Migraine in Children - Causes and Preventive measures

Not only in adults, migraine headache can take place in children too. Migraine pain is usually throbbing and is almost always accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In children, the headache is often on both sides of the head, instead of just on one side as in adults. The child may appear pale or glassy-eyed and may be irritable before or during the attack. Periodic vomiting without headache is viewed as a migraine variant and may indicate migraine in later years. Migraine will occur in about one-quarter of migraine sufferers before the age of five and in about half before the age of 20. It can be classified into two types: primary or benign (migraine, tension-type) and secondary (due to underlying, organic causes).
Tension Headaches
This is the most common type of primary headache in children, and emotional factors are the most likely cause. The pain is described as diffuse, sometimes like a tight band around the head, and is usually not associated with nausea or vomiting.
These headaches are almost always related to stressful situations at school, competition, family friction or excessive demands by parents. Discussion with the child and parents is required to determine whether anxiety or depression may be present.
Secondary Headaches
Secondary headaches are a result of some underlying condition. When that condition is treated, the associated headache usually gets better or goes away. Secondary headaches can be caused by many conditions, from harmless to life-threatening. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, muscular incoordination, weakness, seizures, and personality changes. Examples of such conditions are head tumors or masses, injuries to head or neck, fever caused by flu, Meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord), Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), Sinusitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of any sinus) and Subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain membranes).

Prevention
It is important for kids and their parents to identify what causes or triggers the headaches. For example, stress, anxiety, depression, a change in routine or sleep pattern, bright light, loud noises, or certain foods, food additives, and beverages. Too much physical activity or too much sun can trigger a migraine in some children or adolescents as well.
Some common dietary triggers are:

• Tyramine: Individuals with low levels of a substance called phenol sulfotransferase P are believed to be sensitive to dietary monoamines (a type of molecule) such as tyramine and phenylethylamine. Cultured dairy products (for example, aged cheese, sour cream, buttermilk), chocolate, and citrus fruits are believed to cause vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) in certain people. Some migraines may be triggered by artificial sweeteners.
  



• Beverages: Alcoholic beverages (especially red wine) and excess of or withdrawal from caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, cocoa, or colas may trigger a migraine headache. Migraineurs should limit caffeinated sources to no more than two cups per day to prevent caffeine-withdrawal headaches. Caffeine can be found in chocolate-containing foods and candies; therefore, children with migraines should avoid them.
  



• Nitrates and nitrites: These vasodilating agents are found in preserved meats. Examples of foods containing these chemicals include lunch meats, processed meats, smoked fish, sausage, pork and beans with bacon, sausage, salami, pastrami, liverwurst, hotdogs, ham, corned beef, corn dogs, beef jerky, bratwurst, and bacon.
  



• Monosodium glutamate (MSG): MSG is a flavor enhancer and vasodilator found in many processed foods. Food labels should be checked carefully. MSG sources include Accent seasoning, bacon bits, baking mixtures, basted turkey, bouillon cubes, chips (potato, corn), croutons, dry-roasted peanuts, breaded foods, frozen dinners, gelatins, certain Asian foods and soy sauce, pot pies, relishes, salad dressing, soups, and yeast extract

Treatment methods
1) At the time of attack, parents or caregivers should have the child lie down in a cool, dark, quiet room to help him or her fall asleep.
2) Medications: There are three categories of headache medications for children, including symptomatic relief and abortive and preventive medications. Many of the drugs used to treat adult headaches are used in smaller doses to treat headaches in children and adolescents. But, aspirin should not be used to treat headaches in children under age 15. Aspirin can cause Reye's syndrome, a rare, but fatal condition, young kids can get.
3)Biofeedback: Biofeedback equipment includes sensors connected to the body to monitor your child's involuntary physical responses to headaches, such as breathing, pulse, heart rate, temperature, muscle tension, and brain activity. By learning to recognize these physical reactions and how the body responds in stressful situations, biofeedback can help your child learn how to release and control tension that causes headaches.
4)Stress management: teach the child ways to cope or remove the stressful activities or events.

Teachers, beware! It may not be an excuse if your students say that they keep having headaches(they may not be lying).