Headaches in Children

Your child's doctor will do a Reference physical exam and Reference ask questions, such as how often the headaches occur and what the symptoms are. The doctor will ask about your child's overall health.

Reference Migraines Opens New Window and Reference tension headaches Opens New Window can be similar to Reference other kinds of headaches, which may have different treatments. So it's important for your child's doctor to find out what kind of headache your child has. The doctor also can make sure your child doesn't have other health problems that may be related to the headaches.

It's common for parents to feel very concerned about their child's headaches. You may feel that more testing is needed to rule out serious causes. But doctors often can find out the type and the cause of the headaches without using other tests.

In some cases, imaging and other tests may be recommended to rule out other health problems, but this isn't common. These tests include:

• An Reference MRI or Reference CT scan, which can show pictures of the brain to rule out problems like tumors or bleeding.
• An Reference electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the electrical activity in the brain.
• A Reference lumbar puncture, in which a needle is used to remove a small amount of fluid from the spinal canal. The fluid is then looked at for signs of infection.

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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.