The child is dizzy and his temples hurt. Headache in children

Headache in a child - a fairly common occurrence. About 80% of children have experienced this disease at least once in their lives. Causes of headaches can be both neurological and psychological. Children never just complain about pain. Either the pain is very strong, or the child's head hurts very often. Complaints should never be ignored. Timely treatment and diagnosis will help eliminate the risk of complications in the future. Why a child often has a headache and how to cope with pain, we will learn further.

The causes of unpleasant sensations in the head include a number of pathological processes, mental disorders and constant overwork of the child. It is important to establish the correct cause in order to select a rational treatment. Without diagnostic measures, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own.

The main causes of headaches in children:

1. Migraine (childhood or adolescent).
2. VSD syndrome (vegetovascular dystonia).
3. Tension headache.
4. Tumor-like processes in the brain and its membranes.
5. Diseases of ENT organs and eyes.
6. Meningitis and encephalitis.
7. Violation intracranial pressure.
8. Infectious and viral pathologies.
9. Poisoning.
10. Inflammatory process in the trigeminal nerve.
11. Head and brain injuries.

If a child complains of a headache, do not try to drown out the ailment with analgesics. To begin with, find out what the nature of the pain is, how long it torments the child, and the frequency of occurrence. If you have associated symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, immediately call ambulance. Before the arrival of the ambulance, it is better to refrain from taking any medicines, as the clinical picture may be blurred, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.

Clinical picture and nature of pain

So, if a child has a headache, first of all, we provide him with complete rest and find out the main clinic based on complaints. Children 10 years old can quite clearly describe their condition. The nature of headaches in a 5-year-old child is more difficult to determine, usually children either turn their backs to the wall, not wanting to communicate, or cry loudly, which further increases the intensity of the pain.

Headache in children can be:

• stabbing;
• pulsating;
• pressing;
• bursting;
• aching.

Localization can be observed in the occipital, parietal, frontal, temporal lobes. May hurt in the eye area or throb in the temples. If you managed to find out the nature of the child's headache, that's good. It remains only to figure out how the head hurts in pathological conditions.

The disease most often affects children from 7 years to 11 years. Migraine headaches are characterized by:

1. Pulsation in eye or temple, on one side.
2. Irritation and increased pain from bright light and noise.
3. Nausea and vomiting.
4. Reaction to smells.

The condition improves after the child vomits and falls asleep.

In a 10-year-old child, as a rule, the pain is less intense than in a seven-year-old. The older the patient, the richer the vessels. That is why teenage migraine usually subsides by the age of 18.

Migraine headaches in children have their own characteristics, in contrast to the course of the disease in adults:

• paroxysmal pain lasts from 30 minutes to 5 hours;
• cephalgia is directly related to overwork and psychological stress;
• may be accompanied fainting spells and severe dizziness;
• be sure the child will have a stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting will appear.

If a child often has a headache and the cause is a migraine, it is important to eliminate provoking factors. The child should not get tired, nutrition and rest should be observed and adjusted. Mental loads should be distributed, and physical ones should be controlled by parents.

VVD syndrome (vegetovascular dystonia)

Frequent headaches in a 7-10 year old child are often associated with changes in vascular tone. The reasons may lie in cerebral hypoxia, a clear sign of which is constant yawning. In addition to oxygen starvation, the development of the VVD syndrome can be affected by diseases associated with disruption of work:

1. Of cardio-vascular system.
2. Kidney.
3. Liver.

Medical statistics state that VVD suffers from children who are subject to constant stress and overwork. The atmosphere prevailing in the family plays an important role in the development of the disease. With constant scandals in the house, the child has a severe headache. The VVD syndrome disappears when the underlying disease is eliminated and stabilization emotional background sick.

Pain in the head is accompanied by a violation of the rhythm of heart contractions and the level blood pressure. Such children are prone to frequent mood swings, excessive irritability.

HDN (tension headaches)

The peak of such pain occurs between the ages of 7 and 10 years. Approximately 75% of cephalalgias are due to tension headache.

The problem happens with children:

• spending a lot of time at the computer and watching TV;
• with a twisted posture;
• with tension in the muscles of the neck.

The main complaint is the localization of pain in the frontal or parietal region. Pressing pains, calming down after the patient's rest. The head hurts in children severely, but by adulthood the ailment disappears.

