Migraine in Children: Is Is Just a Headache?

Globally, migraine is ranked as the 7th most disabling disease among all diseases. It is also reported that migraine in children causes 2.75 million missed school days. Surprising, isn't it? Learn more about this neurological condition, its symptoms, causes, and treatments.

What Is Migraine?

A migraine is a complex neurological condition with a wide variety of symptoms. The most common symptom out of all is an excruciating, debilitating headache on one side of the head. The migraine headaches tend to recur in an individual resulting in sickness, dizziness and affecting their quality of life. The pain caused by migraines may turn from moderate to severe if left untreated. According to facts, a migraine in children may last for as little as an hour. However, it may last as long as three days. Besides, kids tend to be symptom-free between attacks.

Types of a Migraine

There are mainly two types of a migraine, i.e., migraine with aura and migraine without aura.

Migraine with Aura

For kids with a migraine, auras (disturbances of the senses) act as a warning. These auras are an indication of an upcoming headache. The signs of an aura can include:

• difficulty in speaking
• zig-zagging lines in the visual field
• confusing thoughts
• the perception of sparkling or flashing lights
• needles and pins pricking feeling in an arm or leg
• blind spots or blank patches in the vision
• stiffness in the shoulders, neck, or limbs
• unpleasant smells
• loss of sensation

When migraines with aura happen, they mainly create visual disturbances in the person. For instance, an individual may experience disturbances like flashes of light, blind spots, and other vision changes. In some cases, a person may also experience tingling in hand or face. Therefore, the above signs should not be ignored.

Migraine without Aura

Approximately 70-90% of the people experience a migraine without aura. This type of migraine is more prevalent than migraine with aura. In this type of a migraine, the headache is usually on one side of the head with throbbing or pulsating pain. The pain from this type of migraine affects the normal daily life and worsens when an individual performs the everyday exercise such as walking or climbing stairs. During this type of migraine, kids may be likely to feel sick and may vomit or have diarrhoea.

Migraine Symptoms in Children

Migraine symptoms are the same in children as they are in adults. However, the severity or time duration of pain may differ as per the age. For instance, migraine in children may last 3-4 hours, whereas in adults, migraines last at least four hours. Some of the common migraine symptoms in children are:

• throbbing, pulsating or pounding headache
• visual distortions
• upset stomach, nausea, vomiting
• extreme sensitivity to light, noise and/or smells
• fatigue
• flushing
• mood changes
• dizziness
• loss of appetite
• abdominal pain
• pain that worsens with exertion

Even infants can have migraines. A kid who is too young to explain what is wrong may cry and hold the head to signify severe pain.

What Are the Causes of a Migraine in Children?

The exact causes of migraine headaches are unknown. Often, migraines may happen due to a temporary deficiency of the brain chemical serotonin. Other than this, here are some common factors that are responsible for headache in children, including:

• emotional factors - stress and anxiety caused due to stressful relations with friends, teachers or parents can play a significant role in children's headaches. Children may complain of headaches, mainly if they have trouble recognising feelings of loneliness and are sad.
• genetics - headaches, chiefly migraines, tend to run in families
• certain food and beverages - food preservatives like nitrates found in cured meats, such as bologna, bacon, and hot dogs can trigger headaches. On the other hand, food additive MSG and too much caffeine can also cause a migraine.
• head trauma - severe bruises and bumps are another factors that can cause headaches. Seek prompt medical care if a child gets hit hard in the head or falls hard on their head. Also, consult a doctor if a child's head pain gradually worsens after a head injury.
• illness and infection - common conditions such as flu, colds, ear, and sinus infections are some of the most common causes of migraine in children. More-severe infections, such as meningitis or encephalitis, can also cause headaches. However, these are usually accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as fever and neck stiffness.
• neurological disease - rarely, abscess, a brain tumour or bleeding in the brain can cause a persistent, worsening headache.

