5 Yr Old with Headaches

Oh, I'd definitely take her to the doctor and have it evaluated.

I started getting migraines when I was 10. We never found the cause, but I needed Tylenol-3 w/codeine to help take the pain away.

With kids, it's hard to know if they're really telling the truth and understand what it means to have a head ache, stomach ache, etc. But, having gone through my own battle of cancer recently, I tend to over-react about my kids' health, and my pediatrician is completely understanding.

You may find it's a food allergy, seasonal allergies, etc. - something that requires some kind of treatment, even if Over the Counter.

I would honestly consider allergy testing. Many times food or environmental allergies can cause headaches as a main symptom.

It could also be allergies. My brother had severe headaches and migraines and my mom took him to an allergist. They found out that he was allergic to peanuts- and he was eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost daily. They cut out peanut butter and he had no more headaches.

The teeth on the top jaw can cause pain in the sinuses. So if she has been losing teeth on top, then there may indeed be a connection. Particularly if there is/was some sort of problem with one... say an abscess or infection that has gone unnoticed.

I would talk to the doctor about it. Is she under a lot of stress for any reason? Some of it may be about attention.. if say, she had a real headache due to a tooth (just for example) and got a lot of sympathy attention for it, then it happened again... then maybe she just wanted her way about something and said her head hurt and it WORKED... well.. she might be milking it a little. So it could be a little of both: some may be real headaches, some might be for attention.

There is a lot of pollen right now... could she be sensitive to it?... that can cause some people headaches as well.

But by all means... talk to your doctor.

When my 4 year old complains of headaches it usually turns out to be an ear infection. Perhaps your daughter has allergies? I'd take her to the doctor noting how often the headaches occur, when they occur, what her daily activities entail, what her diet is like, etc. There are any number of explanations for her symptoms that are likely to be easily treatable. It may also be that, as you said, she found something that gets her some attention. Maybe a little extra one-on-one time with her might take away that need.

I know it is hard but try not to think of the worst case scenario. There are a number of explanations for her symptoms that are likely to be easily treatable. I'm not trying to downplay your concerns. I actually am the mother of a young boy who had seemingly harmless symptoms that led to a leukemia diagnosis. So I am not one to shrug off any symptoms my children exhibit. I try to take a balanced approach to dealing with the health of my children - keep the worst case in mind but realize the odds are in favor of something easily treatable. I don't hesitate to call the doctor when something doesn't seem right to me. I hope you get an answer soon. Best wishes to you and your daughter!

Take your daughter to the pediatrician, I know of a case (not fiction) 6 y/o boy complained of headaches and woke up vomiting one morning, the CT of head showed astrocytoma, a very aggressive brain tumor. It is always better be safe than sorry. Do not want to scare you, just to urge you to get to the bottom of her problem.
Wish you all the best.

your 5 year old should be able to tell you where the pain is coming from. also it could be allergies, ask her every time to point to where it hurts. also make sure your kid is hydrated and not eating too much stuff like MSG and other factors that can give people headaches. Does your child have skin issues? asthma? dark circles under the eyes? pale thin? maybe its allergies. either way you need to investigate this

My 6 year old son was having frequent headaches for about a month. His top two teeth were both really loose at the time and I thought it may be that. But I finally took him to the doctor who ordered an MRI. The results were normal, except it showed he had a severe sinus infection. We treated the sinus infection with antibiotics and he hasn't complained of headaches since.

Knowing what I know now, that he doesn't have a brain tumor or anything, I would still have the MRI done. I was really worried about him and the piece of mind goes a long way. Just get her checked out and make sure he looks up her nose good. Best of luck

S.,
I would take her to the doctor and have her checked. Any headache is not a good headache, but one that wakes you up from your sleep is definitely not good! Start a log and write down when she tells you she has a headache and how severe it is. From now until you go to the doctor's office you could have some substantial information to give him. Such as 'what was she doing at the time, how long did it last, what medicine took it away, and if it happens at night again'. Don't wait too long to take her, you should make an appointment for the latest next week. I know my niece had migraines since she was about 5yrs old.
So please take her and just get her checked. Believe it or not it could also be stress. Now a days children get stressed about little things and although not very common it could be that.
Blessings

My daughter complained of headaches as well and her pediatrician said it might be allergies. She had pretty narrow nasal passages from the swelling due to allergies. Allergies can effect us all year round even though many people think it's only a spring time thing.
Maybe ask the pediatrician about that. Ours gave her singulair to try for a while and it seemed to help.
Good luck!

I would definately mention it to her doctor and see if there IS anything going on. I started with headaches at five years old and then migraines shortly after that. When I was ten, my dad was deployed during Operation Desert Storm, and during that time frame, due to stress, I had migraines almost every other day. They did CatScans to make sure everything "looked" ok, which it did. They wound up doing something that was experimental at the time; they had me on a lower dosage of adult blood thinner for six months which was suppose to "train" the blood vessels in my head not to contract as much, therefore, reducing the amount of migraines. Since then, I have only had a handful of real migraines, but continue to have headaches. I am a worrier, so I can't help it : ) I am not saying you need to be that drastic and have to go as far as I did, but I would definately get her checked out because headaches have a tendency to debilitate and makes it hard to function daily. Good luck.

