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Headaches are very common in children and teens. In fact, more than half will suffer from headaches at some point, and by 18 years the majority of adolescents have had them. And while most headaches are part of a viral illness, some are migraines. In fact, recurring migraines affect as many as one in 10 children and teens overall.  

What should you know — and do — if you think your child or teen may be having migraines?

How early do migraines start to occur?

We don’t tend to think about migraines in children, but by age 10, one in 20 children has had a migraine. And migraines sometimes occur even earlier.

Before puberty, boys and girls are equally likely to have them. After puberty, migraines are more common in girls.

Which migraine symptoms are most common in children?

Migraines are often one-sided in adults. In children they are more likely to be felt on both sides of the head, either in both temples or both sides of the forehead.

While it’s not always easy to tell a migraine from another kind of headache, children

• often report throbbing pain
• may experience nausea and sensitivity to light and noise.

The flashing lights and other vision changes people often see as a migraine begins are less common in children. However, parents may notice that their child is more tired, irritable, or pale before a migraine begins — and takes a while to get back to normal after it ends.

What causes migraines in children?

We don’t know exactly what causes migraines. We used to think it had to do with blood flow to the brain, but that does not seem to be the case. It appears that migraines are caused by the nerves being more sensitive, and more reactive to stimulation. That stimulation could be stress, fatigue, hunger, almost anything.

Migraines run in families. In fact, most migraine sufferers have someone in the family who gets migraines too.

Can migraines be prevented?

The best way to prevent migraines is to identify and avoid triggers. The triggers are different in each person, which is why it’s a good idea to keep a headache diary.

When your child gets a headache, write down what was happening before the headache, how badly it hurt and where, what helped, and anything else about it you can think of. This helps you and your doctor see patterns that can help you understand your child’s particular triggers.

It’s a good idea to make sure your child gets enough sleep, eats regularly and healthfully, drinks water regularly, gets exercise, and manages stress. Doing this not only helps prevent migraines, but is also good for overall health!

How can you help your child ease a migraine?

When a migraine strikes, sometimes just lying down in a dark, quiet room with a cool cloth on the forehead is enough. If it’s not, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be helpful; your doctor can tell you the best dose for your child.

It’s important not to give your child these medications more than about 14 days a month, as giving them more often can lead to rebound headaches and make everything worse!

Are there prescription medicines that can help children with migraines?

If those approaches aren’t enough, a class of medications called triptans can be helpful in stopping migraines in children ages 6 and up.

If a child experiences frequent or severe migraines, leading to missed days of school or otherwise interfering with life, doctors often use medications to prevent migraines. There are a number of different kinds, and your doctor can advise you on what would be best for your child.

Some girls get migraines around the time of their period. If that happens frequently, sometimes taking a prevention medicine around the time of menses each month can be helpful.

When to contact your doctor

If you think your child might be having migraines, you should call and make an appointment. Bring the headache diary with you. Your doctor will ask a bunch of questions, do a physical examination, and make a diagnosis. Together you can come up with the best plan for your child.

You should always call your doctor, or go to an emergency room, if your child has a severe headache, a stiff neck, trouble with coordination or movement, is abnormally sleepy, or isn’t talking or behaving normally.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has additional useful information about migraines, and how to treat and prevent them, on their website.

About the Author

Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Claire McCarthy, MD, is a primary care pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In addition to being a senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing, Dr. McCarthy … See Full Bio View all posts by Claire McCarthy, MD

What is a drought?

A drought is a prolonged dry period without rain. In the last few decades, droughts are occurring more frequently worldwide.

With climate change, rising temperatures are making many regions dry within the US and beyond. Here’s how to recognize potential harms if drought has a grip where you live, and actions you can take to stay healthy.

How do droughts affect our world?

The downstream effects of droughts on the planet and our health are complex. One example is water shortages, which can harm crops, livestock, and aquatic life. This compromises food supplies, drives up prices, and worsens food insecurity and malnutrition. Trees, which offer shade during hot weather and help counter climate change, may die during severe droughts. Droughts are making some parts of the world uninhabitable, leading to climate migration.

How can droughts harm health?

There are many ways, big and small, through which dryer conditions harm health.

Droughts play a role in diseases

During droughts, lower water flow leads to stagnation. This can

• increase the concentration of health-harming water pollutants in streams, rivers, and reservoirs
• contribute to harmful algal blooms that can cause skin or gastrointestinal problems
• offer breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry diseases.

And as water levels drop, the water also becomes warmer. This can foster the growth of pathogens (like some viruses, protozoa, and bacteria). If your drinking water is from a private well, this may be a particular concern for you.

Also, farmers may be more likely to use recycled water for irrigation during droughts. This may lead to more infectious agents like E. coli or Salmonella harbored on crops.

Droughts contribute to poor air quality

The dry conditions during droughts lend themselves to wildfires. That’s an immediate threat to local communities, but also can send harmful wildfire smoke to more distant regions, depending on wind patterns.

Droughts can also lead to dust storms that carry and transport microorganisms, allergens like pollen, and other polluting particulate matter. This can increase the risk of infections, like Valley fever, and worsen respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung conditions.

One more challenge is reduced availability of the renewable hydropower energy. Dry periods often coincide with high temperatures. The increased energy demand may require utilities to shift to using more-polluting fossil fuel sources, which further increases the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

We can all take steps to keep the air we breathe healthier — whether or not drought is contributing to worse air quality where we live.

What can we do to lessen the impact of droughts?

Around the planet, groundwater is stored in natural spaces called aquifers. As overused groundwater aquifers dry up due to drought combined with demands from people and agriculture, more countries face water scarcity. There is growing interest in solutions like treating wastewater for reuse and in desalination of ocean water, though these alternatives come with their own challenges.

To address the drought problem, the US has created the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) to coordinate research, drought monitoring, and a drought early warning system.

What actions can you take to stay healthy during a drought?

• Stay hydrated. But also stay informed on the quality of your drinking water, especially if you rely on well water. You can contact local water authorities for information on public water quality.
• Check for local advisories on harmful algal blooms before going in the water to swim or allowing pets to swim.
• Follow your local air quality on AirNow.gov, which offers daily information on local air quality. The site also tracks wildfires, and offers guidance on when to minimize your time outdoors and downloadable guides to protect yourself when air quality is unhealthy.
• Be careful about recreational water activities like boating and diving during droughts when the water level may be down.
• Follow Smokey Bear’s advice on how to prevent wildfires.
• If your community is experiencing a drought and water shortage, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides some tips on home water conservation. But even during water shortages, it is important to not skip hand hygiene and washing fruits and vegetables. And if you are using a rain barrel to conserve water, using a fine mesh screen can help keep away mosquitoes (which only need a teaspoon of water to lay their eggs).

About the Author

Wynne Armand, MD, Contributor

Dr. Wynne Armand is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she provides primary care; an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School; and associate director of the MGH Center for the Environment and … See Full Bio View all posts by Wynne Armand, MD