Teenager - San Jose,CA

That happened to my son when he started middle school. I took him to the eye dr first, and all was ok. Then to the family dr. My son started vomiting with these headaches too. Dr said at that age with all their hormones going wild they can start getting migraines. He gave him a prescription to take when he had headaches, but he pretty much outgrew it after a year or so.

Others are right: Hormones can play a part; so can school stresses. If the are truly "little" headaches they likely are not migraines but have him checked.

Work with him to seek out triggers or stressors: Do these come up on days when he has tests? Or when he has certain types of assignments due that he finds stressful most times?

Also, consider that he may be dehydrated. Few of us drink enough water, and tweens and teens are especially bad about remembering to drink -- at least I find my kid and her peers are, and my daughter always gets a headache if she needs even a little more water; and the water takes care of it. Do the headaches tend to fall on, for instance, days they have a particularly active gym class? Or days he has a sport or other activity? Days he stays late at school for a club or other reason? Days AFTER he has stayed up later than usual due to an evening event he does regularly? ....Sit down with him and work up a log of when they seem to happen or what might trigger them. They may be associated with periods of more physical activity or a longer school day when he is not drinking or possibly even not eating enough at the right times.

If he has never had an exam by an optometrist, but only the pediatrician's eye chart exams, be sure to get him a full exam by an optometrist! Everyone should have this done as a baseline even if nothing is "wrong." This may not be vision-related but it could not hurt to get him an exam if he's never had one (and the ones at the pediatrician's office really don't mean a lot, frankly).

My son, 15, has had headaches many times a month, sometimes several in one week. Right now, my daughter, also 15, is having them every day. When we bring it up at appts, that doc always asks if they are sensitive to light, how long they last, if medicine helps, how does it hurt-pounding versus steady. Is it always after or before a particular food/event/etc. I have been told by both the regular doc and my son's specialist that hormones and puberty can be a big cause of headaches and migraines in kids. You have to pay attn to HOW it hurts. And is it always the same. Make sure you do bring it up at the appt. If there is any dizziness, make you let them know right away.

My daughter (11yrs old) was going throw that, even to the point were she would throw up. took her to the doctor and come to find out she has migraines and found out that they are hereditary,Which I did not know. But I would keep a chart as to when he gets them and what he was doing around that time. try to figure out what maybe triggering these headaches.
Good Luck.

My oldest and youngest would get headaches. We took them to the eye doctor and they got glasses. It would be good to discuss this with his doctor.

We get headaches when the weather's going crazy.
Temps that jump/fall by 30-40 degrees in 24 hrs makes me want to lie down with a heating pad on my face all day.

Get him into see the doctor to be sure!
Just to rule out anything else major.

I'd ensure that he's not chronically dehydrated prior to worrying about hormones. My almost-13 year old son tells me that they aren't allowed to have water bottles in class at his school, and they don't have time to go to the fountain between classes because they only have 5 minutes to get the the next one.

I ensure that he's drinking water at home, not just sodas, juice and milk. Start there and see if the symptoms are relieved.

It is probably hormones. I recall getting many headaches (migraines) in this time frame. Yes vomiting was part of it and then sleeping it off. I had a note so I did not participate in strenuous exercises in gym class or I would get the headache and they would last several days.

I grew out of them about age 15.

There is hope. Just hold on.

the other S.