3 Year Old with Headaches? - Royal,IL

Most definately talk to his dr about it. That said, one of my sons started getting headaches at that age as well. We had every imaginable test to find there was nothing wrong with his head! He DID however need glasses, and does have mild asthma, but headaches continued after treating both of those things. He is 16 now and only gets occasional headache. Over the years I have tried to head the headache off knowing some triggers and getting some motrin in him BEFORE it gets so bad he needs to throw up, yes he did that too. For example, tiredness, hunger, not enough to drink, too much stimulation when he was pre-school age, were alltriggers. For years I gave him tylenol or motrin everyday before school just in case, that seemed to help. Many people do believe certain foods can trigger as well, I was never able to isolate any. Good luck Mom, but first see what the doc says. Forgot to mention, car rides were the worst for him and that has subsided now as well.

Some viruses could trigger headaches at the level of migraines...I would take him to the doctor ASAP

I'd say it could be allergies or maybe lack of water or something, but since he's throwing up, I'd suggest taking him to the doctor too. Better be safe than sorry. If they find nothing, I would ensure he gets enough water, watch for allergy signs (runny or stuff nose, watery eyes, etc). Also note the time he has them, how long and what he ate/when.

Put your mind at rest and get him to the Doctor asap. Hope he feels on the mend soon.

Get a doctor's opinion. It could just be that he needs glasses or something serious. My daughter had headaches when she was little and it turned out that she needed glasses. Something about their eyes constantly trying to focus causes eye strain and then pain. But it is better to be safe then sorry.

Good luck and I hope he gets to feeling better. If your like me you hate to see your little one suffer. I always wish it were me instead.

Also, my mother in law has migraines and throwing up does make her feel better.

I would definitely see a pediatric neurologist. The children's hospitals have some great ones and they can do a scan to make sure it's nothing serious. I got migraines at a very young age too. Go ahead and make an appointment- sometimes there is a wait. Going to your pediatrician for blood-pressure check and general checkup is a good idea to start, especially if there is a long weight for the neurologist. They can order scans too that can be shared later if needed.

Keeping a food journal is a great idea- some triggers can be aged cheese, nitrates/nitrites, caffeine, dairy, gluten, artificial colors/flavors and corn. There are more, but these are off the top of my head.

Another journal would be a sleep journal.

You mentioned smells- is there anything recent in the home that could be triggering these? New carpet, change in laundry detergent/soap, new perfume for you, something plastic that is off-gassing, new mattress or anything in his room? Even something as simple as a stash of plastic grocery bags can off-gas enough to be bothersome to some people (and ironically, grocery bags are at the TOP for off-gassing, but not something we think about much!)

If you need dr recommendations, let me know. We have gone the neuro route ourselves and I know a few throughout the area.

You NEED to take him to the Doctor.
Asap.

Otherwise, it will be all guesswork. AND meanwhile, time is ticking away. For getting him help. From a Doctor.

Check w/ your doctor to be sure but sounds a lot like my son w/ his migranes...his started when he was 4. He has basically grown out of them now (he is almost 19). He would actually vomit at halftime of his soccer game and run back onto the field because he felt better.

If it was just the car and now it's more often....I would say absolutly get him to the doctor. I don't want to scare you, but it could be something as simple as allergies or something as big as a tumor. Like the previous poster stated, at this point it's just guess work and it's way better to be safe than sorry when it comes to headaches and or throwing up.