![]() ![]() During this type of talk therapy, a counselor helps your child learn ways to view and cope with life events more positively. This therapy can help your child learn to manage stress and reduce the frequency and severity of headaches. The goal of biofeedback is to help your child enter a relaxed state to better cope with pain. Your child then learns how to reduce muscle tension and slow his or her heart rate and breathing. During a biofeedback session, your child is connected to devices that monitor and give feedback on body functions, such as muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure. Biofeedback teaches your child to control certain body responses that help reduce pain. An older child can learn relaxation techniques in classes or at home using books or videos.īiofeedback training. Then you completely release the tension, until every muscle in the body is relaxed. Relaxation techniques include deep breathing, yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation, in which you tense one muscle at a time. For these situations, your doctor may recommend one or more behavior therapies, such as: While stress doesn't appear to cause headaches, it can act as a trigger for headaches or make a headache worse. If your child takes medications regularly, including OTC products, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. In addition, all medications have side effects. Over time, painkillers and other medications may lose their effectiveness. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about nausea relief.Ĭaution: Overuse of medications is itself a contributing factor to headaches (medication overuse headache). The medication strategy differs from child to child, however. If your child experiences nausea and vomiting with migraines, your doctor may prescribe an anti-nausea drug. Triptans, prescription drugs used to treat migraines, are effective and can be used safely in children older than 6 years of age. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns. Aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children. They should be taken at the first sign of a headache.Ĭhildren and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) can typically relieve headaches for your child. In this procedure, a thin needle is inserted between two vertebrae in the lower back to extract a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for laboratory analysis. If your doctor suspects that an underlying condition, such as bacterial or viral meningitis, is causing your child's headaches, he or she may recommend a spinal tap (lumbar puncture). This helps doctors diagnose tumors, infections and other medical problems that can cause headaches. This imaging procedure uses a series of computer-directed X-rays that provide a cross-sectional view of your child's brain. An MRI can also be used to examine the blood vessels that supply the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans help doctors diagnose tumors, strokes, aneurysms, neurological diseases and other brain abnormalities. magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs) use a powerful magnet to produce detailed views of the brain. In a few cases, however, imaging scans and other evaluations can help pinpoint a diagnosis or rule out other medical conditions that could be causing the headaches. If your child is otherwise healthy and headaches are the only symptom, no further testing usually is needed. Your doctor checks for any problems with movement, coordination or sensation. The doctor performs a physical exam, including measuring your child's height, weight, head circumference, blood pressure and pulse, and examining your child's eyes, neck, head and spine. Your doctor may also ask you to keep a headache diary for a time, so you can record more details about your child's headaches, such as frequency, severity of pain and possible triggers. ![]() Your doctor asks you and your child to describe the headaches in detail, to see if there's a pattern or a common trigger. To learn about the nature of your child's headache, your doctor will likely look to:
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