headache for a week aged 10

[UmmH]

My 10 year old is suffering intermittent headaches that last for a minute. He says it feels like something hard pushing out from the front of his head. It's so bad it makes him cry. The GP said to give paracetamol 4 times a day, but can't find anything else wrong with him. GP said at this stage A&E wouldn't do any further tests. What could this be, and how can I help him? He's missed 3 days of school so far and I'm worried.

Slightly odd suggestions but:
(a) have you done a lateral flow test? I finally succumbed to the dreaded virus two weeks ago. It was really mild, mostly just feeling drained, but I got intermittent headaches on and off for four days and they were also frontal.
(b) some types of hayfever - which is really bad right now - can manifest in headaches. I used to get these when I was a teenager (a long time ago) but they stopped after a few years.

I would ask for an urgent optician appointment. If optician has no concerns, and headache continues, return to gp and ask for further investigations.

Thank you for your suggestions:

• I did a lateral flow test on Tuesday night and it was negative.


• He doesn't have any other hayfever symptoms. We've been inside, and pain seems worst at night. Can hayfever manifest in just a headache?


• He had a sight test recently. No problems.

@Jalisco did pain relief relief help?

GP said he'll call back on Wednesday. But what should I do between now and then? Paracetamol doesn't seem to be working. I'm just sitting here feeling useless.

If he leans forward with his head towards the floor, does the pain get worse? Intermittent intense pain at the front of the head (plus often near the temples) can be a sinus infection, often made worse by changes in pressure (leaning forward, coming down an elevator from a high floor…) If so, they usually clear by themselves after a few days. Nasal irrigation can help relieve symptoms.

I’d continue to push to get answers on this, as you are. A headache so bad your DC is in tears sounds absolutely horrible. I’m so sorry!

Thank you @Jalisco @juniorcakeoff and @UpToMyElbowsInDiapers . I've just popped to the pharmacist who has tried him on Cetirizine in case it is hayfever. I have a sinus spray he can start using again. I'm prepared to try any and everything to bring him some relief.

@UpToMyElbowsInDiapers No change on leaning forward.

Hmm - if it hasn't improved by Monday then I wouldn't be waiting for a GP to phone on Wednesday.

Has he had a fall or injury recently and pulled a muscle or trapped a nerve? Would an osteopath help?

He hasn't injured himself. An out of hours GP is going to call tomorrow. What would be the next step - a head scan?

How is your dc today op ?

He had a bad day yesterday. Headaches and tears every hour. He's been prescribed Sumatriptan but I can't tell if it is working. I'm now keeping a pain diary. This all started after a school sports day in the hot sun two weeks ago, where he had no cap or sunblock or water. He came home dizzy and sick. Is it possible that sunstroke damaged the blood vessels in his head?

Sudden onset persistent headaches of more than 2 weeks warrants further investigation. I know you said he has had an eye test recently,but was it since the symptoms started? If not, I would take him to the opticians, and mention the symptoms. They can sometimes see significant changes, not just shortsightedness. Otherwise if he doesn't respond to this medication, I would ask for CT or MRI.

So he's had sunstroke. Poor mite.

Could he be dehydrated?

Chances are it's nothing serious but please push for a scan.

My 3yo's headaches were due to a brain tumour, and the same thing happened to another little boy on this board just this week.

I don't say this to scare you -99%+ of headaches will have another less serious reason, but it's best to do exclude them more worrying causes with heads ASAP.

I've screenshotted the NICE guidance.

@Ladybug14 he's drinking normally.
@Somuchgoo I'm so sorry to hear that. It must have been so frightening. I hope your little one is better now.

He's just woken up and I'm waiting to see when the next pain strikes. Last night 4 hours passed with no pain and I started to feel optimistic, then he was struck by the longest one ever.

In A&E again waiting for a doctor. Somehow I doubt they'll do a scan ☹️. I read that pure oxygen can relieve an episode, but is this something a child can carry around with them? The GP referred us to a paediatric headache clinic but the referral will be one week minimum. He can't carry on like this for another week. Its draining him 😥

Back from A&E. No closer to a solution. They recommended meditation and mindfulness, sigh.

Oh wow… they think it’s anxiety related? I mean, I suppose that’s possible, but I’d want to rule anything else out first. Poor little guy. I really hope that the specialist clinic helps.

Did the sumatriptan work op ?

It is not normal for a child of his age to have headaches like that.

I would push for a CT scan - did you see a paediatrician at A&E?

