Migraine headaches don't usually rank very high on the list of health concerns that most parents of teens and tweens are on the lookout for in their children. But according to an article by GateHouse News Service reporter Jessica Young, the problem of migraine headaches among children and teens may be much more prevalent than most people realize:
Dr. Merle Diamond, co-director of the world-renowned Diamond Headache Clinic inpatient unit at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago, said moms and dads frequently write off symptoms as minor sinus pressure because migraines don't seem plausible for the juvenile set.
But according to the clinic, 5 percent of children and adolescents (as opposed to 12 percent of adults) battle chronic headaches and migraines — an incidence rate confirmed by other migraine experts.
"We've seen 2- to 4-year-olds come through with migraines, so it's definitely impacting the young demographic. And it's tough because kids aren't able to articulate what's hurting," said Diamond. ..."It's such a miserable and oftentimes disabling condition to live with."
Dr. David Sperry, a pediatric neurologist and migraine specialist, told Young that as many as one in four of his patients have exhibited symptoms that are consistent with migraines.
"For a long time, those in the medical field and society at large didn't believe kids could possibly be wrestling with migraine headaches," Sperry told Young. "It was kind of 'Oh, please!' with them giving a pat on the head and handing over a Tylenol. And this response prolonged the child's agony."
Treatment options for young migraine sufferers include stress-relief and trigger-identification techniques, preventative medications, and biofeedback, Young wrote, while some extreme cases may mandate hospitalization.
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