Headache in young children manifests itself in such symptoms as anxiety, lack of appetite, insomnia, and sharp crying. Children older is a sign of lethargy, or vice versa, overexcitation. Often such children strive to lie down and fall asleep, moreover, at a time when they are usually cheerful and active.
The most common cause of headache in young children is viral colds, which are recognized by weakness, fever, lacrimation, and other cold symptoms will not allow this state to be confused with anything.
With sinusitis, sinusitis, and also a number of inflammations of the ear - the throat - nose, too, there is a headache. The cause of the headache may be teething or dental disease. If the cause of the headache is an ENT pathology, then, as a rule, at night, namely in the second half and in the morning the pain intensifies, and in the afternoon begins to weaken.
Well, if the cause is caused by dental pain or eruption, the headache will be characterized by a tedious character, constancy, mild intensity, often subfebrile condition.
Tired eyes
Visual overload also causes a headache. In this case, pain must be paid special attention, because it can signal a visual impairment (astigmatism, myopia). Such a pain provokes a long watching TV, long reading, long games at the computer. In addition to the headache, it can cause redness of the whites of the eyes, dryness and itching in the eyes, redness of the eyelids.
Overstrain
Physical and even emotional overstrain is another common cause of headache in children. Headache in children can often occur after stress, tension. Often the cause of the headache is that the child is in uncomfortable conditions for him, for example, high humidity, stuffiness, noise. In such cases the pain concentrates in the forehead area. Such pain can be described as pulsating, pressing, it usually passes in a couple of hours. In the event that the symptoms occur more often, indicates that the usual headache becomes chronic.
Intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure also causes a headache. Symptoms of intracranial pressure can manifest from the first days of the child's life. Such children have no appetite, they refuse water, often regurgitate, there is a bulge of fontanel and strabismus. Children at an older age complain of a pain in the back of the head, which is worse after sleep or a pain in the head. Such pains are characterized by a delay in mental development, increased irritability, in some cases, there were violations of coordination of movements and convulsions.
Dangerous Causes
The most dangerous causes of headaches in young children - brain concussion, brain tumor, meningitis.
Concussion is accompanied by acute pain immediately after receiving trauma, loss of consciousness, vomiting. If a severe head injury is obtained, show the doctor and do an X-ray of the skull, even if the symptoms begin to pass. Often after a few days, the condition begins to deteriorate.
When meningitis is characterized by a bursting growing headache, giving off in the neck. Also, with meningitis, there is a tension in the muscles of the back, an increase in body temperature, the appearance of a point red rash.
Tumor of the brain in young children is rare. But if it is, it is accompanied by a prolonged pain in the nape, which is intensified after sleep, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, increasing indifference. A computerized tomography can provide an accurate and rapid diagnosis. In this case, the main thing is to turn to a specialist doctor in a timely manner for qualified help and start treatment as quickly as possible.
Migraine as the cause of the headache in toddlers is in last place. Usually migraine manifests itself in children older than seven years. Provoking factors - head injuries, overload, eating disorders (hunger or overeating, use of "stimulants", such as coffee and chocolate). In young children, migraine is manifested by severe pain in the forehead area, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, nervousness.