No painkillers with tension headaches

Do not treat tension headache in children with medication

08/11/2011

Many children suffer from recurrent tension-type headaches, which can severely impair their child's performance. But the handle to painkillers or headache tablets is the wrong way.

Only in exceptional cases, the children's headache should be treated with pain medication, because the tablets remedy the symptoms temporarily, but do not serve the treatment of headache causes, so the statement of the experts. Hartmut Göbel, Director of the Pain Clinic Kiel and Carolin Schwiening, Diploma in Psychology at the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of the University of Göttingen opposite the Magdeburger Tageszeitung „people's voice“.

Analgesic unsuitable for headache treatment in children
Dr. Christian Schmincke, expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and head of the Clinic at Steigerwald emphasized in a press release in mid-August already, the experience has „Although medications have been shown to reduce the onset of the attack, they increase the frequency of attacks - even in children.“ Therefore, headaches should not simply be treated with painkillers in children. The director of the Pain Clinic Kiel also showed this view and added that analgesics also have side effects that should by no means be downplayed. Therefore, self-medication should never become a permanent solution. Instead of relying on a drug treatment for the headache, parents should rather look for alternative therapeutic approaches and tackle, for example, with a relaxation strategy against the recurrent tension headache, said Göbel. According to the expert, tension headaches are usually relatively clear: „The children feel dizzy and complain of a dull, searing pain that runs all over their heads.“ Other complaints such as nausea and vomiting or a special sensitivity to light, which are typical of migraine, for example, do not occur in tension headaches. Also, the symptoms of exercise are not worse. The affected children, however, feel „dull and tired and have a heavy head“, so Goebel.

Internal Overload Cause of tension headache
The causes of the occurrence of tension headaches in children can be extremely different according to the experts. So be for example „the rising demands in the school, but also a restless life in the free time“ to name as possible triggers, Dr. Goebel. The graduate psychologist of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Göttingen, Carolin Schwiening, added that even family problems, quarrels with friends or social changes such as a move can cause a headache in the little ones. As the name suggests, tension headaches are usually the result of internal tension and excessive demands, the cause of which is to find out, explained the director of the Pain Clinic Kiel. However, spending hours at school, sleeping too little, spending time watching television or watching the computer, as well as lacking exercise can also make tension headaches worse. In general, be the „Headache Haunted“ however „mostly disappeared pretty fast“, If children manage to be worried, Dr. Göbel.

For tension headache, seek medical help
Although the children are threatened by the tension headache for the time being no more serious health problems, but the signals should still be taken seriously, the experts warn. Because in the long term, recurrent tension-type headaches can not only significantly affect the children's performance, but at worst also the healthy psychosocial development, which is associated with a significantly increased risk of depressive moods, explained Carolin Schwiening. When tension headaches occur, medical help should be sought early, according to the expert. Where the doctor or neurologist for the time being determined whether possibly physical illnesses such as infections, delayed colds or digestive problems, the cause of the headache. Helpful in the determination of causes is according to the experts also a so-called „Headache diary“ in which the time of tension headache and other factors, such as relationships with the food, the school or family dispute are recorded. This could significantly facilitate the search for the causes of the headache. The causes of headaches are determined „Developed strategies in consultation with the doctor or psychologist to avoid these trigger situations in the future“, Göbel explained the treatment of tension headaches.

Treatment of headaches without medication
Relaxation therapies, for example, are often a good substitute for headache medications, according to the expert. Also, parents should treat the children concerned after school much rest and relaxation. In addition, cooling compresses, essential oils or a neck massage can contribute to the avoidance of tension headaches, according to the director of the Pain Clinic Kiel. In Naturopathy, for example, the methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine offer relatively promising treatment options for tension-type headaches, with the „individually tailored to the patient therapy and holistic view“ Based on successful treatment, TCM expert Dr. Christian Schmincke. Massages, healthy nutrition and acupuncture should support the treatment. How many children are actually affected by the tension headache comes from a scientific study of the University of Göttingen, according to which in Lower Saxony alone about 17 percent of all children regularly suffer from headaches, seven percent even weekly. According to Carolin Schwiening, are „Headaches today are the third leading cause of absence at school“, which clarifies the need for action. (Fp)

Also read:
Neck and headaches indicate migraine
Home remedies for headaches
Already children suffer from headaches
Headaches require early therapy
Headache, radiating from the back of the head
Tummy ache: pain on the temples

Picture: Franz Mairinger