What Exactly Is An Stomach Migraine Headaches?
Abdominal migraine affects children most commonly, between the ages of five and nine, mostly girls rather than boys. It is possible for adults to have this migraine too also. The difference is that there is usually no headache with abdominal migraine and it has a much earlier age of onset.
Children with a family history will be more likely to have abdominal migraine, and that most of these children will later develop migraines. At all times contact your physician when you have queries about migraine treatment. The key to a correct diagnosis of abdominal migraine is the family history; a correct diagnosis cannot be reached based on the symptoms alone.
The most common symptom in thos form of migraine is the abdominal pain. It can be difficult to correctly diagnose abdominal migraine because the symptoms may be caused by a variety of other conditions. The child may also feel nauseous and dizzy, have diarrhea and vomiting, be pale and irritable and be sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. The child may have dark circles under the eyes and have a flushed look. The abdominal pain settles around the belly button and lasts for an hour or two, returning several times over the following 24 to 72 hours. There may be other symptoms showing during this time.
This migraine type has been categorized by the International Headache Society, and the criteria set down by this organization must be met to make a diagnosis. The criteria are in 5 parts, ranging from a child having five attacks with mid-section pain lasting for one to three days, to a child having a minimum of two other symptoms as well as the pain as well as a family history of migraine. Yet again an individual’s physician will be the man or women to contact if you experience virtually any abdominal migraines. All other cause of the symptoms must first be eliminated before a diagnosis of abdominal migraine can be reached.
Although abdominal migraine was only officially recognized as a type of migraine in the late 1990s, as early as the 1960s, there were pediatricians who were correctly making the connection between these same abdominal symptoms and migraine. Even in those early days, children with repeated abdominal episodes were diagnosed as having a “childhood form of migraine”.
Although this form of migraine seems to be less common than the other forms, this could be attributed to the fact that the generality of the symptoms means they could be put down to another problem. This means that there is no recommended treatment for this condition. Once the diagnosis of abdominal migraine is reached, treatment is similar to other forms of migraine. Because most patients are young children, the usual migraine meds may be too strong.
The symptoms of abdominal migraines are best treated with rest, but sedatives, anti-nausea and pain killers may also help. The child needs bed rest in a darkened room during an attack, just like so many migraine sufferers do.
Children with abdominal migraine may be sensitive to known migraine triggers. Experimenting with removing known food triggers from the diet, one at a time, could find a way to reduce the attacks. The common triggers are chocolate, dairy, citrus, tomatoes, preservatives, artificial colors and flavoring and manufactured meats. Other migraine triggers include stress, over-tiredness and anxiety.
If you suspect your child has abdominal migraine, this information will help you get a firm diagnosis. Even if this isn’t possible, you could try the strategy of eliminating the major migraine triggers from your child’s diet in attempt to alleviate the abdominal symptoms.
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This information is not health advice contact your physician for any concerns.
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