What Causes Migraines in Children and What Are the Symptoms?

Although migraines are often thought of as a disease that affects adults (adult migraines are far more common), it can be the case that children can suffer from migraine headaches.

This contrasts with tension-type headaches, which are headaches caused by physical or mental stress and are generally located at the back of the head, while migraines can appear not just all around the head, but in different parts of the body.

Children are much less likely to suffer from migraines than adults—the most common ages to experience migraines are 18–44—but it’s still estimated that around 10% of children experience migraines. Compared to the population of Boston (700,000 people, of whom 168,000 are children), that’s about 16,800 children.

Causes of Migraines

Chronic migraines are now better understood than they once were, and many causes have now been identified. Rather than being seen as simply a result of blood vessel issues in the head and brain, now experts believe that migraines are the result of a wide variety of brain malfunctions, often related to the neurotransmitter serotonin.

To help your physician diagnose the cause of your child’s headaches, it’s a good idea to keep a headache diary. This can help your physician determine if you’re dealing with migraines or other types of headaches, like cluster headaches.

That being said, there are many risk factors for having migraines.

Here are some of the risk factors that can cause a migraine:

A family history of migraines
Stress
Lack of sleep
Menstruation
Changes in eating patterns
Caffeine intake or withdrawal
Some medications
Change in weather
Motion sickness

Migraine Symptoms

According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine attacks in kids with migraines have a variety of symptoms, including:

Nausea
Severe head pain
Irritability
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue
Visual disturbances
Head pain, especially pain that worsens with physical activity and that pulses and throbs
Pain in the abdomen
Sensitivity to light and sound
Pale skin
Loss of appetite

These are some of the more common symptoms, but there are many other symptoms that can be much more severe. This is not to discount the severity of the above symptoms, but rather to show that migraines can often mimic other types of diseases and must therefore be diagnosed and treated under the care of a doctor or specialist. This is to ensure your child is not suffering from something other than a migraine that might be more severe.