Would love to hear from other's who have dealt with this: My child fainted in school and struck his head a week ago. He needed staples in the back of his head. He has experiencing headaches and have had weakness on and off for the last week. Today he was dizzy at school. We had an appointment today to get the staples removed and I spoke to the doctor about eveything he has been facing and my concerns. Ongoing headache that seems to come on everyday at the same time and on and off in the evenings.. Weakness on and off through the last week and the dizzy feeling he is experience today.
The doctor seemed unconcerned. Kids sometimes fainted and it can not be explained. They believe that everything he is experiencing is normal for a child who has went though what he went through.
I really do not want to put him through a battery of tests that are not nessessary. But I feel lost and helpless!! Any thoughts, sugesstions, or general support would be great!! Am I doing the right thing?? Please note: My son has never fainted before this is a one time thing and the er doctors even said sometime kids faint.
We did a EKG in the er and they said it was fine and that was the only test we ran. I asked the ped. to run blood tests but he did not feel they were needed.
Thank all! I feel terrible and I should have stuck to my guns and insisted on that blood test. I am also going to change his breakfast tommorrow and see if that helps. He eats a bowl of cereal in the morning and typically a healther cereal. I am going to try proteins and see if it makes a difference. I am also sending him the a water to carry with him tommorrow at school.
The first advice I would give to people in my situation is to go with their gut. I did not do that and I did not feel good about the advise I was being given. I guess part of it was I did not want to alarm my son but I blew it - I should of told the doctor want I wanted done!! What a great support community - thank you!!!
When I was in 7th grade I used to faint a lot. The first time it happened I was on a family vacation and then it started to happen all the time at school, at the park, on hot days, when I was on my period. I had did a blood test and we found out that I was anemic. I had to take iron pills everyday and then after a while I was doing much better and had so much more energy! Maybe have his iron levels tested? I hope he feels better soon!
I dont think thats normal at all.
Hate to mention it, but have an opthomologist look in his eyes.
My sister had a brain tumor, they found it by looking through her eyes.
She had headaches and dizzy spells as a symptom, and a stiff neck.
request MRI and blood work. There are so many scary things that have the same symptoms .......... find a different doctor.
.
That is completely not normal. I can't figure out a good way to ask this but are you on Medicaid? I swear that is the only time I have heard anyone speak of a brush off like this one. Either that or you are in a small town with a crappy doctor.
I don't usually go off on doctors, this one troubles me. :(
Everything I can think of that may be the problem could be found in blood tests. Did they at least check his blood pressure?
From the time I was 5 or 6 until I was in my late teens, I fainted a great deal and had many dizzy spells & "close calls". After EEGs and other testing, a couple of causes surfaced:
- anemia / low iron levels.
- low blood sugar (even a little fruit juice is a big help).
- standing still for too long (actually, related to the low blood sugar & also low blood pressure).
- when my mom brushed my hair the "wrong" way. Yeah -- sounds strange, but if she was too easy, with too slow a stroke, over I'd go. Weird, but true.
None of these were a big deal and diet definitely helped, as did becoming aware of my own body. And, yes, headaches frequently accompanied the other symptoms (especially after I fainted -- then my head REALLY hurt, even if I didn't hit it on anything).
Another common fainting cause is stuffy sinuses (backs up into the ears & it's the middle ear that determines balance). Headaches & sometimes dizziness are frequently caused by being slightly dehydrated, which also occurs during allergy season (along with the aforementioned stuffy sinuses).
Do you need to get to the bottom of this? Absolutely. Is it time to go running to a neurologist or for an MRI or CT scan? Maybe not yet. Anemia is an easy thing to check. Stuffy heads, either because of allergies or a cold, is noticeable.
Keep at it, but don't immediately think brain issues. It's not uncommon -- really.
BTW -- years ago, it was common practice to keep someone awake who had hit their head or was suspected of having a concussion. From what I understand, that's no longer the case and, in fact, frequently rest is recommended. At least, when I got tossed off my horse, hit my head against a stone wall (thank God for good helmets!!) and wound up with a concussion, I was told to rest and take it easy, without sleep restrictions or the old-style, "wake 'em every few hours" approach
Edit to add:
Not sure if anyone's mentioned this to you or your son, but if he feels dizzy he should sit down and put his head down. The trick is to try and get it lower than your heart (like, sit in a chair & put your head between your knees). He doesn't have to sit like that for long, but a minute or so will help. Another help is to not stand totally still for too long. Even bending and straightening his knees will help with his blood circulation. Hang in there!
he needs a CAT scan or an MRI he could have a concusion (sp). also the blood work is a good idea bc he could also be either enemic or even diabetic. DEMAND he get tested, if your dr refuses find another one ASAP. trust your gut. I hope for the best.
