MEDICAL SURFARI: ALL IN THEIR HEADS?

Almost everyone has a headache now and then - even children. As a parent, the big question is when to be concerned about your child's headaches.

Most of the time the apparent cause of your child's headache can be logically identified -- such as staying up too late, missing a meal, playing in the sun too long, or bumping his or her head. Recurring, frequent headaches with no apparent cause should be brought to the attention of your child's physician.

Most simple headaches resolve at home with little medical intervention. Have your child lie down in a comfortable dark room to rest. Sometimes a cool cloth applied to the forehead or at the base of the head can be soothing. Always consult your child's physician before giving medications.

Children are plagued by many of the same recurring types of headaches that also affect adults. Common causes of headaches include stress, certain foods or beverages, medications, sinusitis, dental pain, muscle tension and migraine.

Migraine headaches occur in 4 to 10 percent of school-age children and they are the most common cause of recurrent headaches in children. They rarely occur before age 5 and 90 percent of the time they run in the family.

If your child has recurrent headaches keep a diary listing each headache and anything that you believe may have brought it on. Be certain to note the severity of the headache and any associated symptoms, as well as their response to any prescribed medication.

Most headaches in children are not a symptom of other disease and can be treated effectively. But, constant headaches that are worse in the morning and associated with decreased alertness, changes in vision, weakness, listlessness, confusion and/or stiff neck may be cause for more concern. Certainly these symptoms warrant an immediate evaluation by a physician.

World Wide Web Resources

Mediconsult.com

http://www.mediconsult.com/headache/shareware/headache/head4.html

Go to this web site when a headache might warn of a more serious condition and briefly touches on the topic of headaches in children.

A Resource on Pediatric Headaches and Migraine

http://pediatricneurology.com/headaches.htm

Click on a highly selective list of topics to further educate you on headache issues and numerous other pediatric medical issues. It includes other headache web links.

American Council for Headache Education

http://www.achenet.org/index.html

This site provides education to understand headaches, prevention and treatments, and gives recommended reading on other headache information resources. You can link to other relevant sites to facilitate your search on headache and other related disorders.

KidsHealth Organization

http://www.kidshealth.org/index2.html

Here you will find a mighty Web site created by medical experts for the health of children. Click on Parents and Healthy Kids to find more information on headaches in children.

This site is one to bookmark for accurate and up-to-date information on kid's health issues.

Public access to the Internet is available at Cape Girardeau Public Library, Riverside Regional libraries, Kent Library and Generations.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.