subject: Headache Season is Back! [print this page] As you drove to work this morning, you probably saw parents and little children standing outside their homes waiting for the school bus to take the kids to the first day of school this year. It's one of the most exciting (and daunting) times of the year for children who are off to school for the first time and an important day for parents as well. However, there is a very serious problem that faces these children that can be physically debilitating migraine attacks.
The New York Times has a story today about the trouble that young children have with painful headaches during the school season. Apparently, frequent headaches and migraines are an increasingly common ailment of young children, but it is overlooked by parents and the medical community as a whole. There are many reasons for these headaches:
"Often the real issue, say doctors, is that changes in a child's sleep schedule, including getting up early for school and staying up late to study, as well as skipping breakfast, not drinking enough water and weather changes can all trigger migraines when the school year starts."
The article doesn't specify how old the kids are when they start getting these severe headaches, but names two children, ages 8 and 15, who have these issues. While giving medicine to an 8 year old for headaches is probably not a good idea (unless overlooked by the school nurse) a 15 year old with migraine problems can be trusted to have a reasonable amount of medicine in the face of headaches.
It might be a good idea for parents to give teenage children a small first aid kit with some minor pain killers like Tylenol or Advil. If they keep this kit in their locker, it will be a good thing to have in case of a massive migraine attack. If this seems like too much, a first aid kit with a cold compress would be helpful, just to soothe the forehead during a headache.
