When should a child's headache be checked?
Book a review if headaches are happening often, are keeping your child off school, are getting more frequent or severe, or are not settling with simple measures. A child who has started avoiding activities because of headaches also needs to be seen.
Seek medical help the same day if a headache wakes your child from sleep or is worst on waking with vomiting, comes with weakness, unsteadiness, double vision, a new squint, confusion or a change in personality, or follows a head injury. Go to the nearest emergency department for a sudden, very severe headache, or a headache with fever, neck stiffness or a rash.
How does migraine look different in children?
Migraine in children is often shorter than in adults, sometimes lasting only an hour or two, and the pain is frequently on both sides of the forehead rather than one side. Many children go pale, feel sick or vomit, want a dark quiet room, and feel better after sleep.
Some children have episodes before typical headaches start, such as repeated bouts of vomiting, tummy pain or dizziness with no other cause. A family history of migraine is common and helps the diagnosis.
What happens at the appointment
Most of the assessment is the history: when the headaches started, how often they come, what they feel like, what helps, what triggers them, and how they affect school, sleep and play. Sleep, screen time, meals, water intake, exam stress and painkiller use are all asked about.
This is followed by a full neurological examination, including the eyes, blood pressure, head size and growth. When both the history and the examination are reassuring, a scan adds nothing and is not arranged. When something specific raises concern, the reason for any test is explained first.
The plan: fewer headache days
Most children improve with regular sleep, meals that are not skipped, enough water, active play, and limits on late-evening screen time. The plan also covers how to treat an attack early and properly, with the right dose for the child's weight, and how to keep painkillers to no more than two or three days a week.
When headaches remain frequent despite these steps, daily preventive treatment may be discussed. It is chosen for the individual child, reviewed after a few months, and stopped when it is no longer needed.
Keeping a headache diary
For each headache, note the date and time, how long it lasted, how bad it was on a scale of one to ten, what your child was doing, any medicine given and whether it helped. Add sleep times and missed meals on the days before.
Two to four weeks of entries usually shows a pattern that no single conversation can, such as headaches clustering on school days, after poor sleep or on days with long screen use.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need a CT scan or MRI for headaches?
Usually not. Most children with recurring headaches have migraine or tension-type headache, which a scan cannot show. A scan is arranged when there are warning signs in the history or a change on examination, and the reason is explained before anything is booked.
Can screen time cause headaches?
Long screen sessions, especially late in the evening, can contribute by shortening sleep, reducing activity and causing eye strain. They are rarely the only cause. The headache diary helps show whether screen use is a real trigger for your child.
Should my child get their eyes tested?
An eye check is reasonable if your child squints at the board, holds books close or gets headaches after reading. Uncorrected vision is a less common cause of headaches than parents expect, but it is quick to rule out.
How often can I give a painkiller for headaches?
Give it early in an attack at the correct dose for your child's weight, but on no more than two or three days a week. Using painkillers more often than that over weeks can cause a daily rebound headache, which settles only once they are cut back with medical guidance.
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Book an appointment
Consultations are by appointment at Huda, Sushant Lok 2, Sector 55, Gurugram. Tell us what is worrying you and the clinic will call you back.