Children frequently complain about pain (“Mom, my foot hurts and I can't walk to take the trash out tonight.” “Mom, my head hurts and I can't do my homework.”). It can be difficult to know when a child is experiencing genuine pain, especially with something as seemingly intangible as a headache.

Headaches in children should always be taken seriously. Ignoring signs and symptoms can lead to more serious headache issues down the road, and can also cause resentment in your children. Treat their complaints with the respect and attention that you would treat those of your spouse or an adult friend.

Generally speaking, children suffer from headaches for the same reasons as adults. The types of headaches children experience are similar to those experienced by adults. However, special attention needs to be paid to the signs and symptoms that child headache sufferers commonly display.

Children do not tend to understand that pain is transient and can be improved, so they may be prone to omitting key details that would help in their treatment. They also do not typically keep good headache diaries or accurately report all symptoms, so figuring out the details of their specific type of headache can be a challenge.

Being a good detective can help you (and your doctor) more accurately diagnose and treat children with headache. Young children are not always aware of the cause of their pain and may have difficulty even describing it. If you suspect migraine or another recurring primary headache, you will need to learn how to ask the right questions in order for your child to aid in their diagnosis.