Stop Migraine Headaches

Parents often think that children just want to skip school when they say they have a pounding headache.  That may be true for some, but for other kids, they are in fact experiencing the onslaught of a migraine.  So what are the telltale signs in children?

Headaches

The main indicator of migraine is an excruciating headache.  There is a throbbing or pulsating ache in your head as if a drum is being whacked.

Worse, it can be exacerbated by movement, like walking. The pain is usually on one side of the head (unilateral), though pain on both sides (bilateral) may also occur.  The headache may last from a few hours to as much as two days.  Sometimes, the ache only dissipates after a good slumber.

Migraine Aura

An aura is a warning sign or indicator about the impending migraine.  Auras may vary from child to child.  Some examples of which include the following:

• Shadows and flashing lights in their vision
• Feelings of pins and needles
• Craving for specific foods
• Partial paralysis or muscle weakness on one side of the body (hemiparesis)
• Language impairment (aphasia)
• Numbness and tingling sensation on both sides of the head (bilateral paresthesias)

Others

A whole range of manifestations may make itself known to the child migraineur (migraine sufferer).  Below are other symptoms your kids may exhibit in their bout with migraine:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• Sensitivity to sound (phonophobia)
• Sensitivity to odours (osmophobia)
• Slow speech
• Vertigo
• Diminished hearing
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Diminished awareness or consciousness
• Double vision (dilopia)
• Inability to co-ordinate voluntary muscular movement (ataxia)

It isn’t easy to pin down a headache to migraine.  However, physicians will normally check on the following to verify if your child:

• Experienced a minimum of 5 migraine attacks (without aura) or 2 migraine attacks with aura
• Had migraine episodes which lasted from 1 to 3 days
• Has other illness or condition that may be contributing to the headache

Get Migraine Relief Now

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Going healthy is all the buzz these days.  Words like organic, pure, all-natural, whole wheat and fat free are the rage among people who want to eat more sensibly.

The same approach is used by some parents whose children suffer from migraines.  They are more inclined to try natural migraine remedies over medicines to give their kids some relief.  Below are some tips for the concerned parents:

Rest

Have your child sleep in a dark and quiet room at the onset of a migraine.  Place a cool cloth over their forehead.  Prompt your kids to go to bed early.  most times, sleep eases a migraine.

Learn to cope with stress

Despite their young age, children also face stress.  Pressure may come from school, social relationships, friends, family and the like.  As parents, you can help your kids cope.  One, learn to relax either through yoga, regular exercise or muscle relaxation techniques.  Two, read books or listen to tapes on relieving stress.  Three, see a therapist for advice on stress management.  In a study, two-thirds of the children who availed of materials on stress alleviation had lower headache incidences.  Likewise, half of the children who saw a therapist had improved conditions.

Identify the migraine triggers

It is plausible that your kids’ diet may be what is giving them the migraine.  Though the link hasn’t been conclusively established, it’s probably best to avoid ingesting foods and drinks which precede the attack.  Make your children keep a diary of what they consume on a daily basis.  Note down the days when the attack occurred.  This might help isolate and identify a trigger that sets off the migraine.  Some popular food triggers are caffeine, aged cheese, nuts and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a technique that teaches an individual to regulate their bodily functions, like temperature and blood flow, to deal with pain or for relaxation purposes.  However, training is needed for children to effectively utilize this procedure.

There are many natural migraine remedies out there for children’s migraine.  Just do your research and always consult a physician.

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If parents can shield their children from migraine pain, they would, in a heartbeat.  It is always agonizing for parents to see their kids wrenching in pain.  But take heart, you can do something for them.  Before reading on, an important caveat, ALWAYS consult your doctor before giving your children any medication.  Below are some ideas that might help.

Sumatriptan

Sumatriptan belongs to a group of drugs called triptans.  Triptans remedy migraines and headaches by constricting the blood vessels. Imigran is the brand name of Sumatriptan and may be taken at the onset of a headache.  Sumatriptan comes in tablet form for older children and nasal spray for the younger ones.  The tablet form is not recommended for those under 18 years old, except only as prescribed by a physician.  Though the tablet is effective for adults, not much research has been done to determine its efficacy on children’s migraine.  Nasal spray is advised for children 12 and above and is likewise obtainable via prescription.  Studies show that 65% of children who took the spray experienced less pain while 40% felt completely better.  Possible side effects of the drug are dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, feeling hot and nose irritation.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a common painkiller and are usually in tablet form.  Parents can dissolve the tablet for easier dispensing.  Better yet, give younger children the liquid pain killer Calpol. Though the effectiveness of paracetamol in kids isn’t backed up by studies, it’s nevertheless prescribed by doctors to alleviate children’s migraine. Be wary with dispensing the right dosage for your child.  Taking too much may lead to severe liver damage or worse, cause more headaches.

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs

Ibuprofen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are also pain killers.  Calprofen is a liquid ibuprofen for kids who can’t swallow a pill. Diclofenac, an NSAID, are available over-the-counter for children over 14.  Most NSAIDs are available only with prescription.  Though NSAIDs are suitable for adults, it hasn’t been proven helpful for children. Nonetheless, it is sometimes recommended for kids.  NSAID can sometimes instigate an upset stomach in kids or worsen asthma.

