6Yr Old Daughter with Headaches

I highly doubt she is lying about her head hurting. Our daughter 6 in May Headache = go to chirporactor = headache goes away! She is growing and moving and playing...she is out of alignment and in pain

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There are two things I would do before administering meds or taking her to the doctor:

1. Evaluate her diet very carefully and be sure it is mostly whole and natural foods. Avoid processed foods and snacks that can be high in sodium, MSG, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. AVOID SODA and artificial sweeteners and opt for water or diluted juices (use seltzer water for the "fizz" and they won't miss the soda after long.) Children can be especially sensitive to these ingredients, as evidenced by behavioral, learning and chronic health issues. Go REAL with your food! If you need a great resource, please check out http://www.feingold.org/ for information on foods that can trigger issues like headaches as well as ways to find practical - and tasty! - alternatives.

"Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food" ~Hippocrates

(...not that this means you should down a bottle of Advil for your dinner - ha!)

2. Consider taking her to a chiropractor. While most people associate chiropractic with back issues, ensuring that the body is in proper alignment boosts the immune system and can benefit children with headaches, bedwetting, ear infections and a host of other issues.

If you incorporate these changes, ride them out for 2-3 weeks and see if there is any improvement. If not, I would then consider taking her to the doctor.

I speak from experience here - as a child/young adult, I had CHRONIC, debilitating migraine headaches. Since I have followed this advice and changed my diet I have been mostly headache-free - with the exception of stress headaches, etc, which aren't the same at all. My DH, 1-yr old DS and I go to the chiro weekly - it's worth it if/when insurance can cover it for you.

Just a thought...allow a few days to go by without saying anything to her about it or asking her how she feels. By all means, if she approaches you with it, then acknowledge, but on the chance that she is allowing some drama to get your attention don't let on that you're worrying so much about this. In the meantime, perhaps consult the dr, make any necessary dietary changes and see what happens.

Good luck, mama!

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Well that could be many things. Since it happens at school and other places it could very well be dust, cleaning supplies (as most of them are highly toxic) used in the home or other places, the air ducts could need to be cleaned. I would pay really close attention to it at home is it just after you have cleaned something with a cleaner and a couple days after. All cleaning supplies leave a residue even after they are rinsed. I learned this the hard way. My sister even though she is an adult can not be around bleach it gives her a severe headache.

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There are so many causes for headaches. It is really hard to figure it out. I got regular headaches from when I was a child to when I was about 34. Doctors kept giving me migraine medication. I finally did a lot of reading about food sensitivities and completely changed my diet. I have not had a migraine now for the last 4 years since I changed my diet. I avoid msg, and all processed foods. I don't drink soda. I don't eat any meat or food with nitrates/nitrites or sulfates/sulfides. It has been really hard to change my diet but it completely worked. There are web pages telling you all the ingredients msg is in (google "msg myth"). Perhaps what your daughter is eating may be contributing to headaches. It is worth a try.

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Sorry If I repeat answers- I didnt read all posts. My DD has been getting headaches since she was 5- she is 9 now. We did head scans, neurology testing everything. She gets migraines- some to the point that she throws up and some are very mild. Sometimes they wont come for months then she might get 3 in a week. A few things that help her.. something sweet and usually a coke. Lying in a dark room if its a bad one. And the chiropractor has been amazing for her. When she was going every 2 weeks to get adjusted she very RARELY got the headaches. (Now we have moved and not found a new chiro yet ) I highly recommend the chiropractor if they continue.

If they are just "headaches" there is not alot you can do. I would stop asking her if it hurts and let her tell you. See if she can really tell when she had one without having it pointed out to her. I kept a headache log for a while, when she got one, how long it lasted, what helped it to go away etc. This is very helpful to the doc if you take her. If they continue often or seem painful I would go ahead and have it checked out if nothing else but for your peace of mind. Good luck!

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Sounds to me like she is getting your attention by saying her head hurts. Quit asking her if her head hurts. If it hurts she will come and tell you. I would guess it might be her sinus. I have been having issues with mine lately and eating does seem to relieve the pressure for a bit. I am not congetsed, no runny nose, by looking at me you couldn't tell anything is wrong. I posted on Facebook to a friend that is having sinus headaches to try a Zyrtec at night before bed. It works. A lot of people are having sinus headaches right now. So it is possible that her sinus are causing them. But if it were me I would stop asking her if her head hurts and wait for her to come and tell me because if you are giving her food everytime she has a headache it might just be she is saying it for extra food. I would guess that it is her sinus. But also was wondering if you have had her eyes checked. I think that would be one thing I would do right away if it hasn't been done. Next time she says her head hurts have her point to exactly where it is hurting. If she points to anywhere on the front of her head it is more than likely sinus. If she continues to have them get her to a doctor. My daughter used to have headaches and we found out it was from allergies. There are so many things out there that can cause a headache but make sure she really has one first before you try to treat it. It is very common for a child to say they are hurting even if they aren't if a parent askes them if they are. Let her come to you and complain instead of you always asking her. Then you will know if she is telling the truth.

