Dealing With Headaches

Pediatric migraines usually refers to migraines in children under the age of 19. You can get migraines at almost any age — I sware I had one in my crib — and the pain is arguably worse for the parents than for the children. Unfortunately, very small children can’t keep a headache journal to figure out the triggers for their migraines. To parents, pediatric migraine triggers are going to be a total mystery. Treating pediatric migranes usually cvoncentrates on pain relief. Here, alternative remedies can help ease the pain, alone or in combination with over the counter drugs.

Why Alternative Treatments?

Some parents are wary — and rightly so — about just giving any old pill to their kids to kill the pain. Some are worried that adult medications (and even children’s medications) are still too strong for their young child or there may be a bad side effect lurking in the shadows. Lots of clinical trials for medicines are geared toward adults or teens but not little children.

Also, if you can’t get to the doctor or pediatrician, your child still needs pain relief. Some alternative therapies help without the need for a perscription. Some are quite complicated, like acupuncture, and needs the cooperation of your pediatrician to help for long-term therapy.

In the Meantime (and it’s a Mean Time)

Here are some home remedies that can often help ease the pain in pediatric migraines. As each child is an individual, each will have individual reactions. These are very mild remedies, unlike some folk remedies.

• Get the child to lie down in a dark room. Sleeping through a pediatric migraine can often be the best medicine.
• Apply cold compresses to the head, especially if the child complains about pain in one or both eyes. Hot compresses have been reported to help with some children. My Mom used to have me take a warm bath in a completely dark bathroom. This helped me to relax and not panic.
• Some scents help children relax and breathe deeply. Lavender, chamomile, frankinscence or peppermint can help a child breathe deeper and relax. Don’t put any scent on the child unless it is therapuetic grade essential oils, with lavender being the safest. If your child is allergic to ragweed, then avoid chamomile. If the child starts complaining the smell is making things worse, then forget it, but at least you tried.
• For nausea, peppermint hard candy can help. Some kids prefer candied ginger or ginger snaps.
• Sticking your hands or feet in warm water at the first sign of migraine can often help lessen the intensity of the pain.
• Tell your child — whether you think they understand or not — that the pain will eventually go away. Try not to act too upset, or your child may wonder if there is anything you are not telling him or her.

Please don’t use this article in the place of a pediatrician’s advice. Hope this helps.