Category: Therapy

Headache In Children: Things You Didn’t Know

“ Head pain in children“???  Yes, you heard it right, many of us can’t imagine that children can get headaches too. Many parents don’t realize that their children are suffering from chronic headaches as children who are younger than 6 may not be able to describe the symptoms they are experiencing. 

About  20 percent of 5-year-olds and About 75 percent of teenagers get occasional head pain, these can be harmless and can be managed with the help of simple treatment and home remedies.

In this post, I will help you understand headaches in children, the types of headaches children can have, the possible causes of head pain and its symptoms, and treatment.

What is the treatment for childhood headaches?

The conventional medicines for headaches include medicines to control the pain and nausea and vomiting, which are effective to control the acute attack of pain and other symptoms but fail to control the recurrence of the attack. Sometimes the use of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, sodium valproate, and antidepressant to control the frequency of attacks.

Our Pediatric Headache Approach

  • We have devised a unique treatment approach for children, under which detailed inquiry of children, current complaint, past medical history, along with physiological and psychological assessment with diet and lifestyle and day-to-day struggles of the child is taken into consideration. 
  •  Our approach is intended to manage the physiological changes, hormonal changes, and immunological defects which are making a child prone to recurrent headaches along with diet and nutrition consultation along with lifestyle modification to overcome the triggering factors like stress, anxiety, poor sleep, dietary errors.
  • Our approach has proved beneficial in reducing and controlling the inflammatory and autoimmune processes, which can cause neuroinflammatory changes which can lead to stimulation of the trigeminal nerve which can lead to migraine in children.
  • Our approach helps your child develop a better immune system, and helps reduce allergies and recurrent infections, thus promoting the child’s average growth.
  • This all is done with sweet tiny homeopathic oral medications which are without side effects and often children love to take homeopathic sweet pills.

Duration of treatment of headache

The duration of treatment depends on the duration of the child’s headache, its intensity, and the frequency of occurrence of complaint, usually it takes 6 months to 1 year, in a few cases it can take longer too, depending on the factors mentioned.

Common Causes of Headache In Children

It is believed that the contraction of scalp muscles repeatedly can cause head pain. Also if the pain sensors in blood vessels and tissues around them if activated can result in Neurochemical changes in the brain which can also cause head pain.

 The headache is commonly caused by  

  • inadequate or poor sleep.
  • Long screen exposure.
  • Environmental factors. 
  •  Common illnesses like colds, flu, and ear and sinus infections, can cause headaches.
  • Hormonal changes in teens can also cause chronic recurring headaches.
  •  Stress and anxiety, and depression in children can also trigger head pain.
  • Genetic predisposition. Headaches, particularly migraines, tend to run in families.
  • Certain foods and beverages like Nitrates, food preservatives, food additive MSG, and caffeine in soda, chocolates, and sports drinks can cause headaches.
  • Head injuries: Bumps and bruises can cause headaches. ,
  • A chronic headache that is severe and debilitating can be because by an underlying brain tumor or abscess or bleeding in the brain but is usually associated with visual problems, dizziness, and lack of coordination.

Complication of headache

  • Acute recurring headaches affect all aspects of a child’s functioning, leading to negative affective states like anxiety, depression, and anger.
  •  Recurring head pain can increase psychosocial problems, like school absencenties which can lead to poor grades in school and, problematic social interactions.

How to prevent headaches in children

  • Practice a healthy lifestyle, which includes taking adequate sleep, eating healthy meals and snacks, staying physically active, and drinking enough water.
  • Limiting screen time
  • Reducing stress in children can be as simple as difficulty in doing homework to strained relationships, checking if a child’s headaches are liked to any anxiety or depression, taking help from experts
  • Avoid food or drinks which trigger headaches in your child.

Don’t Hold Back Your Sleep Disorder

In today’s world of fast pace, looking after a family, job, relationship,  distraction of social media and other responsibility, what I have observed we easily compromise our sleep to balance another part. We don’t need research to tell us that sleep is critical for brain function, but there’s plenty of it out there. We’ve all experienced groggy feeling, poor decision making and memory loss after a night of little or no sleep. 

What happens when a person doesn’t get enough sleep?

Studies have shown a clear relationship between sleep, food consumption, weight regulation, and metabolism.

people, who habitually sleep less than six hours per night are more likely to have a higher-than-average body mas index (BMI)? Researchers believe that this is because our bodies secrete hormones while we sleep that control appetite, metabolism, and glucose processing. Lack of sleep can wreak serious havoc on your insulin levels, put you at higher risk for diabetes, anxiety, and depression and worsen your PCOS symptoms, especially if you sleep less than five hours per night.

