Migraine in Children,
Teenagers and Young People

Headache is a cause for concern, and should be brought to the attention of a medical practitioner in order to eliminate other more serious conditions. It is important to remember that the majority of recurrent headaches in childhood are either tension type headaches or migraine. A diagnosis of migraine in a child is made if headaches are recurrent and if two of the following symptoms are present:

• pain, usually on one side of the head, but sometimes on both sides
• vomiting or nausea
• vision disturbances or ‘strange sensations’
• history of migraine in close family members (parents or siblings)

Migraine does not always present itself as a typical headache in children. There are types of Migraine that are often difficult to recognise.