- Many children suffer from headaches, just like their parents!
- Most headaches in children are benign. That is, they are not the result of a severe disease.
- It is estimated 4-5% of children suffer from migraine headaches.
- Disability from headaches can be significant with many days lost from school or play.
- Most adults who suffer from headaches started having headaches as children.
- In fact, 20% of adults report onset of headaches prior to age 10.
- Many migraine patients experienced their first headache before the age of seven.
- Before puberty, migraines occur equally in boys and girls.
- After puberty, female migraine sufferers outnumber males 3:1.
- Migraine headaches are an inherited disorder. (autosomal dominant with incomplete penetrance) That means, you may get it from your parents.
There are two basic headache types:
Primary headaches
Primary headaches include tension headaches, migraine headaches and cluster headaches.
Secondary headaches
Secondary headaches result from specific causes such as infection, meningitis, tumors, or localized head injury. Signs and symptoms of the underlying cause need to be searched for.
Headaches associated with infection may represent a systemic reaction to the infection and do not necessarily signify severe disease, For example: Strep throat is frequently associated with headaches.