MIGRAINES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: WHAT CHARACTERISTICS THEY PRESENT AND HOW WE SHOULD TREAT THEM

According to the Spanish Society of Neurology, Migraine is the type of headache that causes the most disability worldwide, being also the cause of 75% of the headaches experienced by children and adolescents.

We explain to you what symptoms migraine presents in childhood, and how we can help our child if he suffers from this type of headache.

Symptoms of migraine

Migraine is much more than a headache, because sometimes its impact can be such that the patient's routine is altered for a few days. When we talk about children or adolescents, the impact of migraine also reaches the rest of the family members.

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Migraine has certain characteristics that differentiate it from other headaches:

Its onset is usually abrupt or sudden
It usually affects only one side of the head, and pain can be associated around the eye on the same side. There are also children who manifest pain along the entire forehead.
It is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Intense light or sound aggravates the pain.
His episodes usually repeat more or less frequently.

All these symptoms interfere with the child's life, since the intensity of the pain is usually enough to not be able to continue with the activities or the daily rhythm, or do it with difficulty.

There is also a type of migraine known as "migraine with aura" where there are a number of neurological symptoms that precede or encamp the headache, such as vision disturbances, muscle weakness, difficulties with speech or tingling in the hands or face.

As usual, migraine episodes usually last between four and 72 hours, depending on its type, the intensity of the symptoms or / and the treatment used.

At what age do the episodes begin?

The average age of onset is between seven and ten years old, and On 20% of the occasions the first epidosium takes place before the age of five. Very rarely migraines occur in children below two years.

It affects both boys and girls equally, although upon reaching puberty the rate of migraines becomes more noticeable among women.

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How is it diagnosed

50% of the time children with migraines have parents or a close relative who also suffers, which helps the doctor quickly identify this type of headache.

Usually, the description that the parents and the child make of the pain, its location and the physical and neurological examination are enough to diagnose migraines.

What to do if my child has migraines?

There may be certain Factors that trigger migraines in children. Therefore, pediatricians recommend preparing a diary in order to determine (and avoid) possible triggers.

Among the risk factors are:

Certain foods such as cheese and chocolate, and in the case of teenagers, there may also be triggers such as alcohol or coffee.
Stress.
The hormonal changes that occur in adolescence.
Tiredness or lack of sleep.

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When the migraine has already made an appearance we must ensure the child's rest, providing a comfortable environment free of visual and sound stimuli. Sometimes the pain disappears after the child sleeps, although at other times it is necessary to administer paracetamol or ibuprofen, following the pediatrician's instructions.

In those more serious cases in which the pain does not cease with medication or the episodes are very repeated, the doctor could indicate a prophylactic treatment.