Headaches

[butterfly86]

Dd is 6 and has been complaining of her head hurting since about July, she mentioned it only every now and again until the last few weeks where it’s happening a few times a day. What she complains of is a short 1-2 second pain and it’s not always in the sample place it seems to move around to different sides of the head and different areas but often the forehead. It doesn’t bother her she just mentions it to me I’ve never had to give pain relief and it doesn’t stop her doing anything, no other symptoms. Sometimes she seems a bit sensitive to bright light and that can make it happen and she rubs her eyes but have had her eyes tested recently. Had her to gp 2 weeks ago who thoroughly examined her and had no concerns but had referred to peadiatrics for their opinion, Ive just had a phone call with a cancellation for tomorrow and I’m worried sick, I have terrible health anxiety and I’m thinking the worst. Has anyone else’s child has similar?

Hi @butterfly86 yes my DD started having headaches aged around 3, and it gave me the WORST anxiety! She has been seen by a couple of paediatricians (she does have coeliac disease which was undiagnosed for years and I think played a big part in the headaches). The paediatrician will ask about any red flags - any early waking headaches / headaches that make child nauseas / vomit etc.

My DD does still get headaches and I think sometimes they are caused by anxiety.

Try not to worry - there are many benign reasons for headaches and the oncologist I work with said that girls tend to have more headaches than boys anyway (I have a DS who is 11 and has only ever had a few headaches, compared to DD who has them more regularly).

Have you started a headache diary? If so, can you see a correlation between the headache and a food / activity?

Thinking of you and hoping all is fine tomorrow

Were your little ones typical headaches or these short zap type? She mainly gets them later in the day or at night around 7.30, today was the first time she’s mentioned it on a morning it was about 10 minutes after waking she didn’t wake with a headache. We have recently found out she’s gluten intolerant and have been cutting it out so that’s interesting about coeliac. In one way I’m pleased the appointment is tomorrow rather than waiting but then my anxiety is making me wonder why so soon, she did say there isn’t a long wait for peadiatrics at the minute and they’d had a cancellation but I can’t be rational. I have started a diary but haven’t been logging her food.

Yep, both my children can have headaches that appear like a sharp zap and then it’s gone - it happens so quickly that there isn’t any point giving Calpol as they are fine otherwise!

Could it be tiredness? My DS tends to get them more when he’s tired. DD will always get them before a cold comes on.

Has your DD had a cold recently, before the headaches worsened? Wondering about blocked sinuses.

Try not to worry about the speed of the appointment - I’ve literally had appointments same day / next day due to a cancellation and both my children’s appointments were originally routine. They just don’t want the space unfilled.

Yes I’ve never had to give calpol as they’re gone so quickly. She has got a bit of a stuffy nose today and been complaining of ear ache, she also takes forever to settle down to sleep so is going to bed much later than she should be then wakes in the night to come in with us as she’s scared so has disturbed sleep.

have peads ever wanted to do a scan with your children or do they go off symptoms?

Bless her - the increase in headaches could be due to congestion if she has got a cold. My DD has bad headaches when she was unwell recently with a cold, but Calpol did help.

The paediatricians have never scanned either child - my DD has only had physical examinations as there were no other red flags. She had one bad headache that woke her up a few months ago - I called 111 who suggested A&E because of risk of meningitis. She was examined and Dr said she was fine and it was likely a muscular headache (neck muscles pulling on her head which caused the headache). My DS has only had an EEG and that was because he had ?silent seizures - but he’s never had any other scans done.

My dad has a brain tumour so it’s always on my radar, but I know that if your child isn’t getting worse with the headaches (like other symptoms happening and headaches getting worse day by day), then it’s unlikely to be anything overly concerning.

Thank you, I know she’s otherwise well and it’s my anxiety that is making me think like this. Hopefully tomorrow will put my mind at rest!

Fingers crossed all will be fine x

Sounds odd but it could be that her upper / lower teeth or jaw are out of alignment. I had constant headaches as a child but once I got my braces and my cross-bite corrected, they disappeared.

How did you get on @butterfly86? Hope it went well and the paediatrician wasn’t concerned. My DS actually told me casually this evening that he gets headaches when he gets stressed in tests (temple headaches) so that was something nice to worry about 😂🙈

@Baxterbaxter the paediatrician wasn’t concerned as they are transient and no red flags so that was reassuring thank goodness! He is doing some other tests as she’s recently been privately diagnosed with a dairy and gluten intolerance so he wants to test for coeliac, doing some other bloods and checking her thyroid. Her tonsils are large and she often has a stuffy nose and she sometimes snores so he wants a referral to ent incase it’s adenoids and tonsils contributing to the head pains. He’s going to follow up in 3 months but just with a phone call so I do feel much better thank you for asking.

oh dear our kids just like to pile on the worry don’t they 😂 hopefully it’s just a tension headache due to the stress of the test 🤞

@butterfly86 aw I’m so glad it was reassuring! Hoping it’s but your mind at rest - our kids do like to cause us stress don’t they! All the best x