Was he hurt in school before the first episode?
My son pinched his finger in a door adn fainted, he also faints if he gets too hot, too hungry, acute pain (slamming fingers in door), too much exercise after being sedentary, standing too quickly. giving blood, seeing needles.
Its' called vasovagal syncope, it means he's a fainter and when he gets shots we need to wait longer before we try to walk.
My dad does it too. We went to a pediatric neurologist to make sure nothing else was going on and that's all it was.
It regulates your bodies reaction tp stress, pain, and fear.
So if you rule out the medical it could be just an overactive vasovagal.
Hope your little one is OK.
okay, he fainted AND has been having headaches, this has just recently come about, and no one has even done any imaging on his head???? that's CRAZY! get him in to a neurologist ASAP - at minimum, he needs an MRI/CT to get a look at his head. it is PROBABLY "nothing", some kids ARE "just fainters", however, if this is out of the ordinary for HIM, and he hasn't had it fully worked up already, i'd get him in for some imaging before the sun set tomorrow. good luck, and i truly hope it turns out to be "nothing"!
My husband fainted as a kid. It scared his parent to death but it was nothing. My best friend's son has fainted too and it was nothing as well. My daughter has regular headaches that come and go throughout the day. It has been attributed to allergies and chronic sinus infections. Unfortunate but not too concerning from a medical stand point. Also when my daughter gets these sinus infections (she was just diagnosed with her third one today since Sept 10th) she gets very weak and when she stands starts to blackout but never actually faints. That is scary enough.
If it will make you feel better and you do not trust your doctor by all means get a second opinion. However, as a mother that has dealt with some scary medical issues with my kids, my experience is that the docs do not mess around when a childs health is at stake. Additionally, in this sue happy society we live in, I think docs sometimes order too many test just to cover themselves.
I would imagine you are very freaked out by reading the responses you have received so far but please remember that none of us that have responded so far are medical doctors, nor do we know your son. Best of luck!!!
FYI... My daughters doc today said we could do a CAT scan on my daughters sinus but she really doesn't want to because her brain is still developing and she prefers not to direct so much radiation to her brain. Personally, I would not be in a real hurry to get an MRI or CAT scan at this point. Now if other symptoms develop that is another story.
When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade I fainted. Apparently there was nothing wrong with me. They tested me and sent me home with a monitor to monitor my heart for a few days. I have fainted 2 other times in my life, with much time passing in between. After the 1st time, I never went back to the doctor, since everything came back clear. If the doctor is not concerned, I would not worry yourself over it. He has an injury on his head which is probably causing the headaches (pain after an injury is common). All 3 of my faintings were in the early morning time, before school, so my experience is not quite the same, so I would just keep a close eye on him. If you haven't already, I would ask the doctor to estimate how long symptoms will persist for. If your son is still having problems after that amount of time then I would definitely take him back in. Hope he feels better!
Go to a different Dr for one thing. Constant fainting, weakness and dizziness is not normal, yes maybe normal for what he went through, but something caused his first fainting spell. It would also make me wonder with head trauma like that, how a Dr can just pass it all off as symptomatic. If anything, they should at the very least run a blood test to rule anything physical out, like low blood sugar, then possibly check into neurological factors.
I hope you find this article helpful:
http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/advice_from_doct...
I would not be concerned about the fainting so much, but the other symptoms need to be taken seriously as others have said.
My son has come close to or actually fainted during his percussion lessons. I took him to the doctor and she measured his blood pressure standing and sitting. His blood pressure drops when he stands. She told him to eat more salt and to always keep one leg bent or put one foot on a book at practice when he had to stand in one place.
You are the boss when it comes to your kids and if you think his blood should be tested then the Dr should do it. It could be just a vitamin deficiency. Was he dizzy and getting headaches before this happened? You mentioned that he had staples in the back of his head, did they do a CAT scan or an MRI? He could have concussion, which would cause the symptoms after he fell. As for fainting it could be any number of things that could cause it. I would start with a blood test and go from there.
I used to faint all the time when I was young. I always had low blood sugar and once I ate something I was fine. Make sure he is eating healthy foods, not junk that could affect his blood sugar levels.
My question would be what caused him to faint in the first place? What you described is not normal! Go to another doctor and find out what caused the fainting.
Time to take him to the ER. He needs to be checked out. His symptoms are neurological and after a brain injury warrants further investigation. He should not be symptomatic a week after a head injury. If the Doc won't take it seriously, you should and frankly, you are already second-guessing that something more serious is going on. Go with your gut and get him evaluated.