Tumor-like processes in the brain

One of the leading symptoms of a brain tumor is constant cephalalgia, vomiting and nausea. Soreness often occurs in the morning, after waking up. Vomiting brings no relief. The pain can be both pressing and bursting.

A neoplasm in the brain and its membranes does not always require surgical intervention. Neurosurgeons monitor the dynamics of education. If it grows, a decision is made to remove it.

Pain in pathological processes of ENT organs and eye disease

Chronic and acute diseases sinuses, throat and ears are often accompanied by pain in the head. Children react especially sharply to sinusitis and frontal sinusitis. Toxic effects on the membranes of the brain leads to attacks of headaches and vascular disorders. Cephalgia will pass only after successful treatment of the underlying disease.

Headaches that occur in a 6-year-old child are usually associated with prolonged eye strain. When reading books, drawing and watching TV optic nerve receives heavy load with which the child's body is unable to cope. The pain in the eyes, tearing and blush on the cheeks join the headache. The trouble can be easily eliminated if the child's work and rest regimen is rationally distributed. If your child can't live an hour without a book, teach him to relax. Gymnastics for the eyes will help relieve tension and eliminate pain in the head.

Violation of intracranial pressure

Under the concept of violation of intracranial pressure understand hypertension, that is, a change in pressure in the vessels of the brain. Children usually suffer from this disease. early age. Vessel failure and a sharp pressure drop cause the activation of pain receptors. The accumulation of interstitial fluid presses on the vessels and pain occurs. The danger of hypertension lies in the possible development of convulsive syndrome.

With increased intracranial pressure, the crumbs constantly have a headache when the weather changes, overwork. By the age of five, the disease usually recedes. The pain of a bursting nature may be accompanied by vomiting, in some cases - indomitable.

Intracranial pressure can be not only increased, but also reduced. Fluid deficiency leads to stretching of the membranes of the brain. It is the stretching that leads to the strengthening pain. An unpleasant feeling disappears with a change in the position of the head and body.

Viral and infectious diseases

Any viral and infectious diseases starts with headaches. Intoxication - main reason ailment. Toxic substances formed during the life of viruses and microbes poison the child's body. To general symptoms intoxication also includes:

1. Weakness.
2. fatigue.
3. Drowsiness.
4. Nausea.

Along with the above symptoms, body temperature rises, body aches and muscle pain appear. Therefore, if a child has a severe headache, while he is shivering, it is likely that he has ARVI or acute respiratory infections. A pediatrician can establish a diagnosis when examining a small patient.

meningeal headaches

Inflammation of the membranes of the brain caused by viruses and bacteria is always accompanied by pain in the head.

Meningitis is characterized by:

• severe pain in the head;
• vomit;
• fear of light and sounds;
• increased sensitivity of the skin;
• forced position of the patient in bed.

A patient with meningitis lies on his side, his head is thrown back, and his legs are tucked up to his stomach. If you try to bring your head to your chest, a muscle spasm occurs (stiff neck). It is dangerous to treat such a patient at home, only the timely help of doctors will help relieve inflammation from the membranes of the brain.

poisoning

Acute food poisoning is characterized by severe headache in children. This symptom is a consequence of intoxication of the body. If a child complains of pain in the head, nausea and weakness, it is important to find out what he ate at school or at a party. Later, vomiting and diarrhea join. The worst thing about poisoning is dehydration. Only replenishing the lost fluid will help you recover quickly. Drink the patient often and in small portions. Be sure to tell your doctor about what happened.

Inflammatory process in the trigeminal nerve

With inflammation trigeminal nerve as a result of hypothermia, trauma or viral infections (herpes), pains appear in the head, piercing the entire half of the face. Children are often confused acute inflammation nerve with toothache. Parents, in turn, can observe that a tear spontaneously flows from the eye on the side of the lesion. Treatment is prescribed strictly by a neuropathologist, self-medication, in this case, is unacceptable.

Head and brain injury

Concussions, bruises and compression of the brain are necessarily accompanied by pain in the head. If the child fell or hit his head the day before, he should be shown to the doctor. With a concussion, dizziness, nausea, and lack of coordination will be present. a clear sign concussion is retrograde amnesia - the patient does not remember the events at the time of injury or fall.

Diagnostic measures

If a child has a severe headache, what should I do? The first step parents take is going to the doctor. Diagnostics will reveal true reason ailment.