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Adults often think that children don’t have a care in the world.  Images of kids frolicking in the sun and giggling their hearts out make the grown-ups green with envy.  But children do face stress, pressure, anxiety and unfortunately, illness, just like everyone else.  One such condition that afflicts both the young ones and adults are migraines.

Not many are aware that children’s migraine is a reality kids are confronted with.  Though statistics vary, about 5-10% of children (aged 5-15) experience migraines during their childhood and up to 25% in adolescent females.  During the high school years, approximately 20% of the adolescents endure migraines.  Unfortunately for the girls, they are more predisposed to have the headaches than the boys.

A migraine is normally an excruciating pounding headache accompanied by nausea that occurs from time to time. The pulsing pain generally starts in the forehead, the side of the head or around the eye area.  Gradually, the headache will progress and become more intense.  Vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise are fairly common occurrences.  Sometimes, an “aura” or shadows in their vision is experienced at the onset of the headache.

The exact cause of migraines is still unknown.  However, there are several assumptions proffered by the scientific community.  Probable causes are as strong odours, fatigue, depression, change in sleep patterns, skipping meals, hormonal changes, heredity, intense physical exertion and diet.  Common food triggers include processed meat, aged cheese, excessive caffeine intake, chocolates and beans.  Work closely with your child to identify the food triggers through the process of elimination.

Below are some helpful tips parents can make their kids do the ease their children’s migraine:

• Get 8-10 hours of sleep at night
• Drink 4-8 glasses of water
• Eat a balanced and sensible diet
• Steer clear of food triggers
• Exercise regularly
• Preventive medicine prescribed by your doctor
• Rest in quiet and dark place

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The Truth Behind Kids and Migraines

Children get migraines too. This is not a condition confined to adulthood.  Studies have even recounted that infants may develop migraines, but this is tough to confirm.

Existing calculations indicate that up to 10% of children between 5-15 years old suffer from  migraines, increasing to 28% in the 15-19 age range.  Migraine headaches have  a valid effect on the quality of life for children.  The high percentage of youngsters that undergo migraines makes them a foremost childhood health crisis.

Spotting children’s migraine is comparable to analysing adult migraines with a few significant exceptions.  The International Headache Society’s criteria states that the headache ought to last 4 to 72 hours. Children’s migraines are commonly much quicker and this detail needs to be taken into account when attempting to analyse them.  Adult migraines are customarily one-sided, but children’s  commonly include pain on both sections of the head.  These headaches should not be dismissed just because they are not one-sided.

For a good number of  child migraineurs (people bearing with migraine headaches) the headaches commence between 5 and 11 years of age.  Prior to puberty, the figure of male and female youngsters with migraines is about identical.  Subsequent to puberty, girls are to a great extent more prone than boys are to experience migraines, most probably due to  comparable hormonal issues that make the number of adult women migraineurs three times more than that of the men.

Lots of child migraineurs are fortunate enough to have their condition go away during puberty or upon reaching adulthood.  However, people who have migraines as children are much more probable to become adult migraineurs than those who did not have them as a young person.

Adult migraine sufferers should pay attention to migraine signs in their youngsters, especially if the other parent also puts up with migraines.  A young person with two migraineur parents has a 70% chance of becoming someone who sufferers with children’s migraines too

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Non-Drug Treatment for Child Migraines

The last thing most parents want to do is give their child a drug.  Yet, when that child is a migraineur (a person with recurring migraine headaches), as are a reported 10-28% of children under the age of 19, many think they have no choice.

This is simply not right.  In fact, the majority of pediatric neurology experts will advise alternate remedies before drugs for safety reasons.  Many non-drug treatments are accessible for child migraine sufferers.  As with any complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) treatment, the patient’s specialist should be a part of the unit formulating the assessments and overseeing care.

One of the most regular non-drug therapy substitute is temperature therapy.  The employment of a warm or cool compress mitigates pain for many.  Rest the hot or cold pack to the section of the most extreme pain, taking care to insulate it so no harm to the child’s skin arises.

Sleep typically mitigates the suffering of adult migraineurs.  The length of children’s migraines is commonly shorter than that of an adult.  A catnap taken in a shady, peaceful corner can get rid of some migraines altogether.

Scheduling can be an aspect in minimizing the regularity of child migraines.  Unlike adults, who suffer stress in  an intense, periodic manner, children ordinarily experience a steady stress level, particularly during the school year.  Launching a regular routine, plus time to rest and an age-suitable sleep timetable, aids many youthful migraineurs.

Relaxation training, together with education in self-hypnosis and guided imagery, is becoming the remedy  alternative for frequent pediatric migraines.  Examinations on the topic confirm that over half of the pediatric patients who learn these relaxation approaches go through less frequent migraines, but with no lessening in pain intensity when they do have one.

There are scores of options for child migraine treatment, do not be frightened to ask the specialist about drug substitutes. Here is a good read of migraine symptoms in children

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