 -4 times a day)

If the child has mild hypertension, the headache quickly stops. In more severe cases, medications are indispensable. Without proper treatment, hypertension can lead to pathological changes in blood vessels and internal organs.

Improper nutrition

Headache attacks in children under five years of age are often triggered by eating certain foods. For example, sausages, sausages, and other processed meats may contain nitrite, a preservative that stimulates vasoconstriction. For an adult, this dose does not pose any danger, and the child's body does not know how to react to preservatives. A headache attack is caused by the substance tyramine, which is abundantly found in nuts, yeast and some types of cheese.

Supplements containing sodium chloride, sodium nitrite, and aspartame can also cause pain. An overdose of vitamin A is also dangerous. In addition, the baby's condition is affected by the nutrition of his mother during pregnancy. If she did not eat enough while waiting for the baby, especially in the last trimester, this could lead to a decrease in her blood sugar. This negatively affects the function of the child's brain and leads to the fact that immediately after birth he will suffer from headaches.

If the cause is indeed a poor diet, the headache is often accompanied by severe vomiting or an upset stomach. Give your child a drink as often as possible, otherwise dehydration may occur. It is useful to give your child green tea with mint, elderflower flowers or St. John's wort. An infusion of birch leaves will help relieve an attack of pain (pour 1 tablespoon with a glass of boiling water, leave for a couple of hours and drink it cold).

If your baby is prone to pain attacks, it is important to eat small meals at least five times a day and avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. All necessary vitamins and supplements can only be prescribed by a doctor. It is important to observe their dosage, in no case exceeding it.

Migraine

Experts believe that the gene that causes migraine is hereditary and transmitted through the maternal line. So if a mother suffers from migraine attacks, then this ailment will most likely be transmitted to her child. Migraines are caused by insufficient production of serotonin in the brain (this substance is directly related to headaches). Migraine attacks are characterized by throbbing pain in one side of the head, accompanied by dizziness and nausea.

It is not yet possible to completely cure migraine, but it is quite possible to remove its attack. Sleeping in the fresh air or in a ventilated area will help block a just-begun attack.

• Freshly squeezed viburnum or black currant juice is also an excellent remedy for migraines.
• You can drink a decoction of St. John's wort (1 tablespoon of dried herb is poured into a glass of water and boiled for 10 minutes over low heat, and then infused under a lid; drink a tablespoon before meals) or potato juice (two tablespoons twice a day).
• It is helpful to massage your head before bed. The massage is done with both hands, starting from the forehead, gently leading to the back of the head.

Neurological problems

Neuralgic headache occurs when the trigeminal nerve is damaged. A characteristic feature of this type of pain is repeated painful sensations with a small time interval, sharp and short, like an electric shock. Sometimes the pain increases with coughing, sneezing and even sudden head movement. Sometimes it is accompanied by involuntary contractions of the facial muscles. The causes of neuralgic pain are mainly colds and certain types of infectious diseases (mumps), as well as problems with the cervical vertebrae.

In this case, the pills can only provide temporary relief. It is good to treat neuralgia with heat, so warming up (solux, UHF, sandbags, etc.) can give a good effect. Acute attacks of pain are relieved by a warm compress from cabbage leaves (instead of them, you can take plantain leaves) and radish juice.

You can also give your child a tincture of wormwood or yarrow (1 tablespoon per glass of boiling water, insist until it cools down and drink 5-6 times a day, a tablespoon). To prevent problems with the cervical vertebrae, it is important to monitor the baby's posture. Do not place it on a soft bed, but instead of a pillow, use a special neck support roller.

Head injury

It is quite common for children to experience head injuries, which can lead to brain injuries. The most noticeable sign of head injury is loss of consciousness after a fall. But sometimes there are no visible symptoms: the child fell, hit, cried and calmed down. Everything seems to be fine. But if after a while the child became capricious, complains of a headache and darkening before the eyes, this should alert the parents.

Very young children can throw their heads back and constantly arch their backs, their “mother's fontanelle” slightly swells - this is a sure sign that a blow or fall has not been without consequences.

Immediately after falling, you should put the child on the bed and turn off the light if it is too bright. Then rub the bruised area - this will help prevent the formation of edema and bruising. You can just massage gently with your palm, or you can apply a cold compress (with water or ice). Avoid noisy and active games with your baby for several days after falling, and if he shows signs of a concussion, such as dizziness or vomiting, go to the doctor immediately.

Psychological problems

A child's emotional state is directly related to how he feels - this truth has been around for many years. Stressful situations, psychological overload cause a strong tension in the child, and with it comes pain. Under stress, the child's sensitivity to pain decreases due to a decrease in the level of serotonin and endorphin in the brain.

Do not think that stressful conditions can only cause negative emotions, such as depression after separation from parents in kindergarten. An overly eventful day or noisy, outdoor games before bedtime can also cause a headache in the baby. True, it will not be sharp and strong, but its monotony and duration will also not reflect in the best way on the child.

In this case, pain relievers will not help, and the emphasis is on mild sedatives. Overexcitement and the subsequent headache perfectly relieves the peony tincture (twice a day, a teaspoon). Of course, you cannot protect the baby from all the stresses, but you can teach him to develop a protective reaction. It is very important to set the right example here. The child imitates his parents in everything, so if you show him that you are able to maintain self-control and restraint even in the most difficult situations, the baby will learn this from you.

Talk to your child about his fears, doubts and experiences, teach him not to keep them in himself. If you explain to him several times that his worries are unfounded, he will believe you and calm down. It is useful to teach your child to play sports from an early age. You can try modern relaxation techniques such as massage or breathing exercises. And, of course, try to give your child positive emotions - this is a good compensation for stress and a powerful stimulus for relaxation.

External factors

Headaches in infants can be triggered by a number of external factors that an adult may not pay attention to. It is too bright light, lack of fresh air, loud noise. A very small child is not yet able to communicate with the outside world through words - he expresses his displeasure through crying. And parents should be able to identify the root cause of this crying and eliminate it in time.

If a child squints his eyes while crying, twists his head and as if beats her against a pillow, there may be irritating factors that cause the baby to have a headache. In the first three months of life, a child may experience seizures.

This type of pain relieves sleep well in a ventilated room or outdoors (for example, while walking). The child should be comfortable. Some children enjoy the TV background, but try to turn it on as little as possible. Artificial light in the baby's room should be soft and dim, lamps should not shine directly on him. Ventilation is very important - especially in winter, when the central heating is on, making the air dry.

Do not use the popular aroma candles and aroma lamps with a child. These remedies are considered to be soothing and relaxing, but aromatherapy is powerful and it is not known how it will affect the delicate body of children.

PS All of the above remedies for headache relief have contraindications. Please consult your pediatrician before using them.

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The author of the article: Natalya Aleshina, consultant - pediatrician Shimanova Tatyana Dmitrievna