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(www.HealthNewsDigest.com) – COLUMBUS, Ohio – If you’ve got a child heading back to school, they’ve probably told you what a pain this time of year can be for them. Most kids are probably just complaining, but some may have a valid point. Doctors say they see more headaches, and more severe cases this time of year, just as kids are heading back to class.
Peyton Green used to dread this time of year; the stress of school and homework often left him with agonizing migraine headaches.
“They start with a pain in my stomach, sort of like a stomach ache, and then it will develop from there. My eyes will hurt, and I’ll be really sensitive to light and sound and I just have a throbbing pain in my head,” Peyton says of the headaches.
Peyton used to get them up to two or three times a week, often forcing him to miss school. And he’s not the only one: it’s estimated that more than 20 million kids* suffer from migraines or painful tension headaches** and when they go back to school, the numbers go up.
“For various reasons, we definitely see an uptick in our headache problems right now,” says Ann Pakalnis, MD, who runs the headache clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Pakalnis cites several reasons why kids tend to get more headaches this time of year. First is a lack of sleep. Switching from summer schedules to school hours can be tough, and using caffeine to compensate for it can make things worse. Dr. Pakalnis has published a study that shows kids who have migraines often have restless sleep and can show signs of depression.***
But be careful treating these headaches. Taking too much medication can make headaches worse.
“It’s very important that the parents discuss that with the children and realize that if they are taking medication that frequently, then the headaches really do need to be evaluated thoroughly,” says Dr. Pakalnis.
Peyton’s migraines are now being controlled with special medication.
Before writing off a child’s pain as an excuse, doctors say parents need to do their homework to know when it’s time to see a doctor. If your child complains often about headaches or begins to miss out on fun activities, pay attention. If the headache seems to come from the back of the head or neck, it’s probably a good idea to get them checked out.
Sources:
*USA Quick Facts, 2008 United States Census Bureau, retrieved August 209 from: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
**Headaches in Children and Adolescents, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Headache Clinic, 2008, retrieved August 2009 from:http://www.nationwidechildrens.org (key word: headache clinic).
***Serotonin Effects on Sleep and Emotional Disorders in Adolescent Migraine, Headache, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, March 2009. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19486363?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
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