To clarify the diagnosis will be assigned:

1. Magnetic resonance imaging.
2. Radiography cervical spine.
3. Angiography.
4. Duplex of cerebral vessels.

If meningitis is suspected, the patient is shown spinal tap, with the study of cerebrospinal fluid for the presence of pathogens.

Only after the diagnosis, the doctor will announce the verdict, why the head hurts and how to deal with it.

When to sound the alarm

Calling an ambulance or going to the doctor is urgent if the child has:

• severe and sudden headache;
• pains unusual, shooting, accompanied by noise in the ears and head;
• when changing the position of the body, the pain intensifies;
• soreness is noted in the morning;
• during an attack, consciousness becomes confused;
• severe pain after a previous injury.

There are a lot of varieties and forms of headaches in children, only a doctor can reveal the true cause. It is very difficult to recognize what worries a child if he is still very small. Infants react to discomfort in the head with anxiety, refusal to eat, insomnia, and frequent regurgitation. At intracranial hypertension may open vomiting "fountain". The fontanel pulsates and sticks out.

Older children complain of fatigue, holding their heads and trying to lie down. Some try to distract themselves from discomfort by pulling their hair or scratching their faces.

Children 7 years old suffer from cephalalgia differently. They lie more, casually they can tell their mother that their head hurts. When the pain is unbearable, tearfulness and fear appear.

At the age of 10, the child will clearly voice his condition, when the changes occurred and where it hurts. Treatment of cephalalgia in adult children is faster, due to the understandable clinical picture.

First aid for a child

Treatment of headache in children at home begins with the creation of complete rest. TV and others external stimuli must be removed immediately. Put the patient to bed, soak a towel in cool water and apply for 5 to 7 minutes. The room must be well ventilated. Very often, children suffer from pain due to stuffiness in the room.

Offer the patient a warm drink, especially if vomiting occurs. Ascorbic acid relieves cephalalgia well. You can give 2 - 3 ascorbic tablets or tea with lemon. Decoctions of soothing herbs - motherwort, valerian - will relax blood vessels and help the child fall asleep. In no case do not give chocolate - this product provokes even more soreness.

If rest and sleep do not help, it will not be superfluous to consult a doctor. Children can only take Paracetamol preparations and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen.

Do not abuse medications. The only difference between medicine and poison is the dose. Failure to comply with the multiplicity and precisely indicated dosage can cause significant harm to health.

Create the most comfortable conditions if the pain is not frequent and is associated with overload at school. If the attacks are repeated with a certain frequency, while the child turns pale, loses consciousness or does not remember the events taking place, call an ambulance immediately.

Preventive actions

To reduce the intensity of pain and protect as much as possible from relapses, observe simple rules which are very easy to follow:

1. The child should have a clear daily routine.
2. Nutrition is timely, rich in microelements.
3. Regular walks in the fresh air.
4. Protection of the child from stress and overwork.
5. Ventilation of the children's room.
6. The environment in the family should be as comfortable as possible for children.
7. Communication and participation in the life of a small family member.
8. Active lifestyle.
9. Restriction in computer games oh, and many hours of sitting in front of the TV.

If the child suffers from frequent cephalalgia, you should be monitored regularly by a neurologist. This is especially true for children of seven years. elementary School completely changes the daily routine, mental and emotional condition schoolboy. Excessive mental stress should be corrected by the attending physician and distributed in a rational way.

Navigation

The situation when a child has a headache does not always indicate the presence of organic or physiological problems. In half the cases, this turns out to be a consequence of overwork or emotional stress, but you should not leave the symptom unattended. If older children complain about discomfort and can somehow describe them, then in the case of babies everything is more difficult. Headache in a child infancy rarely goes unnoticed and is usually accompanied by additional signs. The health and well-being of the baby often depends on the care of parents. At the first sign of a problem, you should contact your pediatrician.

How to understand that the baby has a headache

Usually parents are able to understand at a glance if something is wrong with their child. Any negative changes in the behavior of the baby should be alarming. AT childhood even minor malfunctions in the operation of systems and organs are quite dangerous, so if you suspect a problem, it is better to contact a professional.

