Children can get migraine headaches, sometimes as young as 6 years old.  Boys are slightly more likely to suffer a first migraine under age 10; girls tend to suffer their first migraine in adolescence.

Migraine headaches may be one-sided, and they are often associated with visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light.  Often, the best treatment is sleep.  But if this is not practical or sufficient, non-prescription pain relief medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen often are helpful.  Prescription medication is helpful to abort more severe migraines, or to lessen the frequency if they occur more than a few times a month.

Migraines should be taken seriously; they can be quite debilitating, but proper treatment is very effective; children don’t have to suffer with them.

–  David Epstein, MD