When we think of migraines, we don't often associate them with children but statistically, migraines affect about 2 percent of children up to the age of 7, and 10 percent of children and adolescents by age 15. Boys are more apt to get migraines before the onset of puberty, but after puberty migraines are far more prevalent in young women.

Migraines are moderate to severe headaches that frequently are cyclic in nature occurring two to four times per month and may they may last from one to twenty-four hours. There are many different categories of migraines but in children there are two main types: Common migraine and the classic migraine.

Hormones and heredity are connected to the occurrence of migraines and as you would surmise, adult women are three times more at risk than men. Nearly 70 percent of all migraine sufferers have a history of migraines in their family history.

Although migraines can be debilitating, they generally do not cause damage to the body. Some migraines may appear to be strokes because they share many of the same symptoms. It's important to be able to distinguish the differences.

Cleveland Clinic give this explanation of migraines, "The cause of migraine was once thought to be vascular-caused by the constriction and expansion of blood vessels in the brain. Today migraine is thought to be an episodic brain malfunction, a central nervous system disorder, of the brain nerves and blood vessels."

COMMON MIGRAINES

These migraines have no aura, or warning visual signs before the onset and these are most common in children. 70 to 85 percent of migraines in children fall into this category.

CLASSIC MIGRAINES

These migraines occur with a visual cue, or an aura, and make up about 15 percent of children migraines. Headaches are preceded by distorted vision, bright spots, flashing colored lights or lines. These migraines may occur late evening and later change to morning migraines.

Medication, lack of sleep and a number of other factors such as menstruation or even a change in the weather may bring on a migraine. A small number of children may have problem foods that can act as a trigger to a migraine.

TREATMENT

Treatment involves a diagnosis with family medical history and evaluation by a physician. The current approach to treating children is the use of analgesics, antiemetics, (nausea relief) and sedatives. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are prescribed as pain relievers but not aspirin are used to treat the symptoms. Seventy percent of migraines can be modified with preventive medicine.

When the migraines are frequent in children other medicines such as Cyproheptadine tricyclics and anticonvulsants may be prescribed along with the symptomatic medicines.

Medication for adolescent's lists propranolol, tricyclic antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and anti convulsants that may be tried as preventive medication.

Abortive medications are used when the migraine is severe and does not respond to other medications. Triptans, DHE-45, anticonvulsants, sedatives, antiemetics, and other medicines are used for severe cases. In severe cases of migraine, medicines may be given intravenously. These drugs usually end the migraine episode.

The outlook is mixed for children that experience migraines. About half of younger children treated for migraine reported improvement, while others who began migraine episodes as adolescents show some relief but migraines may continue for years to come.

The information contained in this article is not intended as medical advice or endorsement of treatment. If your child experiences migraines, your physician is your best source of information.

Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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