You can suspect that an infant has a headache by the following signs:

• prolonged crying, lack of response to the usual calming factors;
• sleep disturbance, lethargy, capriciousness, decreased interest in the outside world;
• violent negative reaction to touching the head;
• frequent regurgitation;
• tilting the head back, the appearance of convulsions;
• protrusion of veins on the surface of the skull;
• poor appetite, refusal to eat, flatulence and other malfunctions of the digestive tract.

The above symptoms may be varying degrees expressiveness. Some children have a headache so severe that they involuntarily freeze, assuming a forced position, but do not cry. With meningitis, babies are so lethargic that they constantly sleep. They try not to open their eyes even while eating.

Why does a child often have a headache

most common cause headache in adolescents and children over 5-6 years of age is physical or mental overwork.

When a symptom appears, one should not exclude the possibility of the presence of pathological processes in the body. If a child has a severe headache or persists for 1-2 days, you should consult a doctor for advice, even when the causes of the condition seem obvious.

ENT diseases

For chronic or acute illnesses ears, throat and nose, children react particularly violently. The toxic effect of inflammatory processes on the body of minors negatively affects the membranes and tissues of the brain, causing intense and prolonged bouts of cephalalgia. It is enough to find out why the baby has a symptom, and eliminate the source of the problem with the help of specialized therapy. From about 3 years old, children begin to actively watch TV and play computer games. It can also cause intermittent or persistent headaches due to excessive eye strain.

Migraine in a child

The disease mainly occurs in children from 7 to 11 years old, girls are more often affected. With this disease, the back of the head hurts on one side or the temple, there may be a return to the eye area. Feelings are pronounced and pulsating, intensified under the influence of smells, bright light, loud sounds. At the peak of severe migraine pain, nausea appears. The vomiting that follows brings relief, after which the children usually fall asleep. Attacks last from half an hour to 4-5 hours.

Often in adolescents, a migraine headache does not hurt as much as in children 7-8 years old. This is due to the strengthening of the vascular walls and increasing their functionality. By the age of 18, adolescent migraine syndrome in most cases disappears or subsides to a minimum.

Learn more about childhood migraine.

brain tumors

Neoplasms can appear in a person of any age. Their formation and growth are accompanied by a headache, which is aggravated by sudden movements. The symptom is especially pronounced after waking up in the morning or daytime sleep. The picture is complemented by nausea and vomiting, which does not bring relief. Depending on the location of the tumor, its type and size, other specific symptoms- from reduced functions individual bodies and systems to mental disorders.

Meningitis in children

Inflammation meninges caused by a viral or bacterial infection always accompanied by a headache. The condition develops against the background of an increase in temperature and a deterioration in the general condition of a small patient. The child has pain in the back of the head or other parts of the skull. It is so strong that it forces a person to take a forced position - on his side, with his legs tucked in and his head thrown back. The child reacts negatively to loud sounds and bright light touching the skin. If vomiting begins, it does not bring relief. Often a characteristic rash appears on the skin.

Tension headache in children

It is typical for kids 7-10 years old, can occur in adolescents. At this age, in almost 80% of cases of headache, such a diagnosis is made. Attacks occur against the background of mental or physical overstrain in the evenings, sensations are concentrated in the parietal or frontal parts of the skull. The symptom resembles strong pressure, disappears after rest. Frequent headaches in a child of 12 years and older are often the result of prolonged work at the computer, irregular TV viewing, and incorrect body position at the study table. Sometimes they occur against the background of curvature of the spine.

Poisoning in children

In cases where a child has a headache that occurs against the background of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea and is accompanied by weakness, one can suspect food poisoning. These symptoms are often accompanied by a slight increase in temperature, a deterioration in the general well-being of the baby. The pain in the head is acute and has no specific localization. Due to intense fluid loss, dehydration may develop. The patient should be given water frequently, in small portions.

Epilepsy in children

Headache that comes on suddenly, nightmares, sleepwalking, and sudden acceleration heart rate may be the primary symptom of epilepsy.

As the disease develops, depending on the type of disease, additional signs will join. Pathology does not always proceed with an emphasis on convulsive seizures, so parents should carefully monitor the patient and note all changes in his condition.

At an early stage in the development of neurosis, children may experience a decrease in attention, causeless irritability, mood swings, sleep problems, weakness even immediately after good rest. If a child has a sharp headache against the background of the listed predisposing factors, this indicates the progression of the disease. The sensations are most often intense, unbearable. They can occur in response to a light touch on the head, a change in body position, brushing hair, or no reason at all.

