Treating Headaches and Migraines in Children
There are many methods when it comes to treating headaches in adults. However, the treatment options are generally different when it comes to treating children with headaches. Doctors are simply apprehensive about using certain medications with children because the side effects are unpredictable in bodies that are still developing. Many drugs have multiplied side effects in children because they are much smaller and have lower body weights.
Doctors only generally first prescribe either a low dose aspirin or acetaminophen for pain relief for children experiencing headaches. There are both suppository and liquid forms that are available for very small children. They also try to teach them behavioral pain management techniques such as biofeedback and muscle relaxation.
Studies have actually shown that these techniques tend to work with children who suffer from chronic headaches. The reason for this is that children have not yet developed a pain behavior pattern so they are more receptive to learning biophysical techniques to help relieve or even block their headaches. They have not learned to rely on drugs to help reduce their pain so they are able to utilize biofeedback and relaxation techniques more effectively than adults.
Biofeedback training is nothing more than learning how to control certain functions of the body by thought and will. Children are able to learn how to slow their heart rates and even lower their blood pressure by using biofeedback.
It is also important to teach children how they can avoid different triggers that cause their headaches. Most migraine and tension headaches that are found in children are caused by the same things that cause headaches in adults. Just like adults each child has their own set of individual triggers that must be identified before they can learn to be avoided. There are many different triggers that cause headaches such as disrupted sleep, secondhand smoke, unusual stress or even certain types of foods. Children who experience headaches that go untreated will only continue to experience more headaches in their adult life. This is why it is important to discover headache triggers early on so children can learn to avoid them. Parents must be prepared to play a crucial role in helping their child control their headaches.
Biofeedback and relaxation techniques are always tried first when it comes to treating headaches in children. Doctors have found these techniques to be quite helpful in children even though they are generally not that helpful in adults. This is because adults have learned to associate pain relief with drugs and not with mind control. Children are much more receptive to these techniques because they have not established the notion that drugs will cure their pain. However, some children do not respond as well to these techniques as others. This is when a doctor may decide to use some sort of medication that is often times used to treat headaches in adults. For children who experience three or more serious headaches a month they will often times be subjected to preventative therapy.
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