Headaches have increased dramatically in childhood and adolescence. Headaches are now the most common localization of pain in adolescence, affecting school, leisure and family life.
Below you will find further information and selected specialists for headaches in children.
Around 20 percent of pre-school children and 50 percent of children at the end of primary school have already experienced headaches.
The frequency increases further during puberty: by the age of 12, 9 out of 10 children have headaches of varying frequency and intensity.
Recurrent headaches lead to concentration problems and affect school performance, enjoyment of life and social behavior.
As in adults, tension headaches are one of the most common causes of headaches in children and adolescents.
Causes can be
In adolescents, social pressure from peer groups and school is added to school pressure.
Migraine-like headaches can also occur in childhood, especially if other family members are also affected.
In childhood, the typical migraine symptoms are not yet fully developed. There are usually mixed symptoms between tension headaches and migraines.
Rarer forms of headache are cluster headaches and drug-induced headaches. Frequent use of painkillers leads to a change in the brain's sensitivity to pain. Finally, non-painful stimuli are also perceived as pain.
The symptoms described so far are primary headaches. However, there are also secondary headaches. Doctors speak of secondary headaches when the headache is the result of another illness. In order to differentiate between primary and secondary headaches, a detailed diagnosis is required in childhood and adolescence.
Tension headaches
When children have tension headaches, they usually feel the pain on both sides of the head, often in the forehead area. The children describe a pressing pain, accompanied by nausea, but without vomiting.
Younger children in particular are unable to clearly name their symptoms and instead describe abdominal pain. Another possible sign of tension headaches is a change in mood. Some children are irritable and fussy. Others withdraw and seem apathetic. The child may also just grab their head.
Headaches in children are usually harmless and can be alleviated with simple measures @ Tatiana Foxy /AdobeStock
Migraine pain often has a pulsating, stabbing character and is usually localized on one side in adolescents. In younger children, it is usually bilateral.
The intensity of the pain is moderate to very severe.
The following additional symptoms usually occur:
In adults, a migraine attack lasts at least 4 hours if untreated or unsuccessful. Shorter in children . The pain increases with physical activity.
Cluster headaches, which are rare in children, usually occur suddenly and very severely on one side of the head. Usually in the temple area and behind the eye. Patients describe it as a tearing, stabbing pain.
Migraines are relatively common in children and adolescents @ Africa Studio /AdobeStock
For mild and occasional headaches, rest, attention and increased drinking are often enough.
If the following symptoms occur, you should see a doctor immediately:
A medical examination is also required immediately if the following unusual accompanying symptoms occur:
In these cases, headaches can also be symptoms of another illness.
In children/adolescents with frequent headaches, a pediatric neurological diagnosis is important in order to make a correct headache diagnosis. Only then can the doctor initiate an individually tailored treatment concept.
The cornerstones of headache diagnostics are
Additional examinations such as cerebral imaging (MRI), an examination by an ophthalmologist, ENT specialist or orthopaedist may be useful depending on the patient.
Risk factors for tension headaches are common:
Children with migraine usually have a family history of migraine. General psychological stress factors can also arise in the family environment and at school.
Favorable factors for headaches of all kinds are
Therapy focuses on analyzing the headache calendar. This allows you to identify possible triggers and discuss them with the family.
Therapeutically, initial adjustments to the child's weekly schedule often help. Depending on the intensity, general measures can already help.
General measures are
Children often fall asleep and wake up without pain.
Acute treatment with medication depends on the age of the child and the type of headache. In the case of very frequent headaches (usually migraines), prophylactic drug treatment is also possible in individual cases.
The decisive factor in therapy is usually the consistent adjustment of the rhythm of life with:
In many cases, the following measures can help to reduce the frequency of headaches:
Headaches in children and their impact on quality of life are usually greatly underestimated by family, teachers and friends.
There is a statistically higher risk of chronic headaches:
As pain in childhood and adolescence usually leads to chronic pain in adulthood, an early treatment approach is very important.
