Chronic headaches in children

Recurrent headaches, often found in children and adolescents; with age, they usually do not regress. In a prospective analysis of headache registration diaries for 1 month, in 2,126 children aged 7–12 years old, cephalgia was found in 58% in total, and every 10th child had a recurring pain. The prevalence of headaches is increasing in adolescents.

According to epidemiological data, the prevalence of headaches in children within six months is 53%; in the adolescent population, headaches, and especially migraines, are more common (Fig. 1-10). The average age of onset of headaches is 7.5 years, and in 5% of children it is 3 years or less. Boys are characterized by an earlier onset of headaches compared with girls (7.3 and 7.8 years, respectively). The duration of headache episodes in children is less than that in adults, in 59% of children it is 2 hours or less.

Key points

In terms of the frequency of the most common complaints made during the initial request for medical help, headache ranks fourth.
– Headache is an active complaint, which is addressed by more than half of the adult and child population.
– Most of the non-traumatic etiology headaches observed in the primary care are primary headaches, among which is the most common migraine.
– In women, the nature of headaches varies depending on their reproductive status. The frequency of headaches depends on the cyclical fluctuations of estrogen, decreasing with increasing levels of estradiol. – The onset of headaches in old age often indicates their secondary nature.
– Chronic headaches lead to a significant loss of productivity in studies and work, as well as to the deterioration of social and family relationships.
– The most frequent diseases associated with migraines are chronic pain syndromes of other localization, as well as mood disorders and arterial hypertension.