Congenital malformations

If the child's eyes and head hurt without visible reasons, this may be the result of abnormal development of cerebral vessels, the result of intrauterine hypoxia, birth trauma. The clinical picture is often accompanied by a delay in physical and mental development baby, malfunctioning internal organs, a change in his psycho-emotional background.

VVD syndrome

In children aged 7-9 years, frequent and persistent headaches are often the result of changes in the tone of cerebral vessels. The risk group includes all children who are prone to overwork and stress.

In most cases, the problem is oxygen starvation brain tissues. Because of it, the patient simultaneously has a headache and is tormented by yawning. In rare cases, the problem is provoked by diseases of the liver, kidneys or heart. As the emotional background stabilizes, the underlying ailment is eliminated, or the irritant is eliminated, the symptoms disappear.

What to do if your child has a headache

Headache in children serious symptom, which cannot be ignored or treated on its own. Regardless of the clinical picture and the severity of the problem, parents should consult a specialist. The pediatrician will either help the patient himself or collect a primary history and give a referral to the right doctor.

Single and mild headaches in adolescents and children can be relieved in the following ways:

• conditions of complete rest are created, the influence of all possible irritants is stopped;
• airing the room in combination with a cool compress well relieves the symptom caused by hypoxia;
• with headache and nausea or vomiting, you can give the patient a warm drink;
• in order to quickly and without health risks relieve headaches, the patient should be offered ascorbic acid in the form of tablets or tea with lemon;
• decoctions of valerian and motherwort - drinks that relieve soreness against the background of fatigue, stress and overstrain;
• when a child has both stomach and head pains, a cleansing enema can help. It is especially useful against the background of poisoning or prolonged constipation. The main thing is to maintain water balance in the child's body;
• if the pain is mild but constant, the patient should walk more and temporarily stop playing computer games and watching TV.

You should not even think about what to give the patient or how to help the baby on your own if his head hurts suddenly and very badly. An increased danger is a symptom that increases with a change in body position or is accompanied by tinnitus. When signs of confusion appear, children immediately call an ambulance.

Prevention of headaches in children

The best way to prevent the development of an unpleasant symptom in a baby is to create a clear, but gentle daily routine for him. The correct alternation of periods of study and rest, regular walks, a normalized load on the eyes and nervous system will contribute to its development and health promotion.

If a child has a frequent or systematic headache, you need to:

• reconsider the nutrition of the baby - it should be varied, rich in vitamins and minerals;
• protect him from stressful situations, physical and emotional exhaustion;
• regularly ventilate the patient's room, harden it;
• to diversify the lifestyle of a small person - his day should not be limited to study and games.

Cephalgia in childhood alarm call even in cases where the symptom is not associated with organic or functional pathologies. Regular or persistent attacks of headache can reduce a person's quality of perception, change his mood and attitude towards others, cause neurosis and psychosis.

Diagnosis of diseases in children is often difficult because they cannot accurately formulate and describe their feelings. When a child has a headache, the mother will know about it by sharp decline activity. In most cases, this phenomenon is only a symptom of a violation.

Can a child have a headache?

Some mothers believe that a child’s headache is an insignificant symptom, and do not attach any importance to it. In fact, headaches indicate various violations. It is important to be able to correctly recognize the nature of pain, its severity and localization. This will help determine the real reason. pain in the baby's head and accept necessary measures to eliminate it.

In practice, any change in the child's health may be accompanied by a headache. Often it acts as a signal indicating the need for rest. nervous system baby. She may accompany:

• nervous tension;
• fatigue;
• negative emotions;
• overexcitation during the game;
• being in a stuffy room.

Why does the child have a headache?

The causes of headaches in children are so varied that doctors need to comprehensive examination. Initially, the type of violation is determined. They say about primary headache when it occurs on its own, not caused by other factors (bacteria, viruses). An example of this is:

• migraine;
• tension pains;
• bunch pains.

More often, the child has a headache as a result of the presence of a violation in the body (secondary pain). Among the main reasons causing this type of cephalalgia:

• infectious and inflammatory processes in the body: influenza, SARS, meningitis, encephalitis, sinusitis;
• head injury;
• response to changing conditions environment(lack of sleep, allergic reactions, dehydration, diseases of internal organs);
• inflammation of the paranasal sinuses ();
• a consequence of long-term drug therapy.

