Why do teenagers get headaches? Head and brain injury. Non-specific causes of the symptom

The main causes of headaches in teenagers are migraines, stress, tension, infectious diseases, insufficient fluid intake and skipping meals. lighten pain you can use or .

Causes of headaches in teenagers

Tension (mental, nervous), stress, insufficient sleep. Emotional background at the age in question (about 14 years old) is quite unstable, due to the rampage of hormones, so adolescents may experience headaches even due to strong feelings. In addition, the causes of this disease may lie in the excessive workload of the child at school. Therefore, a teenager should have free time for relaxation and time for a good sleep.

Migraine. This rather unpleasant ailment begins to manifest itself in adolescents predisposed to it precisely at this age, in rare cases a little earlier. With a migraine, only one half of the head usually hurts, and the pain is often throbbing, although it can be pressing. During a migraine attack, you may experience hypersensitivity to bright light and sharp sounds, often such pain is accompanied by nausea or even vomiting. Girls are much more prone to migraine than boys, this can be explained by the fact that in adolescence, when girls begin menstruation, there is a sharp restructuring hormonal system. These drastic changes and cause migraine headaches.

There are other reasons such as insufficient fluid intake and skipping meals. The daily routine of a teenager is often built in such a way that he does not have time for a normal meal. Usually such children are loaded with a large number of sections and circles. In the hustle and bustle, they do not find time for either drinking or eating, so they can often experience headaches. In addition, if a child regularly skips meals, eats on the run, then soon you can hear complaints from a teenager that not only his head hurts, but also his stomach. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the child, despite his workload, has the opportunity to eat normally and take drinking water with him.

And of course, headaches in adolescents can occur due to some diseases. These include viral diseases, which may be accompanied by an increase in body temperature, and diseases of some internal organs or vessels. All these cases require specialist advice, because only a doctor can prescribe drugs for the treatment of a particular disease in adolescents.

How to relieve a headache in a teenager

When a child complains that he has a headache, of course, every mother wants to make sure that her child stops experiencing pain as soon as possible. discomfort. If headaches bother a teenager, this makes it a little easier to choose painkillers, because most drugs that can relieve pain are allowed just from adolescence.

You can safely give drugs containing ibuprofen, paracetamol, drotaverine or diclofenac (allowed from 6 years old). If the teenager is already 12 years old, you can use drugs with nimesulide. From the age of 16, you can give acetylsalicylic acid and ketorol.

Of course, it is impossible to give drugs thoughtlessly. It is imperative to find out the cause of the headache, determine the nature of the pain, the frequency of its occurrence. If your head hurts regularly or pain medications do not help to stop the pain, you should seek the advice of a doctor.

But in addition to medicines, pain can also be relieved by folk methods. A cool compress on the head quickly enough helps to get rid of pain. Aromatherapy also works well - you can take a bath with orange and mint oils, they will help relieve stress and relax. But we must remember that essential oils may give rise to allergic reaction, therefore, before taking a bath, you must make sure that there are no allergies.

If the pain is caused by overexertion, then even ordinary walks on fresh air. Or you can ventilate the room and go to bed - sleeping or resting in a cool room will also help get rid of this ailment. Before going to bed, you can drink a cup of relaxing herbal tea in order to sleep more calmly, then exactly when you wake up, no painful sensations will torment you.

Headache in teenagers is common. The reasons for its occurrence can be different: from banal stress to serious diseases. If a teenager has frequent headaches, you should consult a doctor, and the sooner the better. Ignoring such a symptom can cause quite dangerous consequences.

Non-specific causes of the symptom

With cephalalgia in adolescents, there can be many reasons for the development of a symptom. Let's consider the main ones:

The first and most common reason why teenagers may have a headache is changes in the hormonal background, which is observed at the age of 13-15 years.

Exactly at given period make themselves known chronic pathologies, acne and pimples begin to appear, as well as frequent migraines. In girls, the symptom often occurs during the premenstrual period or during the menstruation itself.

Bad habits that every third teenager has. Many teenagers succumb bad influence their peers, try what is impossible, trying to seem like adults.