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Sounds to me like she is getting your attention by saying her head hurts. Quit asking her if her head hurts. If it hurts she will come and tell you. I would guess it might be her sinus. I have been having issues with mine lately and eating does seem to relieve the pressure for a bit. I am not congetsed, no runny nose, by looking at me you couldn't tell anything is wrong. I posted on Facebook to a friend that is having sinus headaches to try a Zyrtec at night before bed. It works. A lot of people are having sinus headaches right now. So it is possible that her sinus are causing them. But if it were me I would stop asking her if her head hurts and wait for her to come and tell me because if you are giving her food everytime she has a headache it might just be she is saying it for extra food. I would guess that it is her sinus. But also was wondering if you have had her eyes checked. I think that would be one thing I would do right away if it hasn't been done. Next time she says her head hurts have her point to exactly where it is hurting. If she points to anywhere on the front of her head it is more than likely sinus. If she continues to have them get her to a doctor. My daughter used to have headaches and we found out it was from allergies. There are so many things out there that can cause a headache but make sure she really has one first before you try to treat it. It is very common for a child to say they are hurting even if they aren't if a parent askes them if they are. Let her come to you and complain instead of you always asking her. Then you will know if she is telling the truth.

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have you taken her to an eye dr.?

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You might want to get her eyes checked just to rule that out. :)

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The two most common reasons are food allergies and convergence insuffiency (vision). Take her to a NAET proveider to find out which food groups, vitamins, minerals, environmentals she is sensitive to. Foods can give an effect for up to 72 hours after eating it so unless you keep a detailed food diary you will never know. Mostly it's casein (dairy protein or gluten). You need to take her for a full developmental/behvioral vision exam. These are done by a special doctor called a developmental optometrist and NOT an opthamologist. Go on the COVD website and find one in your area. At 6 she is learning how to read and children are using their eyes much differently then ever before. You have to find out how her eyes are working together (eye teaming). If they are not, this will give on/off headaches.

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My daughter used to complain about headaches when she was about this age. Same thing, no real fever or other signs of being sick so I tried not to push the issue too much not knowing if it was attention or not. As soon as the headaches started they seemed to stop so I never thought about them again until we were at the dentist and the hygienist said she had her 6yr molars coming in!!! The upper ones were more than likely affecting her sinuses causing pressure and thus the headaches.

Now at 10yrs old, she complains again off and on about headaches so I'm thinking it's another round of molars because they get more around the age of 11.

Good luck!
S.

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Start by asking her to describe how it feels. She may be calling a "headache" sinus pressure, hunger, worry.......anything.

Get her to be as detailed as possible so that it will help you understand what is really going on.

Also, ask her...... what is a headache and what does it mean?

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Take her to the Doctor. Start a headache diary of when ( days, time of day, what she has eaten, and any particular activities) she has headaches. My daughter started with migraines at 6, though this could also be allergy, sinus, or something else. Tumors that present as headaches are somewhat rare. I doubt she is manipulating to get attention. It us better to be the concerned mom at the docs office than to end up with a really sick kid...

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id first take her to a chiropractor that specializes in children

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id first take her to a chiropractor that specializes in children

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CHIROPRACTOR~! Give it a try. Will most likely help and can't hurt!

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The thought of diabetes also came to my mind. I don't know much about it, but I know if your blood sugar is too low sometimes it can cause a headache.
The other more obvious thought, is that she may need eyeglasses. Have her vision tested to see. She won't know that she can't see properly... it's all she knows! I didn't know that was my problem, until I took a school vision test in 4th grade.

Sounds like it is time to take her to the doctor and get her checked out.

While waiting for the appt, keep a log (how long in between eating, how much of what she actually ate/drank and when, when the headache started and duration, where exactly the pain is, have her describe them each time, etc). And also include her daily activities. That way you'll know exactly what she has been doing prior to the onset of the headaches... (reading, watching TV, playing with intricate small pieces of a toy set). Also, find out from her teacher where in the classroom your daughter sits. She may sit far away from the "smart board" and can't see it well causing eye strain. Or perhaps she sits too close to it. Find out.

