Child migraine is a distressing condition and is seen in 10 % of children below the age of 15. Teenagers are more susceptible to migraine as numerous hormonal changes take place in adolescence and can trigger a migraine attack. As per research, migraine attack shave also been noticed in infants as small as 4 months old. The effects of these attacks are very severe and the child starts to look pale and ill. Migraine attacks can also be quite terrifying for children, particularly, if they happen when the child is in school or in the playground.

Some of the things to look out for in children who might be suffering from this condition are:

Drastic changes in the temperament of the child. Children with this condition often experience moods and other feelings in extremes. They might get very excited or very unhappy.

Throbbing pain on one side of the head indicates a child migraine. But some children also complain of experiencing pain on both sides of the head.

Nausea and in some cases aura (aura is not much common can occurrence in child migraine) can be noticed.

Recent studies show that children who get car sick quite often are prone to developing migraine.

Treatment options for children suffering from migraine:

There are a lot of treatment options for migraine in general but in case of child migraine it is advised to start the treatment with lifestyle changes. Stated below are a variety of lifestyle changes that may help divert the occurrence of these attacks.

Avoid migraine triggering foods: The intake of certain food that might trigger a migraine should be avoided. These include chocolates, pickled fermented or preserved foods and foods containing mono sodium glutamate. Aged cheeses, nuts and processed meats should also be avoided.

Avoiding the use of strong smelling perfumes and deodorants: Certain smells that are very strong might not agree with the child and trigger a full blast migraine attack. Try avoiding the use of strong perfumes, soaps and powders around or on the child.

Regulating the sleep pattern: Excess sleep and lack of sleep can both, trigger a migraine. It is important for you to regulate your child’s sleeping pattern so that he/she can get sufficient rest..

Regulating the intake of food: Do not allow your child to stay hungry or not take his/her meals on time. Hunger and delayed meals can also cause migraine.

The use of drugs in the case of child migraine is avoided because most of the drugs have not been tested on children and hold a risk of having dangerous side-effects on them. In case, you feel the child needs to be treated with medicines, it is best to consult a doctor.