For example, smoking and inhaling a large amount of tobacco negatively affects the state of the brain, causing migraines, memory loss, visual impairment. It also increases irritability.

Severe physical fatigue and stressful situations. A large load at school, especially when attending any sections at the same time, does not allow the body to rest normally, resulting in nerve strain and consequently headaches.

These include difficult relationships with peers or parents, first love, which also leads to emotional experiences.

The fourth reason is non-compliance proper nutrition. Teenagers, especially girls, do not always eat right, often spending snacks and abusing fast food.

This is what becomes the source of the lack of vital vitamins and minerals by the body, which causes many diseases, as well as migraines. The symptom also occurs against the background of a violation of the drinking regimen, namely, with an insufficient amount of liquid drunk throughout the day.

Raise blood pressure is another source of symptoms. Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle and the abuse of junk food can increase its performance. In such cases, there is a violation of vascular tone, a failure in the process of oxygen supply to the brain and, as a result, a migraine.
Severe pain is often observed in teenagers who drink energy drinks containing taurine and caffeine. Such drinks harm even an adult body, and what can we say about a still not fully formed teenage body. Teenagers are strictly prohibited from using them.
Inadequate sleep is an equally common cause of cephalalgia. To be alert, a person needs to sleep at least 8 hours. As for children and adolescents, this figure rises to 10. Unfortunately, young people often ignore this rule.

Specific Development Factors

Frequent migraines in a teenager can be caused by some diseases, which include pathologies that develop in the brain itself and outside it. The first group of diseases includes:

The second group includes such diseases:

Osteocondritis of the spine. As a rule, pathology occurs when the cervical region is affected, which is often observed in schoolchildren sitting long time at the desk. This is facilitated by incorrect posture and excessive physical exertion on the spine. Discomfort occurs in the back of the head, in the shoulders and neck.
Pathology of ENT organs. Non-intense pain in the head also occurs against the background of a cold or infectious disease ENT organs. The nature of the pain in this case is compressive. The symptom disappears on its own after the primary pathology is cured.

Other causes of cephalgia in teenagers include food poisoning and head trauma, such as a concussion, which is accompanied by intense pain.

Food poisoning, as well as severe drug intoxication, cause not only cephalalgia, but also nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Most effective medicine in such cases - Activated carbon, after which it is necessary to consult a doctor.

How to treat?

Pills for pathology do not always help eliminate the symptom, especially if it is caused by a specific disease. Sometimes an urgent placement of a person in stationary conditions is required, for example, with the development of a brain tumor or after receiving a head injury. We highlight the main situations when an immediate appeal to a specialist is required:

You do not need to prescribe drugs to the child on your own, because they can not only not help, but also cause Negative consequences including drug addiction. You can use folk remedies that will not harm, but will help reduce the intensity of the symptom:

From medicines, used for migraines and pains of a different etiology, Nurofen can be distinguished, which is suitable for adolescents under the age of 15 years. Paracetamol can also be given. If the pain is very severe, drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen will help.

Any pathological changes in the state of health of the child should be alarming, especially if they occur in the brain area.

Delayed initiation of treatment leads to the progression of the primary disease, which caused its occurrence.

Cephalgia, not only in adolescents, but also in adults, can significantly reduce the quality of life. So, the regular occurrence of a symptom affects the solution of everyday tasks and the conduct of everyday affairs.

Of course, if headache occurs rarely, for example, several times a year, and is not accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, symptomatic medicines and folk remedies. In other cases, it is better to seek the help of a doctor.

The head can hurt not only in adulthood. Children often suffer from it, especially teenagers. And there are many reasons for this phenomenon.

Why Do Children Get Headaches?

The causes of headaches in children are varied. Here are the most common ones.

Displacement of the cervical vertebra as a result birth injury. Because of this, the child feels not only pain in the head, but also numbness in some parts of the body.
Persistent headaches in a child develop as a result of oxygen starvation. It leads, in particular, to a long stay of the child in a polluted and smoky atmosphere.
Vegetative vascular dysfunction is also a cause frequent pain children's heads.
result of head trauma.
A sharp headache in a child that is not stopped by the usual painkillers can occur as a result of tumors in the brain. Then the pain is combined with dizziness, loss of consciousness and vomiting.
Infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Lack of outdoor activity.
Insufficient physical activity.