Triggers of a Migraine in Children

A number of factors, namely can trigger a migraine:

• poor diet - diet plays a vital role in migraine triggers. Diet doesn't mean missing meals; instead, it means eating healthy. Besides, there are some foods like olives, beans, red plums, citrus fruits, etc., that trigger migraine. Therefore, these should be avoided as much as possible.
• lack of sleep - most of the times, people complain of a headache due to incomplete sleep, which is certainly one trigger of a migraine. On the other hand, too much sleep can also bring on a migraine.
• dehydration - dehydration is one of the major yet highly ignored triggers of a migraine. Therefore, encourage children to drink water at regular intervals to avoid making the migraine worse.
• menstruation - studies say most teenage girls experience their first migraine attack before or during their period cycle. Both the events together can be highly traumatic.
• stress - even school going kids deal stress nowadays, and it is one of the leading triggers of migraine in children. Worries about tests, due assignments, family conflicts, bullying, and teasing everything affect kids.
• extensive exercise - sudden encounter to extensive physical exercise, such as running, can trigger a migraine attack.
• computers/TV - excessive usage of laptops, tablets, TV or computers is another trigger for migraines.

What Is the Possible Treatment for Migraine?

Migraines cannot be treated all at once. They may take time to show improvements and make the condition better. Doctors generally suggest the following methods for treating migraines.

• Painkillers

Also known as an acute or abortive treatment, painkillers are advised to be taken during migraine attacks. These types of medications tend to stop the pain. Besides, they work best if the patient rests or sleep in a dark room after taking them. Some of the common painkillers include aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, etc.

• Triptans

Triptans narrows blood vessels and block pain pathways in the brain. These effectively ease the pain and other symptoms that are associated with migraines. Triptan medications include rizatriptan (Maxalt),sumatriptan (Imitrex), almotriptan (Axert), zolmitriptan (Zomig), naratriptan (Amerge), frovatriptan (Frova) and eletriptan (Relpax). These medications are mostly available in pill, injection and nasal spray form. Side effects of triptans include dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, and muscle weakness. These medications are not recommended for people at risk of heart attacks and strokes.

• Preventive Medications

Preventive medications reduce the incidence, severity, and duration of migraines. These medications may also increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medicines. However, it may take several weeks to see improvements in the symptoms. The most common medications for migraine prevention include antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, cardiovascular drugs, etc.

• Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an extremely safe procedure. However, it should only be completed under the supervision of trained practitioners. In this treatment, a doctor inserts many thin, throwaway needles into several spots of the skin at defined points. This helps in reducing the intensity of migraine attacks.

• Trigger point therapy

Also known as deep tissue massage, this therapy helps in relieving pain, tension, and stress in certain muscles. Not only this, but the therapy also ensures to reduce the prevalence of migraine in children.

• Herbs, vitamins, and minerals

Also known as nutraceuticals, herbs, vitamins, and minerals can also help in treating migraines. Nutraceuticals contain Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Butterbur root—Petadolex™, magnesium and other medications that prevent migraine attacks and reduce the pain. Before considering any treatment, it is strictly advisable to consult a doctor.

How Can Parents Help?

Psychologically, staying on top of the game is difficult for a child with a migraine. On the other hand, it gets tough for the parents to handle the child when migraine attacks hit them. Therefore, here are some tips to prevent such episodes.

• Be attentive towards migraine symptoms and signs.
• Make sure a child is always well hydrated. As dehydration can trigger migraines, keeping them hydrated can help prevent the attacks.
• Limit screen time. As eye strain is another trigger of a migraine, a child should take breaks after 45 minutes to prevent a migraine.
• Ensure the teachers at their school are aware of their migraines. Also, keep them informed about the medication a child uses.
• Help the child to figure out what triggers their migraines and record their attacks in a diary. This way, they will know what things to avoid.
• Ensure a child regularly exercises. An active routine can help prevent migraines and help them establish healthy habits.
• Prevent the inclusion of caffeine and sugary snacks in their diet as they induce a migraine.
• Lack of sleep is a common trigger of a migraine. Ensure a child gets enough sleep for about 8-10 hours during the night.
• Migraines can affect a child socially as well. Help the child to express their feelings about their condition and how they can explain it to others in the school.

A migraine is a complicated condition which varies from person-to-person. What may work for one child may not work for another. Therefore, be patient and do not give up. It is a treatable condition, and the doctors will help the child get through it.