Non-drug Treatment For Pediatric Migraine

The last thing most parents want to do is give their child a drug. Yet, when that child is a migraineur (a person with chronic migraine headaches), as are a reported 10-28% of children under the age of 19, many feel they have no choice.

This is simply not true. In fact, most pediatric neurology specialists will recommend alternative treatments before medication for safety reasons. A number of non-drug therapies are available for pediatric migraine sufferers. As with any complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) treatment, the patient’s physician must be a part of the team making the decisions and overseeing care.

One of the most common non-drug treatment options is temperature therapy. The application of a warm or cool compress eases pain for many. Apply the hot or cold pack to the area of greatest pain, taking care to insulate it so no damage to the child’s skin occurs.

Sleep frequently eases the suffering of adult migraineurs. The duration of children’s migraines is usually shorter than that of an adult. A nap taken in a dark, quiet, area can eliminate some migraines altogether.

Scheduling can be a factor in reducing the frequency of pediatric migraines. Unlike adults, who experience stress in an acute, episodic manner, children usually experience a constant stress level, particularly during the school year. Establishing a regular routine, including time to relax and an age-appropriate sleep schedule, helps many young migraineurs.

Relaxation training, including instruction in self-hypnosis and guided imagery, is becoming the treatment of choice for recurrent pediatric migraines. Studies on the subject show that over half of the pediatric patients who learn these relaxation techniques experience less frequent migraines, but with no reduction in pain intensity when they do have one.

There are many options for pediatric migraine therapy, do not be afraid to ask the doctor about drug alternatives.

Home For Headaches

When a migraine strikes, many migraineurs head for home and settle in to wait out the excruciating headache. This may be the problem. While current genetic studies of rare migraines types show the condition to be about sixty percent inherited, the other forty is environmental. If someone already prone to migraines is exposed to an environmental trigger, fireworks, or at least a few prodromal symptoms, will ensue.

How can migraineurs make sure their homes aren’t giving them headaches? Clear out known offenders, one at a time. Things to look out for:

* Common household allergens, things like mold, mildew, and dust and dust mites. Changing the air filter and switching to cotton sheets both help with these household horrors. * Tobacco smoke. Whether it’s a cigarette or a pipe, ask smokers to take it outside. * Carbon monoxide. This odorless, colorless, and poisonous gas can come from poorly ventilated fireplaces, furnaces, gas appliances, or cars running in the garage. Installing carbon monoxide detectors near possible carbon monoxide sources and checking the batteries regularly may not only prevent migraines, it may save a life. * Water-borne impurities. Eliminating potential chemical trouble from the faucet can be as simple as purchasing a small water filtering pitcher for drinking water. For extremely sensitive people a household filtration or softener system may be the answer. * Pesticides. No one wants to share their home with insects and rodents, but the chemicals used to repel them may be inviting in migraines. Temporarily eliminating pesticide use or switching to organic pest control may help. * Pet dander. Migraineurs who are allergic to their pet may want to consider allergy treatment to help them live with the problem. * Cleaning solutions. The number and variety of harsh chemicals found in cleansers is boggling. Switching to all-natural cleansers may clean up migraines.

Pediatric Migraines

Children get migraines, too, they are not a condition confined to adulthood.. Studies have even indicated that infants may get migraines, but this is hard to verify.

Current estimates indicate that up to 10% of children between 5-15 years old suffer from migraines, increasing to 28% in the 15-19 age range. Migraine headaches have a real impact on quality of life for children. The high percentage of children that experience migraines makes them a top childhood health problems.

Diagnosing pediatric migraine is similar to diagnosing adult migraines with a few notable exceptions. The International Headache Society’s criteria states that the headache must last 4 to 72 hours. Children’s migraines are generally shorter and this fact needs to be taken into account when attempting to diagnose them. Adult migraines are frequently one-sided, but children’s frequently involve pain on both sides of the head. These headaches should not be dismissed just because they are not one-sided.

For most child migraineurs (people suffering from migrainous headaches) the headaches begin between 5 and 11 years of age. Prior to puberty, the number of male and female children with migraines is roughly equal. After puberty, girls are considerably more likely than boys are to have migraines, most likely due to the same hormonal issues that make the number of adult women migraineurs three times that of the men.

Many child migraineurs are fortunate enough to have their condition disappear during puberty or upon reaching adulthood. However, people who have migraines as children are much more likely to become adult migraineurs than those who did not have them as a child.

Adult migraine sufferers should watch for migraine symptoms in their children, particular if the other parent also experiences migraines. A child with two migraineur parents has a 70% chance of becoming a migraineur.