What Causes Headaches in Children?
Jun 11, 2019
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ding Hongfang
Introduction
There are many potential causes of headache in children. If the headache is accompanied by fever, it is likely due to an upper respiratory viral infection. If the headache occurs without fever, other conditions must be ruled out, including visual impairment or refractive errors, sinus infection, migraine (vasoconstrictive headache), and—even in children—intracranial space-occupying lesions, which often present initially with headache.
There are numerous potential causes of headache in children. When accompanied by fever, headache is often attributed to an upper respiratory viral infection; however, parents must not dismiss this symptom lightly.
Central nervous system infections may also present with fever and headache. In such cases, hospital evaluation is essential—including complete blood count, head CT scan, electroencephalogram (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Lumbar puncture with cerebrospinal fluid analysis may be required when clinically indicated.
If headache occurs without fever, many conditions must be ruled out—such as reduced visual acuity, refractive errors, sinus infection, or vascular or tension-type headaches. Even intracranial space-occupying lesions in children frequently manifest initially as nonspecific headache. Therefore, we advise parents that if their child experiences headache or discomfort, prompt medical evaluation at a hospital is strongly recommended to establish an accurate diagnosis.
