Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Migraines in Adolescence | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
Is it normal for an 11-year-old girl to start having migraine headaches? I think they are migraines because she is sensitive to light, nauseous, shakes, and is cold.— Moonbeam in Horseheads, NY | | | ANSWER |
April 18, 2002 | | | Dear Moonbeam,
Unfortunately, it is altogether possible that your daughter has migraine headaches. A review of migraines in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2002, said that the peak occurrence of migraines is in early to mid-adolescence. Sensitivity to light and nausea are common symptoms of this disorder, but for the diagnosis to be established, they must be accompanied by other symptoms such as one-sided or throbbing headache.
The good news is that in recent years some migraine-specific medications have become available, and behavioral methods such as relaxation techniques have proven useful in many migraneurs. Since migraines can be terribly painful and incapacitating, you shouldn't delay taking her to be evaluated by her healthcare provider. If she does have migraines, you can prevent much of her suffering by learning more about this disorder and how to control it, and by keeping a good supply of appropriate medications on hand at all times.— by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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