Also, as a side note. I would NOT wait until tomorrow. You don't want someone with a more serious head injury "sleeping on it". Keep him awake/ alert and go to the hospital.
I've really never heard of kids fainting, but I'm not doctor. It just doesn't seem right to me. If you have a Children's Hospital in your area, I would take him there. Good luck!
The symptoms you describe fit with having hit his head hard enough to need stitches.
I fainted once as a child and never again.
I suggest that you trust his doctor. If you don't then find one that you can trust. Rarely does a doctor give poor advice. It would be rare for him to faint again. If his fainting was caused by something that is wrong, he will faint again which would then be the logical time to do the testing. At the same time keep in mind that there are so many reasons to faint that are not serious or life changing. The tests are expensive and invasive and have their own dangers.
Perhaps you could make an appointment to talk with his doctor so that he can explain in more detail why he chooses to not run more tests and when running tests would be appropriate.
Many of your posts are responding on an emotional level and have no medical training. I suggest that it's normal and to be expected that you'd be scared and anxious. Mother's prerogative there. Medical people can see a much larger picture and remain professionally objective. You can assume the worst and scare yourself or you can ask more questions and find out what is going on from a medical view point.
Doctor do not run tests based on parent's demands. They run tests because, based on their training and experience, tests are needed.
If you aren't comfortable with the situation then follow your gut! I almost lost my child because the peditrician was too lax about my concerns. My son was only 8 months old and if I didn't insist on more tests and pursued the matter, he would not be here today. I know that doesn't mean that it will be the same for you, but if something doesn't seem right, pursue it. Better to be safe than sorry. My ped didn't want to run blood tests, but I pushed for them anyway and it turned out that those tests saved my son's life, but he was still put at jeopardy. I didn't want to put him throuogh a battery of tests too but those tests saved him in the long run.
I think its never a bad idea to get 2nd opinion. If your concerned that's good enough reason. I would tell your doctor you would feel better if he ran some tests. If he still brushes you off, time to find new doctor I think, one who will listen to you. Good luck!
OMG. You need blood tests!!! I can't believe they didn't think that was needed? That was extremely lazy of them. Please go to another doctor and get a neurologist and have him/her look at your child. You need blood tests for ruling out serious ilnesses and of course for your own peace of mind! GL and hope everything is ok.
M
Did you have concussion testing done? A vestibular physical therapist can perform an evaluation (with a prescription from a doctor) and determine if he sustained a concussion and help to treat it.
Umm that wouldn't be ok with me and every test under the sun would be done if it were my child. Sure everyone can faint but its not for no reason at all. The weakness scares me. It may be something as slight as allergies but I wouldn't shut up until I knew for sure and I would bug the hell out of every doc that came in our path. Don't stop mama and good luck.
Oh boy I do not agree at all with this dr! I fainted as a child and into adulthood and they did this to me. Finally fainted in dr office and they rN blood work and boom I was anemic and low blood sugar. Bas I got older because theow blood sugar wasn't controlled well or paid attention to by age 28 I was on diabetic drugs for high insulin and low sugar. However hour son needs an MRI as well. This dr is crazy and they wonder why malpractice insurance is so high!!! He needs fasting CBC and lots of other lime a1c and there is a insin four hour test like the glucose one we do when we r pregnant.
My friends daughter had this fainting and dizziness and headaches Nd she had a brain tumor. Not to scare u and it was scary for all of us but it was removed and she is now 11 and perfectly healthy. Please listen to ur child and his body this is so not right. Hugs to u both and please keep me informed or I will try to help u get tests further.
J.
If it were just one episode of fainting, I wouldn't be so concerned. If he felt light-headed when the staples were put in or removed, that's explainable. Kids fail to eat right, they get dehydrated, they pick up a touch of some virus, etc.
The ongoing headaches and the weakness concern me - if he was fighting a bug and just felt "blah" or under the weather, that's one thing. But this is ongoing, and that's usually a red flag. I'd get another opinion. Maybe not the ER (they don't have your child's records, you'll wait forever, it's not a true emergency) but tell your pedi you want another opinion. By law they have to give you another name. Or ask your trusted friends for a referral. It's hard to say whether your child needs a pediatric neurologist or exactly what specialty, but I'd either insist on tests or another opinion.
Meantime, write down symptoms and time of day - see if you can rate your child's weakness or headaches on some sort of 1-to-10 scale. Make notes of intake of fluids & food, also bowel & bladder habits, and presence or absence of any fever. It could be very helpful info.
Have you had any tests done at all?
