Not
everyone has all of these symptoms
but if you sometimes have 3 or more of these together it is
possible that you have migraine and your parents or carers
might take you to the doctor to check this out. Not everyone's
migraine is the same so it is sometimes difficult to know
whether you have migraine or not.
For
some children the other symptoms
can be worse than the headache.
Some
of these symptoms
can be very scary, especially when they happen for the
first time and you don't know what is happening to you.
It is very important that you tell the adults around you
when any of these things happen to you.
Migraine
is caused by changes that happen in your brain. This is
why you will sometimes hear migraine being called a neurological
condition.
How
can you tell you have a migraine?
Migraine
is a very complicated condition
which affects people in different ways so it can sometimes
be difficult to diagnose.
If
you suffer from migraine, from time to time you will have
some of the symptoms
listed above. When you get these symptoms
this is called a migraine attack. An attack can last for
anything from 2 hours to up to 2 days. You might feel
a bit less lively than usual for a day or so after that
and, for example, might not want to eat as much as usual,
play on your computer or run around a lot; this is sometimes
called the postdrome
or recovery phase.
A
migraine can make you feel very ill and stop you from
doing the things you need or want to do. In between attacks
you will feel perfectly well and be able to do everything
as usual.
During
a migraine attack you may want a cuddle from someone you
love or you might want to just sit or lie down very quietly
on your own.
If
you have a headache and still feel you can run around,
play and have fun you probably don't have a migraine!
Do
you always get a headache with migraine?
Not
all children have a headache with migraine or sometimes
the headache is very mild and the other symptoms
are more of a problem. Some children have pains in their
stomach and feel sick. This is called abdominal
migraine.
How
often do you get migraine?
The
average amount of time between each migraine attack is
4-6 weeks but some children get them more often and others
get them only once or twice a year. In between attacks
they will feel perfectly O.K.
If
you have a headache every day or nearly every day you
probably don't have migraine but you should tell your
parents who might take you to the doctor to find out what
is causing these headaches and how to make them better.
If
you have a headache that really hurts but comes and goes
during the day it probably isn't migraine but another
type of headache. Again you should tell your parents and
perhaps visit the doctor.
What
is the pain like?
Adults
usually get their migraine headache on just one side of
their head but this isn't always the case for children.
Your headache may be in the middle of your forehead or
behind your eyes. Moving about usually makes your headache
feel worse. Light or noise may make your headache feel
worse so you will usually want to sit or lie still in
a dark quiet place.
Some
people say that their migraine headache is throbbing.
Others say that it feels like a spear or sharp knife being
pushed into their head or nails being hammered into their
head.
Will
you get any warning signs that a migraine is on its way?
Some
people do. This time just before you get a migraine is
called the prodrome
and during this time you might want to eat certain foods,
feel very tired or just feel different from normal.
Lots
of people say that they don't have any warning; they feel
fine one minute and very ill only a short time later.
How
do you explain to the adults around you how you feel?
There
are no tests to prove that you have migraine so it is
important to think carefully about how you feel so that
you can help your parents and your doctor to understand
how you feel. This can be very difficult, even for adults
who have migraine, especially if you have aura
but some children who suffer from migraine have explained
what is happening to them in these ways:
