Diagnosis of diseases in children is often complicated by the fact that they can not accurately formulate and describe their feelings. When a child has a headache, my mother will find out about this by a sharp decrease in activity. In most cases, this phenomenon is only a symptom of the disorder.
Can a child have a headache?
Some mothers believe that a child's headache is an insignificant symptom, and does not attach importance to it. In fact, headaches indicate various disorders. It is important to be able to correctly recognize the nature of pain, its severity and localization. This will help to establish the true cause of pain in the baby's head and take the necessary measures to eliminate it.
In practice, any change in the child's health can be accompanied by a headache. Often, it acts as a signal indicating the need to rest the nervous system of the baby. It can accompany:
- Nerve overstrain;
- fatigue;
- negative emotions;
- overexcitement during the game;
- being in a stuffy room.
Why does the child have a headache?
The causes of headache in children are so diverse that it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination to determine the specific doctors. Initially determine the type of violation. The primary headache is when it occurs on its own, not caused by other factors (bacteria, viruses). An example of this is:
- migraine;
- tension pain;
- beam pain.
More often the child has a headache as a consequence of the presence of a disorder in the body (secondary pain). Among the main causes of this type of cephalalgia:
- infectious and inflammatory processes in the body: influenza, ARVI, meningitis, encephalitis, sinusitis;
- head trauma;
- response to changes in environmental conditions (lack of sleep, allergic reactions, dehydration, diseases of internal organs);
- inflammation of the paranasal sinuses ( sinusitis );
- consequence of long-term therapy with medications.
The baby has a fever and a headache
Headache in children with ARVI is one of the first symptoms. It often appears before the body temperature rises. After a while, the symptoms are joined by:
- coryza;
- cough;
- weakness;
- decreased appetite.
In addition, it often happens that the child has a headache and temperature rises due to the development of ENT diseases. Among the frequent pathologies:
- sinusitis;
- sinusitis;
- etmoiditis.
The most dangerous disease, accompanied by a similar symptomatology, is meningitis. The headache in this case is so unbearable that the child constantly screams, he has an uncontrollable vomiting. Among other diseases accompanied by headache and fever:
- childhood infections (measles, rubella, scarlet fever, parotitis);
- otitis media ;
- intestinal diseases (salmonella, cholera);
- helminthic invasions.
Headache without fever in a child
When a child has a headache without temperature, the first thing to exclude is a brain injury. Even a slight stroke, a fall can cause a brain concussion in children or a bruise. Such a violation is always accompanied by the appearance of nausea and vomiting. Over time, the child's condition worsens, medical attention is required.
However, a headache without a rise in temperature can also occur in other cases:
- mental overstrain and disease: neurosis , depressive state;
- cardiovascular diseases - increase of arterial pressure, heart diseases, rhythm disturbance;
- edema of the brain;
- brain tumor;
- kidney disease.
The child has a headache and nausea
Headache and vomiting in a child can be a sign of head trauma. It can be diagnosed by disrupting the child's activity: he wants to lie down, sleep, and frequent vomiting is noted. In severe head injuries, confusion, disregard of orientation can be noted. Bed rest, medication is mandatory.
Often the child complains of a headache and other violations:
- food poisoning ;
- overwork;
- prolonged exposure to the sun;
- Vascular disease (thrombosis, inflammation);
- encephalitis;
- meningitis;
- allergic reactions.
The baby has a headache and stomach
Sudden weakness, a child's headache, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, indicates a food item. Often this happens because of the consumption of unwashed vegetables and fruits, violation of hygiene rules. The child is sick, apathy appears. Often against the background of such changes, there is a disorder of the stool, the temperature may rise.
Often a small child has a headache and a pain in the abdomen due to "gastric flu". This is called rotavirus infection. Penetration of the pathogen into the body occurs through the mouth. After a few days the virus reaches the intestine, an acute phase begins with severe symptoms:
- abdominal pain;
- vomiting;
- muscle spasm;
- convulsions;
- dehydration.
The child's eyes and head ache
Long-term visual tension often provokes severe headaches in a child. Frequent viewing of cartoons, games on the tablet can turn for children with a pain in the head of a squeezing character. Often kids cover their head with two hands, become restless, cry, can not find their place. Restriction of watching TV, frequent outdoor walks help to correct the situation.
A more formidable cause of pain in the head and eyes is increased intracranial pressure. Pain appears sharply and intensifies with any insignificant stress (coughing, sneezing). The child often has a headache, and the pain itself has a shooting character. When examining the fundus, a vascular pattern is found. Among other disorders with similar symptoms:
- sinusitis ;
- sinusitis;
- encephalitis;
- meningitis .
The child has a headache in the forehead
The first thing to exclude, when a child has a headache in the frontal part, is a viral infection. Flu, angina, acute respiratory infections begin directly with these phenomena. As the intoxication of the child's body increases, the pain intensifies. The body temperature rises, the general well-being of the child worsens. The appointment of antiviral drugs improves the situation.
This symptomatology can be noted and with diseases of the nasopharynx, the brain:
- Sinusitis. Pulsating pain in the frontal part is the result of accumulation of pus in the sinuses of the nose.
- Frontite - accumulation of pus in the sinuses of the frontal lobes.
- Increased intracranial pressure - is associated with a disruption of the liquor system.
- Hydrocephalus is an excessive accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain.
Pain in the temples of children
Pain of a pulsating nature, pressing on the temples, often becomes the cause of increased irritability, nervousness of the baby, a decrease in appetite. Against the background of such changes, there are dizziness, visual impairment, and nasal lining. When a child has a headache in his temples, this can be a sign of such diseases as:
- migraine;
- Arteritis with edema of the temporal artery;
- intracranial hypertension;
- abscess in places of alveolar processes;
- neuralgia;
- tonsillitis;
- Iron-deficiency anemia.
Pain in the nape of a child
Headache in children in the nape of the neck is often caused by changes in the cervical spine. In this case, there is an increase in painful sensations when the head is turned to the side. Prolonged course of the disorder, without the necessary treatment, can provoke spondylitis. The consolidation of the muscular structures of the neck indicates the curvature of the posture, which is noted in children of school age.
Traumas of the brain are also accompanied by pain in the nape of the neck. The general condition of the child worsens. Nausea, vomiting, disturbed consciousness, visual perception. Often the symptoms disappear after a few minutes, but it resumes after a short time. The child needs hospitalization and constant medical supervision, appropriate therapy. To find out what you can give a child a headache in this case, you need to see a doctor.
What should I do if my child has a headache?
Wanting to help the kid, to alleviate his suffering, moms are often interested in what to give the child from a headache. Doctors do not give an unambiguous answer to this question, indicating the dependence of the prescribed drugs on the type of violation. Pediatricians oppose the independent use of drugs by moms. Tablets for children from a headache can be given only after agreement with a specialist and establishing the cause.
To help the baby, waiting for the doctor to come, the mother can:
- Measure body temperature.
- Inspect the child for rashes, other symptoms.
- Collect a preliminary history and inform the doctor: when the pain began, was there no trauma, a stressful situation, did the child not use questionable food.
- Put the child in bed and do not bother until the doctor's visit.