My dd had a sudden spate of headaches and it turned out out she had an infection, she was prescribed antibiotics and they went. It was about two weeks of hell though, she was a bit older than your ds, and she missed so much school as she would go in and they would start to get worse and we'd end up having to go and pick her up by first break

@Somuchgoo and @longtompot do you mind me asking if there were any other symptoms with your children? With my DS there is no fever, no high blood pressure, no vision disturbances, nothing that raises alarm bells in the doctors.

@Newcastlegirl Yes, the A&E doctor examined him then consulted with the paediatric consultant who spoke to us and said they can't find a physiological cause so maybe meditation can help.

@cushioncovers The sumatriptan did not work at all so I have stopped it.

He's much worse in the mornings and at night. Might this indicate it's fatigue related? Also, right after his last and most severe attack tonight and two nights ago he started to gasp for breath. Both times I managed to soothe him to sleep, but it is frightening.

It happens at random moments so I can't find a pattern. Sometimes he's in the middle of talking, other times walking or sitting still. If it is anxiety, are there any natural remedies anyone would recommend? I know chamomile is soothing. What about other herbal, homeopathic or anything I can get over the counter? I can't see any of these things working when he gets an acute attack, but just maybe they may help prevent one.

Also, thank you everyone for taking the time to post.

I'd love to say that there were really obvious symptoms, but honestly I was very very surprised when there turned out to be anything wrong.

Obviously for every 1000 kids that come in with the same symptoms as my little one about 999 will just have migraines, or stress or something.

But bearing that, in mind, this is what happened. Sorry its a bit long.

Mid January (14th), she had a 24hr fever and I noticed about the same time she was intermittently complaining of an 'ouchy head'. It wasnt enough to make her upset or stop her from doing stuff. She mentioned it roughly once a day.

After a week (24th) I took her to the GP. They thought her previous fever might have been due to a ear infection, and there was some lingering discomfort. Come back if it continues.

She continued to complain about once a day. Saturday 29th, it was bad enough to wake her crying, so we took her to the dr's on Monday 31st. Again told it was likely her ears, and to come back in a week or two of the same and they'd refer her to ENT.

31st in the afternoon, she suddenly put her hand to her head, started sobbing and fell (with pain, not unconscious) to the floor holding it for about 10m. Then did got up and had spaghetti hoops and seemed fine!

I phoned the dr back, and they were unconcerned. I did t think there was anything particularly wrong, maybe migraines or something, but really wanted her properly checked. I debated taking her to A&R but didnt want to br seen as a troublemaker.

The following morning (1st feb) she woke up fine, watches duggee, then curls up on my lap, holds her head and sobs. We give her calpol and she vomits. Phone 111 (assuming they'll send us to A&E), they don't, but get a GP to call. They phone the hospital and ask me to take her up.

They decide to scan, but the sedatives dont work, so they admit us overnight, which I thought was a ridiculous overreaction, but whatever. 2nd feb, they give stronger sedatives, scan, and I'm told she has a brain tumour within 20m of the scan. She had surgery the following morning

The symptoms they were concerned about:

• headaches
• them often being worse in the morning (red flag sign)
• bad enough to wake her (only once but a red flag)
• vomitting (again only once but a red flag).

In hindsight I can see more - she's always been clumsy, but she was becoming more clumsy. I assumed a growth spurt. She struggles to put on weight (up for debate whether linked, I think it is). She was also very clingy for a while before, but you cant go to the dr's and complain that your 2yo is clingy and wants to be carried a lot...

I hope you get to the bottom of what's up with your little one and that is nothing serious. Check for the screenshot of headache red flags i have up thread. It may be that they took my little one more seriously because if this unusual it is to have headaches at 2.5 compared to school age. I don't know

I don't remember her having a temperature or anything else tbh. She did have a blood test which is how they knew she had an infection. Sorry I can't remember if your ds has had a blood test, but if not, might be worth asking about.
Headaches are just awful, but especially when it's going on for so long and for no discernible reason. My ed is currently on week 2 of her most severe migraines. She's 25 and is looking into other reasons why this might be happening so nothing like your ds. I hope you get to the bottom of it. @Somuchgoo I hope your dd is ok now. That sounds a scary time💐

Thank you both for sharing. The worst thing is going back and forth and not finding out anything, meanwhile your child remains in pain, crying for you to help them and you can't. I hope your DD is all better now, @Somuchgoo. @longtompot I imagine your DD has tried everything?

DS's headaches are worse morning and evening, but they're bad in the daytime too. No vomiting and no signs of infection on examination which is why they say they don't need to do a blood test. He's had just one headache so far today, which is a drastic improvement. What I'm seeing over the past few days is less regularity. When I started this thread they were every hour. Now he just feels weary.