Contents:
- Medical Video: Headaches in Kids
- What are the causes of headaches in children?
- 1. Don't have breakfast or lunch
- 2. Dehydration
- 3. Stress
- 4. Infection
- 5. Head injury
- 6. Tumor in the head
- When headaches occur, should parents worry?
Medical Video: Headaches in Kids
Seeing a sick child is certainly a very hard thing for parents. Headaches in children are one of the most common problems, but are often underestimated. In fact, the causes of headaches in children can vary, from just being due to fatigue to indicating a serious health problem in children.
What are the causes of headaches in children?
Quoted from the NHS UK, children and adolescents experience at least one headache once a year. Symptoms of headaches in children are similar to symptoms in adults, namely headaches, pale face, lethargy, nausea, and vomiting.
However, the cause of headaches in children may be different from adults. The causes of headaches in children include:
1. Don't have breakfast or lunch
Children must eat breakfast not only to fulfill their nutrition in the morning before the activity, but also prevent it from headaches. Lunch too.
Children who rarely have breakfast and lunch are prone to headaches. As a result, children become weak throughout the day and cannot be free to play with their peers.
The content of nitrate (a type of food preservative) in meat and sausages can also cause headaches in children. Some types of foods or drinks that contain caffeine such as soda, chocolate, coffee, and tea can also have a similar effect.
2. Dehydration
Dehydration due to lack of drinking or excessive exercise can cause children to be prone to headaches. When dehydrated, the brain will lack oxygen supply and cause excessive pressure on the head. As a result, the child will experience a headache.
So, always equip your child with a bottle of drinking water so that he is not dehydrated while at school. That way, children also become healthier and avoid the risk of headaches.
3. Stress
If your child complains of headaches when going home from school, try asking how his daily life is at school. It could be that your child has just been scolded by the teacher or quarreled with his peers to cause stress.
Yes, stress can be one of the causes of headaches in children. Even children with depression often complain of headaches, especially if they are sad or lonely.
4. Infection
Colds, flu, ear infections, and sinuses are some of the most common causes of headaches in children. However, if accompanied by fever and a stiff sensation in the neck, this can be a sign of a more serious infection in the child's body, for example meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
5. Head injury
Lumps or bruises on the head can cause children to experience headaches. Although most head injuries are relatively mild, still take your child to the doctor if he has just fallen or been hit by a hard blow to the head. This aims to avoid the risk of bleeding in the child's head.
6. Tumor in the head
In rare cases, tumors or bleeding in the brain can cause chronic headaches, and this can occur in children. Even so, headaches that lead to tumors do not stand alone, because they are usually followed by other symptoms, such as vision problems and days of dizziness.
When headaches occur, should parents worry?
Don't panic when the child complains of headaches. According to Professor MacGregor of the Center for Neuroscience and Trauma at the Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, headaches in children usually only last for half an hour. After that, the headache will disappear and recover faster. In fact, children can go back to playing outside, as if they have never felt a headache.
Even so, you also shouldn't take it for granted. Headaches in children need to be aware of if:
- It often happens, at least once a month
- Children complain of headaches when they wake up and not disappear, even though the child is sleeping enough
- The pain occurs continuously and tends to be severe
- Followed by other symptoms such as fever, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision
- The child fainted
If your child has the above signs, immediately bring him to the doctor for further examination.