The child has a fever and a headache

Headache in children with SARS is one of the first symptoms. It often appears even before the rise in body temperature. After a while, these symptoms are joined by:

• runny nose;
• cough;
• weakness;
• decreased appetite.

In addition, it often happens that a child has a headache and a fever due to the development of diseases of the ENT organs. Among the common pathologies:

• sinusitis;
• sinusitis;
• ethmoiditis.

The most dangerous disease, accompanied by similar symptoms, is meningitis. The headache at the same time is so unbearable that the child constantly screams, he has uncontrollable vomiting. Among other diseases accompanied by headache and fever:

• childhood infections (measles, rubella, scarlet fever, mumps);
• intestinal diseases (salmonellosis, cholera);
• worm infestations.

Headache without fever in a child

When a child has a headache without fever, the first thing to rule out is a brain injury. Even a minor blow or fall can cause a concussion in babies 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 diseases: depression;
• vascular diseases - increased blood pressure, heart defects, rhythm disturbance;
• swelling of the brain;
• brain tumor;
• kidney disease.

The child has a headache and is sick

Headache and vomiting in a child can be a sign of a head injury. It can be diagnosed by a violation of the child's activity: he wants to lie down, sleep, while it is noted frequent vomiting. With severe head injuries, confusion and disorientation may occur. bed rest, drug treatment are mandatory.

Often the child complains of a headache and other disorders:

• overwork;
• prolonged exposure to the sun;
• vascular diseases (thrombosis, inflammation);
• encephalitis;
• meningitis;
• allergic reactions.

The child has a headache and stomach ache

Sudden weakness, headache in a child, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, indicates food intake. Often this happens due to eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, violation of hygiene rules. The child is sick, apathy appears. Often, against the background of such changes, a disorder of the stool appears, the temperature may rise.

Often small child headache and pain in the abdomen due to the "stomach flu". That's what they call rotavirus infection. The pathogen enters the body through the mouth. A few days later, the virus reaches the intestines, begins acute phase with severe symptoms:

• abdominal pain;
• vomit;
• muscle spasm;
• convulsions;
• dehydration.

The child's eyes and head hurt

Prolonged eye strain often provokes sharp headaches in a child. Frequent viewing of cartoons, games on a tablet can turn into a pain in the head of a squeezing nature for children. Often, babies cover their heads with both hands, become restless, cry, and cannot find a place for themselves. Limiting TV viewing, frequent walks in the fresh air help to correct the situation.

A more formidable cause of pain in the head and eyes is increased intracranial pressure. The pain appears sharply and intensifies with any slight exertion (coughing, sneezing). The child often has a headache, and the pain itself has a shooting character. When examining the fundus, a vascular pattern is detected. Other disorders with similar symptoms include:

• sinusitis;
• encephalitis;

The child has a headache in the forehead

The first thing to rule out when a child has a headache in the frontal part is viral infections. Influenza, tonsillitis, SARS begin directly with these phenomena. As toxicity increases child's body the pain intensifies. The body temperature rises, the general well-being of the child worsens. Purpose antiviral agents improves the situation.

This symptomatology can also be observed in diseases of the nasopharynx, brain:

1. Sinusitis. Pulsating pain in the frontal part is the result of the accumulation of pus in the sinuses.
2. Frontit- accumulation of pus in the sinuses of the frontal lobes.
3. Increased intracranial pressure- due to disruption of the liquor system.
4. Hydrocephalus- excessive accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain.

Pain in the temples in children

Pain of a throbbing nature, pressing on the temples, often causes increased irritability, nervousness of the baby, loss of appetite. Against the background of such changes, dizziness, visual impairment, and nasal congestion are noted. When a child has a headache in the temples, this may be a sign of diseases such as:

• migraine;
• arteritis with swelling of the temporal artery;
• intracranial hypertension;
• abscess in the places of the alveolar processes;
• neuralgia;
• tonsillitis;
• Iron-deficiency anemia.

Pain in the back of the head in a child

Headache in children in the back of the head is often caused by changes in the cervical spine. In this case, there is an increase in pain when turning the head to the side. Prolonged course of violation, without necessary treatment may cause spondylitis. Seal muscle structures neck indicates a curvature of posture, which is noted in school-age children.

