Headaches are a common complaint in children. According to the Children's Hospital of Boston, more than 40 percent of all children will have at least one headache by age 7, and by the age of 15, more than 75 percent of children have had at least one headache. The most common causes of headaches in children are infections, migraines and tension.
Infections
There are several types of infections that can cause headaches in children. Sinusitis can cause pain in the area around the eyes and the nose when the sinuses are filled with mucous and pus. Meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord, can cause headaches, stiff neck, irritability and photophobia, which is the inability to tolerate bright light. Ear and throat infections, like strep throat, also can cause headaches. Finally, most viral illnesses will cause children to have headaches, either as part of the general sense of feeling achy or because of direct inflammation to the brain, a condition called encephalitis.
Migraines
Migraine headaches can begin in early childhood. According to the Children's Hospital of Boston, the average age of onset is between five and eight years of age. The pain may start on one side of the head and then involve the whole head. It is described as throbbing or pounding, and may be accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, sweating and abdominal pain. Some children may experience auras, abnormal sensations like flashing lights or abnormal smells that precede the headache. Children with migraines prefer a quiet, dark place while the headache is active. Over-the-counter pain medicines can help with the pain, but some children require preventive medicines to control the occurrence of the migraines.
Tension
These common headaches occur most often in children between 9 and 12 years of age. Stressful situations may trigger these headaches, but their onset is not well understood. According to the Merck Manuals, tension headaches are milder in intensity than migraine headaches, affect both sides of the head and are not associated with nausea, vomiting or light sensitivity. They are described as a dull pain or as the sensation of a rubber band tightening around the head. Most tension headaches resolve with over-the-counter pain medicines.