My kids didn't ever say their head hurt until they were that age or a little older... and even then they had a hard time explaining what was wrong. "My head hurts" is pretty vague. Does it feel like someone is squeezing your head? Is it on the left side, the right side, both sides? Is it in the front? The back? The temples only?

Does she eat a lot of salty foods/drinks? Or foods with a lot of artificial ingredients (sweeteners in particular)? Splenda is making its way into a lot of food/drinks these days... for some people splenda triggers headaches.

Really watch what she is consuming (both food and drink) and when/how much and what her activities are and see how her headaches align with that. The doctor will be interested in that information.

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Maybe you should have her eyesight evaluated - she may need glasses. If her eyes are struggling to see properly it could definitely cause headaches. Just a thought...

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MAybe, just maybe, she answers yes because then she knows she will get fed or special attention? Or they could be real. Does she ever tell you no when you ask her if her head hurts? or does she always say yes whenever you ask? What I would do is stop asking her for a while, because if her head really hurts, she will tell you eventually. dont mention it to her anymore, and wait and see what happens. If she's telling you without being prompted then I would take her word for it and take her to the doctor.. But if she is otherwise acting totally normal I wouldn't worry about it.

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My daughter had this problem. She also complained about feeling a bit weak, shakey and anxious as well. It turned out she had low blood sugar. A trip to the doctor with blood tests told us nothing except that she was normal. We only figured out by observing, talking to her about how she felt and when. So we took her to a nutritionist who taught us how she should eat and when. LOTS of little healthy snacks through the day with a good mix of protein and COMPLEX (not simple) carbs. I felt like I was feeding a hummingbird! Breakfast, snack at 9, lunch, snack at 2, snack at 4, dinner, snack at 7 and another before bed. I would send her off to school with 2 bags of food. I even had to get a note from the doc for school saying it was necessary for her to snack at 9 and 2. She felt MUCH better within 3 or 4 days. Read up on low blood sugar. There are TONS of books about it. It is very common as well as manageable. You might want to take a trip to the doc to rule out anything else. I found that the doc didn't have alot to say about low blood sugar. There is not really a test for it. I only figured it out through my own research. Good luck!

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I would take her to see an eye doctor...I suffered from headaches/migraines when I was younger, and it turned out that I was legally blind in one eye. Because my other eye was working so hard, I was getting headaches. Once I got used to wearing glasses, my headaches didn't come back until I got to college (triggered by lack of sleep, stress, etc).

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Like everyone else has said take her to an eye doctor my son needed glasses when he had headaches

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Just a couple of thoughts.

1. A headache that is somewhat constant or at least reoccuring, that hurts in your forehead sounds like a sinus headache. You don't have to be visibly congested to have one. My now 4 yr old daughter seems to have allergies (not tested yet) and has had similiar headaches and points to her forehead. The doctor was shocked because she was just 3 1/2 and was super specific. She had a sinus infection (confirmed by an x-ray because she was a bit young for that) and had a tough time getting rid of it. If she is having sinus issues and only having a fever some of the time, it could mean her body is trying to fight the infection (and since the fever doesn't last and she isn't sick it would indicate her immune system is working).
2. Diabetics w/ sugar level that is too high or too low can have a headache. That could explain a headache that goes away when she eats but not if she had a big breakfast (maybe her level went up too much).
3. When my son was first diagnosed w/ migranes, he would get them every day. They later slacked off and were much more rare but still would come and sometimes go very quickly. We of course had to have a CT scan to insure that it wasn't something more serious.
4. With your family history and her symptoms, go to the doctor and get CT scan and at least rule out something more serious.

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I would suggest that you take her to the Doctor. My daughters friend in preschool had headaches, they kept thinking he was sick, tired, etc, finally did an MRI and he did have a brain tumor! He was 6 years old. My little 7 year old cousin, same thing recently with the headaches, were keeping an eye on him and then my cousin picked him up at school and he was cross eyed! He too had a brain tumor! I don't want to scare you, but I felt I should say something. She could have allergies as well, this area has a ton of mold, but either way, please check it out. It's not "normal" for a young child to have headaches, it is a sign of something. I hope she is ok.

My 4 year old daughter was complaining daily that she had a headache. I had no idea what the problem was but then we found out that she needed glasses. Apparently her vision was not very good, but it took us by surprise because no one else in the family wears them. Since she started wearing glasses 8 months ago she rarely complains of headaches anymore. That made all the difference.

When my son complained of headaches when he was 5, nothing seemed to help until we took him to the chiropractor. It was amazing.

But you should contact her pediatrician so they can rule out any problems. It could be any number of things. Best of luck to you and your daughter.