Headaches In Children: Signs, Symptoms And Remedies
- Headaches aren’t confined to adults – children can get them too. But because kids often experience headaches differently to adults, they can go unnoticed.
- A child’s headache or migraine can be accompanied by sickness or a tummy ache. It can impact their day, but they do tend to recover fast, sometimes bouncing back to normal in half an hour.1
- There are some simple measures you can take to help prevent your child developing headache, or to ease symptoms if they are suffering from one.1
What to do:
What to avoid:
- have the child lie down quietly in a darkened room
- apply a cool, moistened towel or cloth to the forehead
- encourage easy and deep breathing
- encourage sleep: the body’s natural way of healing
- invite them to eat or drink (not caffeinated drinks)
- give paracetamol or Ibuprofen: syrup is easier for kids
- for fast relief, give Nurofen for children with Ibuprofen: ideally at onset of symptoms.2
- If your child gets frequent headaches, you can teach them some simple relaxation techniques.2
- skipping meals
- dehydration: encourage drinking water throughout the day
- irregular bedtimes and inadequate sleep
- caffeinated drinks, which can cause dehydration.1
When to see a medical professional
Frequent causes:
- high levels of stress and/or anxiety
- dehydration
- skipping meals: it can create low blood sugar levels
- noisy environments1
- a cold or flu
- bad posture
- medication overuse
- eyesight problems.2
Common types of headaches in children:
- migraines
- tension headaches
- cluster headaches
- medication-overuse headaches
Migraines
The wide symptoms of migraines can include a throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head, nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound. There can be a warning of disturbed vision at onset (aura migraine).2
Tension headaches
A tension headache can feel like a squeezing pressure to the head or neck, a mild to moderate aching sensation rather than throbbing, with no nausea or sickness. Your child may be sleepier than normal. It can last from half an hour to several days.2
Medication Overuse headaches
Painkillers taken too often – more than half the days in a month, can cause headaches in children.2
Why ibuprofen can help
Ibuprofen has triple action – it relieves pain, fever and has anti-inflammatory properties. It works for acute pain in more people than either paracetamol or aspirin.
Why Nurofen for Children can help
Nurofen for Children Fever and Pain Relief 100mg/5ml suspension contains ibuprofen for up to 8 hours pain relief. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is fast-acting, after just 15 minutes. It comes in strawberry or orange flavours and is free from artificial colours and flavours.
Discover more from our range
Other products from our range can help treat children’s headaches.2
- Nurofen for Children Orange Suspensions, 3 months to 9 years
- Nurofen for Children Baby Suspensions, 3 months
- Nurofen for Children Cold, Pain and Fever Strawberry Suspension