 

What causes sleep disorders?

 

  • Lifestyle choices:- Sleep is often the first thing to be sacrificed when we are overcommitted.

 

  • Disease and/or medical conditions: Many diseases and conditions make it difficult to sleep, either because you cannot get comfortable and relax or because they literally wake you, as in the case of sleep apnea. Often these diseases are caused, in part by sleep deprivation. Diseases such as coronary disease allergies cough, asthma, some chronic pain, depression, women by sleep deprivation, creating an unhealthy cycle.

 

  • Sleep apnea: If you snore loudly and wake with a dry mouth, headaches, or shortness of breath, and if your partner observes that you stop breathing during sleep, you should be tested for sleep apnea, Sleep apnea will worsen your insulin resistance and glucose processing.

 

  • Medication: Sleep disruption is a common side effect of many popular medications. 

 

  • Melatonin imbalance: Melatonin is a powerful hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm, the cycle of waking, and Sleep Disruption in its levels often results in sleep deprivation or unhealthy sleep patterns.

 

  • Cortisol imbalance: Your cortisol levels should naturally rise and fall. Ideally, they peak around 8 a.m. and drop off between midnight and 4 a.m. If you wake between 1 and 3 a.m. it may be because of low adrenal function and cortisol or inadequate glycogen reserves in the liver.

 

  • Strive to sleep seven to eight hours per night. Six hours seems to be the minimum amount of sleep the average person needs per night to function and be healthy. More than eight and a half to nine hours can also create metabolic issues. Here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep

 

Measures to take for proper sleep 

 

  • Eat the right foods. Choose foods that promote sleep (potassium-rich fruit, dark leafy greens, turkey, whole grains), and avoid sleep-interfering foods (anything high in fat or sugar even natural sugars like berries). If blood sugar drops below 50 mg/dL at night, it can increase levels of adrenaline, glucagon, cortisol, and growth hormone, all of which can stimulate the brain. Eating a big meal before sleep is not a good idea either. Your body will be too busy digesting to focus on the restorative aspects of sleep, like detoxifying, regenerating cells, and reviving. If you must eat before bed, the best snacks contain both carbohydrates and protein. Legumes, nuts, and seeds are all good choices.
  • Support your adrenal glands. Although cortisol helps your body to adjust to perceived emergencies, chronic stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, a cortisol imbalance, and sleeplessness. Take steps to manage your stress during the day. Experiment with relaxation techniques, yoga, and daily movement.
  • Supplement with magnesium. Magnesium is the “relaxation mineral.” Leafy green veggies, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, black beans, and almonds are all good sources of magnesium. You can also choose a high-quality supplement or take an Epsom-salt bath. Adequate magnesium doesn’t guarantee a good night’s sleep, but lack of magnesium will literally keep you up at night.
  • Boost your melatonin. Melatonin must have darkness to trigger activation (even if it is supplemented). Turn off lights and pull light-blocking shades. Turn off electronics at least an hour before bedtime.
  • Practice a sleep ritual. A sleep ritual is a crucial element for ensuring a good night’s sleep. Relax your body and mind for 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime to signal your body that it is time to sleep. It gives your mind time to settle so it isn’t racing and making “to-do lists” and helps your muscles to let go of the stress of the day. Try to go to bed at the same time each night. Turn off electronics at least an hour before bed, and practice letting the stresses of the day melt away. Repeat the same steps every night before bed, and your body will begin to go to sleep.
  • Cut back (or cut out) caffeine, stimulants, and sugar, especially after lunch. Don’t consume caffeine four to six hours before bed. This includes dark chocolate!
  • Avoid alcohol. Don’t drink alcohol for several hours before sleep. If you have a glass of wine to help you sleep, it will initially act as a sedative, but it disrupts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, and you’ll wake up in the middle of the night when the alcohol is being metabolized.

 

  • Seek treatment if you have an underlying medical condition. A health-care professional can help you resolve sleep apnea, depression, or anxiety.



Conclusion:- sleep disorder is not deadly, but not taken due care it may lead to chronic diseases in long run with decreased productivity. In homeopathy, we take into detail understanding of root cause in case understanding and try to resolve it from within its source in order to avoid any further complication in the most sustainable and non-addictive medicine.