Brain injuries are also accompanied by pain in the back of the head. General state the child is deteriorating. Nausea, vomiting appear, consciousness is disturbed, visual perception. Often the symptoms disappear after a few minutes, but reappear after a short time. The child needs hospitalization and constant medical supervision, appropriate therapy. To find out what you can give your child from a headache in this case, you need to consult a doctor.

What to do if a child has a headache?

Wanting to help the baby, alleviate his suffering, mothers are often interested in what to give the child for a headache. Doctors do not give an unequivocal answer to this question, pointing out the dependence of prescribed drugs on the type of disorder. Pediatricians oppose self-administration of drugs by mothers. Tablets for headaches can be given to children only after consultation with a specialist and establishing the cause.

I don’t understand at all the indignation of mothers about the fact that they are not allowed to breastfeed their children in a public place. For a moment, they don’t give you food, but they don’t let you expose your chest. Of course, a hungry child has the right to satisfy his hunger at any time convenient for him, and his mother has the right to feed her child where and when she sees fit. But why do you need to defiantly expose your chest? If you are a nursing mother, you probably assume that the time will inevitably come to feed your child, so take a cape, a scarf, a snood, and at least a fan, well, something to cover yourself if necessary. In the end, if it so happened that you don’t have anything with you, step aside, turn away, choose a place that is not so crowded so as not to be embarrassed yourself and not to embarrass people. As for the specific situation in the museum, here the question, in my opinion, is debatable. Here, oddly enough, I am on the side of my mother. Simply because there is absolutely nothing to argue with her. Indeed, what kind of indecency in connection with the exposure of the chest can we talk about if families with children come to the Tretyakov Gallery and do not turn away in embarrassment from the paintings of Rembrandt, David Michelangelo without a fig leaf, do not close the children's eyes, etc. But this is so, as trolling, to annoy the museum administration and the public. In general, I would not drag baby during the arvi season public place, and then, if the incident took place precisely in the Tretyakov Gallery, then sometimes there are such queues at the box office, sometimes you can stand on the street for an hour. Why torture a child. And then, after all, it would be possible to step aside again, why feed the baby defiantly in a crowd of people? Feeding babies is such an intimate moment that does not tolerate extraneous looks from strangers, not always positive thoughts etc. But this, of course, is a personal matter for everyone. I don’t know all the details, but in the place of the museum staff, I would never have quarreled with a nursing mother, and if her behavior, in their opinion, somehow violated the order established in the museum, I would (if I were an employee) offered her stole, scarf, or would take her to a more secluded place. Well, if a nursing mother would start a scandal in response to my (as a museum employee) proposals, defending her rights, she would leave her alone. Why take sin on the soul, enter into a skirmish with her, make her nervous, in the end, everything will affect the baby, it turns out that with your actions you harm the baby, what is it for?

Headache (cephalgia) is one of the more common symptoms in neurological practice. According to the classification of pain by the International Headache Society, there are more than 150 types of cephalalgia in the world, and over 40 diseases for which it is the only or predominant symptom.

Cephalgia is a fairly frequent companion of children aged 12 years.

Especially frequent headaches occur in children 10-12 years old. Every second student from time to time encounters cephalalgia, but most prefer not to do anything to eliminate it. Headache affects their academic performance and psychological health, prevents healthy interaction in the educational environment and further professional self-determination. Moreover, in the absence timely treatment, the headache runs the risk of turning into chronic form therefore, when the first ailments appear, it is important to establish the causes of cephalalgia and conduct an appropriate course of therapy.

Causes of a headache

Most of the complaints of children aged 10-12 years for headaches are associated with colds and viral diseases, as a result of which the temperature rises. Associated symptoms is general weakness, drowsiness, possible runny nose and cough. To bring down the temperature, you can give the child paracetamol (it is often prescribed to children with a temperature), in the future it is necessary to visit a doctor and prescribe antiviral drugs.

Headache may occur due to high temperature

As the second most common cause of headache in children 10-12 years old, doctors call migraine. The attack is accompanied by tinnitus, ringing, as well as nausea, frequent dizziness. This type headaches can also bother children under 12 years old, but it occurs especially often in girls before the upcoming menstruation, which begins between 11-16 years of age. Parents of a girl older than 11 should not worry, but it is still worth taking her to the pediatrician if the cephalalgia does not go away for more than a few hours.