Have her evaluated by your chiropractor. It will get her almost instant relief, and it is not expensive and is drug free. Over 85% of headaches are caused by a subluxation in the neck. I lived with headaches my whole life until I started working for a chiropractor. I now know what it is like to be headache free. It's wonderful!

I had migraines when I was young and my mom thought I was just trying to get attention. Turns out I was allergic to many things, but mainly corn - corn starch, corn syrup, etc. Once we changed my diet around I felt so much better. Get it checked out - you'll feel better and she will too!

My son would complain of headaches. I took him to the Doctor and she said go have his eyes examined. He needed glasses. Before worrying too much Maybe start there.

I'd take her to the pediatrician...it could be lots of things like the shifting of her teeth, seasonal allergies, problems with her vision (needs glasses), etc...that a doctor might be able to pick up on by just performing a routine exam. You'll feel better afterwards and you'll leave with some good advice and answers.
Good Luck!

Since she is mentioning it after waking, it could be that she is grinding her teeth in her sleep. Your dentist can take a look at her teeth and give you a definitive answer; he/she will look at "wear" on the areas in the teeth where grinding would take place. If he determines she is grinding, he may be able to make a mouth guard that she would use at night.

It's my understanding that young children's headaches should always be checked out. It could be something simple to fix, like dehydration. Maybe she has allergies or sinus problems. Maybe she'll need glasses. But it's definitely worth checking. Good luck.

Take her to the doctor and get it checked. Even an eye doctor can tell so much just by looking in their eyes. Do not dismiss it any longer. I don't want to freak you out, but when I was teaching (in a daycare) we had a little girl that complained of headaches. She had just started coming to daycare (she was at least 5 at the time) and mom had just gone back to work. Everyone chalked it up to her being upset that her mom went back to work and she was in daycare. She cried a lot. We (including her parents) thought that because she was crying, she was getting a headache. Turns out, that was not the case. She started complaining at home, on the weekends, so her parents took her to the doctor. She did have a tumor. We all felt horrible. Long story short, (after being told by one doctor that it was in-operable) it was removed and last I had heard she was fine. Better to have it checked.

Because she is now waking up in the night, I would agree she's either grinding her teeth (I have TMJ and clench my jaw while sleeping which results in a stiff neck and headaches) or she most likely dehydrated. Try giving her a glass of water next to her bed and be sure she stays hydrated during the day. If that doesn't help see your pediatrician.

Definately take her to the doctor!!! Also be sure she is getting enough fluid too. My son started having headaches and dizziness and the doc said he was probably dehydrated. He is not a big drinker so I got him to drink more and it helped. Also it wouldn't hurt to have her eyes checked. If she is having a lot of eye strain it could make her head hurt.

Personally, I would need to have a doctor check it out, because I'm phobic about brain tumors (my brother died of one). If it will ease your mind, why not do it?

Please get her to a dr! it could just be needing glasses or not to freak you out but brain turmors usually get diagnosed around age 4-5. Just go see the dr to rule anything out please.

I would take her to the doctor just to give you peace of mind, but it could be a few things, like allergies. Did the headaches begin when the heat went on in the house? Did they begin when spring came or with a change in the weather? Pay attention to what she eats. Could be a food trigger..........like foods with nitrates (hot dogs, lunch meats), etc... Ask her where the headache is? Is it only on one side of her head? That would indicate migraines. I am a Shaklee Independent Distributor and there may be natural remedies that could help. Let me know if I can make some suggestions.

Last, it is unlikely this is anything scary, but a trip to the pediatrician might ease your mind a bit and be well worth it.

:)

P.

Hi S.,
Your childs headache can come from loosing teeth. She may also have allergies, do you have pets? Dont ignore headaches, tell her doctor. See a dentist too. My daughter would grind her teeth really loud and was getting headaches also. A dentist will be able to see " wear patterns " on her teeth. Has she bumped her head latley? Either way see a doctor before giving her medication to make sure.

Definitely take her to the pediatrician immediately. She's had headaches for months now, and her waking up at 5 am with a headache would concern me, personally. If the headaches continue after your appointment with the doctor, or you feel the problem is not being addressed, get her to a pediatric neurologist.

My daughter had a sinus infection at age 5 that caused her to have some facial pain that was worse when she was lying down at night. I just remember her complaining that her face hurt but I know sinus infections can cause headaches too. I also have a friend with a daughter who complained of a lot of headaches at a young age and it turned out that she needed glasses. If nothing else, just for your peace of mind, I would call her pediatrician and let him/her know what is happening & see what is recommended. Good Luck & I hope your daughter feels better soon! I know it is scary when your child is in pain.

I didn't read all the responses but wanted to say have her checked out by both the pediatrician but also the eye doctor. I started getting headaches at about 7. turned out I needed glasses. So it could be something simple like that