Generality
Headache in children (or cephalalgia, if you prefer) is a more widespread disorder than one might think; in fact, it is estimated that at least 30% of school-age children suffer from it.
Types of headaches
Although there are numerous forms of headache, these can be broadly divided into two large groups:
- Primary headaches, which are considered as real pathologies and whose cause is often not immediately identifiable. Usually, they are caused by environmental or hormonal factors, or they can be related to incorrect lifestyle habits. Tension headache and migraine belong to this group.
- Secondary headaches which are, on the other hand, triggered by other pathologies and which, as such, constitute one of the symptoms of these same diseases.
However, the most common forms of headache in the pediatric population are the primary ones, such as migraine with or without aura (which mainly affects children during early childhood) and tension headache (which occurs mainly in adolescents). .
Epidemiology and Risk Factors
Headache is a disorder that affects both male and female children.
However, after the age of ten, the incidence of this disorder is higher in females than in males.
Familiarity is one of the main risk factors that favor its onset. In fact, the children of people who suffer from headaches are more likely to develop the disorder in question.
Causes
In addition to the familiarity factor, headaches in children can be triggered by causes of various origins and nature, including:
- Stress, both physical and psychological;
- Involuntary contraction of the muscles of the neck, shoulders and face, due to inflammatory musculoskeletal pathologies, incorrect posture, states of tension or states of anxiety;
- Sleep disorders;
- Climatic changes;
- Incorrect power supply;
- Constipation;
- Motion sickness;
- Sinusitis;
- Visual disturbances;
- Tooth ailments.
As mentioned, in some cases the headache can be the symptom of even very serious underlying diseases, such as, for example, head trauma, meningo-brain inflammation and brain tumors.
For this reason, headache in children should never be underestimated, particularly if it occurs in association with symptoms such as high fever, dizziness, visual disturbances, stiff neck and lethargy.
Symptoms and Complications
As mentioned, the most common forms of headache in the pediatric population are migraine and tension headache. The symptoms of these two types of headache are slightly different.
The typical symptoms of migraine are:
- Intense throbbing pain in the head which, in most cases, is bilateral;
- Nausea and vomit;
- Abdominal pain
- Pain in the limbs;
- Stiff neck;
- Dizziness;
- Pallor;
- Irritability (symptom that occurs mainly in infants and very young children);
- Photophobia;
- Osmophobia;
- Phonophobia;
- Blurred vision
- Speech disorders;
- Tingling in the limbs.
The typical symptoms of tension headache, on the other hand, consist of:
- Perception of persistent and constricting pain of medium-light intensity;
- Pain of the pericranial muscles;
- Photophobia;
- Phonophobia.
Headaches in children can lead to important consequences and have a decidedly negative impact on the child's life. In fact, this disorder can cause behavioral problems, difficulty concentrating (making school learning difficult), agitation and anxiety disorders.
The severity of the consequences of headache in children strongly depends on the intensity of the headache attacks and the frequency with which they occur.
Pharmacological therapy
For the treatment of headache in children, first of all, it is essential to determine which type of headache the pediatric patient is suffering from (primary or secondary).
In the case of secondary headache, it is very important to identify, then treat, the primary cause that caused it. For this reason, in case of headache, it is good to take the child to the pediatrician, who - once the cause has been discovered triggering - will provide the indications to be followed to combat this disorder and, possibly, will also institute an "adequate therapy.
For the treatment of primary headache, however, the pediatrician may decide to prescribe the administration of analgesic or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain, such as paracetamol (Tachipirina®) or ibuprofen (Antalfebal®).
The dose of drug to be given to the child depends on his age and body weight; therefore, the exact dosage of the medicine will be established by the doctor on a strictly individual basis.
Useful Tips
As we have seen, headache in children is a disorder that affects their daily life in a very negative way. In addition to any drug therapy that the pediatrician may decide to prescribe, the child's parents can follow some simple advice aimed at preventing and reducing headache attacks.
- Make the child assume a regular lifestyle, characterized by a "healthy diet;
- As far as possible, put the baby to sleep every night at the same time, always letting him rest the same number of hours;
- Do not overload the child with activities, so as not to subject him to overexertion and stress.
