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Headaches in children are, contrary to appearances, a common ailment. Sometimes the causes can be very prosaic – then they indicate hunger, dehydration, crying fatigue (this happens especially often in infants). It is usually easy for parents to make pain go away or ease quickly because of an easily identified cause. However, it also happens that the pain occurs often, comes back paroxysmally and makes it difficult for the child to function normally. Such a situation should motivate you to go to the doctor as soon as possible. What are the causes of headaches in children?
Headaches in children – recognize the types and find their cause
Frequent headaches in a child they can be a simple, self-contained symptom, but they can also indicate another disease. Sometimes it’s a simple symptom of neuralgia. It is not always easy to identify the source of pain. So what could be the reasons for this? Most often, children have headaches when they are sleep deprived, spend too much time in front of the computer, lack physical activity, and additionally eat poorly. Headache in the temples in a child it is usually the result of stress experienced by them in the afternoons and evenings. Sometimes excruciating headache it is an accompanying element of infection, which can be dealt with in a simple way – by administering painkillers or antipyretics. Headache in children it is often the result of the body being attacked by parasites, then additionally there is abdominal pain, restless sleep. Another case in which a headache is inevitable is sinusitis. Then it will not be possible without a visit to the laryngologist.
While the above situations refer to easily treatable diseases, it also happens that frequent headaches in children can mean much more serious diseases or be the result of an injury. Such an event is not difficult in the case of children – any blows to the head that result in prolonged pain, vomiting, inability to concentrate, memory loss – should mobilize parents to immediately see a doctor. Another dangerous situation of this type, where there is an intense feeling of headache, is meningitis. This dangerous disease is most often associated with severe pain in the forehead area. An even more serious situation is the association of headache in children with neurological problems. Then the pain occurs at night, often recurs, accompanied by other symptoms, such as vomiting, dizziness, convulsions. In this case, it will not happen without a properly made diagnosis of a neurologist.
How to recognize headaches that may indicate a serious illness?
First of all, you should observe the symptoms, try to combine them with each other. It is very important to localize the pain – whether it occurs in a specific area or is felt as radiating to the entire head. Another important issue is to determine the frequency of pain, the time of day when it intensifies, its intensity, and spreads. It is equally important to identify the other symptoms that accompany the pain – whether there is vomiting, dizziness, memory problems, concentration disorders. Attempts to relieve pain should bring knowledge about what helps us to alleviate this pain and whether the methods we choose are sufficient and bring a long-term, positive effect. It is worth carefully observing the situations in which it appears – whether it is sometimes simply a direct result of the difficulties experienced in life.
The question remains, how do you distinguish between a typical idiopathic headache and a disturbing symptom that indicates a serious illness? Particular attention should be paid to situations where they occur headaches they are paroxysmal, intensify at night and gradually increase in intensity over time. A dangerous symptom is a disturbing change in behavior, slowing down, epileptic seizures – this certainly cannot be ignored and overlooked by parents.