Recurrent Headaches in Children and Adolescents

Headache is a common in pediatric practice. It increases more in frequency during adolescence & can adversely affect academic performance, memory, school attendance, personality and personal relations. The author describes various types of Headaches in children & adolescents along with their possible causes & emphasizes on importance of evaluation with a thorough medical history followed by methodical physical examination with measurements of vital signs, including blood pressure and temperature. Careful palpation of the head and neck in search for sinus tenderness, thyromegaly, or nuchal rigidity. A complete neurological examination including fundus examination of eye is essential. With proper diagnosis there is an enormous opportunity for early and effective treatment of headache disorders. Given the high prevalence and the substantial individual and society cost of pediatric headache disorders, validating an appropriate system for their diagnosis and classification is an important priority for clinical practice and clinical research. If syndromes such as migraine can be more clearly recognized clinically, then redundant and unnecessary diagnostic procedures can be avoided.