You should not stuff your child with painkillers without a doctor's prescription, migraines are indicated various drugs, only a specialist can choose them correctly. It is better to give him a good night's sleep: after a healthy sleep, all manifestations of migraine, as a rule, disappear in children.

So, allocate the following reasons headache in children 10-12 years old:

• Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD).
• Infectious diseases accompanied by fever (ARVI, influenza).
• Different kinds neuralgia (compression or inflammation of a nerve, for example, trigeminal).
• Muscle tension (tension headache).
• Hormonal fluctuations (for example, approaching menstruation in girls 11 or 12 years old).

Headache is one of the symptoms of PMS.

• brain diseases (tumors, serous meningitis, encephalitis).

Approximately by the age of 11, children begin the stage of transitional age, so there are frequent cases of psychogenic headache (psychalgia) against the background of nervous tension or emotional problems. Parents should carefully consider the experiences of their offspring, help them survive this difficult period, let them know that they are needed and loved. It does not hurt to contact a psychologist or neurologist (which is preferable, since a neurologist can prescribe necessary medicines).

When should you see a doctor immediately?

In some cases, even relatively safe causes of headache in children aged 10-12 may require the intervention of a specialist. However, if the temperature at viral disease does not exceed 38 degrees, an emergency visit to the doctor is not required, it is enough to bring the child to an appointment within the next day.

But if the temperature is above 39 degrees, and you can’t bring it down, immediately call an ambulance.

You need to see a doctor if:

• headache is accompanied by vomiting, nausea;
• severe cephalgia arose after a blow to the head or a fall;
• headache due to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the sinuses (sinusitis) or middle ear (otitis media);

• pains are strong, pulsating, sharp, up to dizziness and loss of consciousness;
• in a child, the head hurts mainly in the morning and intensifies after physical exertion.

How is the disease diagnosed?

If your head hurts long time, causing alertness in the doctor and, possibly, signaling about serious illness, hardware and laboratory diagnostics to find out the cause of the symptom. The child will need to take blood and urine tests to detect infections, as well as undergo a series of hardware studies, such as:

• CT scan.
• Electroencephalography.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.

You will also need an examination of the child by an ophthalmologist and a neuropathologist, who examine the fundus of a small patient, and also collect a complete history of the disease. He will be asked how long the headache has been, in what place, what is the nature of the sensations, whether the headache has occurred before.

Ways to treat and prevent headaches

So what should you do if your child has a headache? Medical methods treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor, since many drugs have unwanted side effects. An exception may be, perhaps paracetamol in dosages acceptable for children 10-12 years old - this will help to endure pain before visiting a doctor if cephalgia is severe.

Dream, physical activity and good nutrition- excellent prevention of headaches

Depending on the etiology of the symptom, may help the following measures prevention and treatment:

• Wellness walks in the park can help. Children need Fresh air, so take the child by the hand and lead him outside to breathe in nature.
• Adjust your diet. Lack of certain nutrients, vitamins and amino acids can lead to headaches.
• Overstrain of the neck muscles responds positively to heat and light massage - for children with this etiology of the disease, physiotherapy on the neck area is useful.
• Ice compresses will help with head bruises. On the same days, it is better not to make noise, to let the sick person be in silence.
• Reduce the risk of cephalalgia physical exercise, so it will be useful to enroll your child in sports section.
• Very important healthy sleep at least 8 hours a day (some children need more time to recover).
• For children with psychogenic pain, the doctor may prescribe a course sedatives. Also, the child will need your care, love and participation. Nothing more needs to be done - the problem is psychological, not physical.

Tablets for children with a calming and anti-anxiety effect

• If a teenager spends a lot of time at the computer, do not forbid him to do this (as this will only increase the desire to play), but motivate him to active leisure activities: offer to play basketball in the yard, go somewhere on foot together. A sedentary lifestyle leads to cephalalgia very often.

AT traditional medicine during attacks of cephalalgia, it is recommended to make delicious decoctions of berries and juicy fruits for children. Blackcurrant and viburnum are especially useful. Also help infusions of birch leaves, elderberry. Calms the nerves tea with peppermint, lemon balm.

In children of 10-12 years old, headache often occurs, this is due to mental stress at school, with the instability of the daily routine, as well as with general changes in the body that are observed in the process of growth. Therefore, if a child has a headache, you should not panic, but the connivance of the parents is also unacceptable: always be attentive to the symptoms and ailments that your daughter or son complains about.