If the headache is accompanied by vomiting

If the child is worried about headache and vomiting, the reasons for this may be in the disorder. nervous system. Therefore, you should first of all consult a neurologist. Here are some common causes of vomiting and headaches in children:

overwork;
viral diseases accompanied by intoxication;
the presence of a migraine;
headache in a child and vomiting often result from injuries;
heart defects;
allergy;
carbon monoxide poisoning;
concussion.

If the child is in severe pain, pain medication may be given. Remember that it is extremely important to give small portions of water to prevent dehydration. And, of course, it is extremely important not to hesitate a minute with a visit to the doctor.

Teenage headaches

Headache is common in teenagers. Its causes are the most common, and the frequency of its distribution is no longer surprising.

Very often, teenagers have a headache as a result of narrowing of blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the brain. This condition occurs as a result of:

frequent stress;
an overabundance of information entering the brain;
long stay in the cold;
being in a noisy environment (this also includes listening to music with headphones);
overwork;
sleep disturbance;
long work at the computer.

Severe headaches are often observed in children, the causes of which are associated with hormonal disorders. Most often it happens in children 10-14 years old. Headaches are also accompanied by unexpected emotional outbursts, internal disorders, malfunctions of the reproductive system, etc.

Headache can be effectively relieved with paracetamol, citramon, ibuprofen. Head and neck massage is shown. However, if the headache recurs too often, if the child loses consciousness or has other symptoms, this is a reason to see a doctor.

When your head hurts small child, it scares and forces to address to doctors. But if this symptom is observed in a teenager, the situation changes. An adult recalls that he himself periodically has headaches - and nothing, alive. In addition, many say that headaches in transitional age- a common phenomenon caused by hormonal changes.

Why is headache more frequent in adolescence?

"Transitional" age is a serious test for a teenager. At this age, his hormonal background changes greatly, and while the body is trying to rebuild and get used to it, all those problems that he managed to compensate for come out. Therefore, between the ages of 9 and 14, if the child had:

chronic diseases;
violations of the work of blood vessels - rather, of an innate nature;
genetic traits

they all "raise their heads" - and the head starts to hurt more often.

Tension headache

It is the cause of 73% of adolescent headaches. It can be caused by reasons that are not obvious at first glance:

prolonged sitting at a table or at a computer - when the neck is in a tense state;
uncomfortable position of the head during sleep;
frequent stress;
conflict situations.

It is with a tension headache that a teenager complains that his head hurts every day: the breaks are so short that they are almost imperceptible. The pain begins right in the morning, feels like pressure, is localized in the forehead, temples, does not increase from physical exertion. During the day, it can change its localization and intensity.

Scoliosis of the cervical spine

This disease also often debuts in adolescence - due to the fact that it began active growth bones of the skeleton, and they have not yet had time to condense. And then the teenager begins to read lying down, go to concerts or other events where you need to stretch and tilt your neck - and the spine in the cervical region bends. Blood circulation in the brain worsens, and a headache appears.

Migraine

This is the main cause of headache in a teenage girl. Boys also get migraines, but from adolescence it becomes less frequent.

At the heart of migraine is a hereditary pathology in some part of the vessel in the brain. It can be suspected if at least one parent suffered from this pathology. The disease manifests itself quite scary: it is a very severe headache, which increases with physical activity, light, loud noises, the smell of gasoline, the use of coffee, chocolate.

The pain is most often localized in one half of the head; some forms of it may be accompanied by speech disorders, visual impairment, paresis of the limbs, vomiting. All this is very similar to meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Distinguishes migraine only:

no rise in temperature;
disappearance of focal symptoms against the background of the disappearance of headache;
the absence of any changes in the interictal period.

Long period of fasting

If a teenager does not eat on time, he may develop a headache. There may be 2 reasons for this:

non-critical decrease in blood sugar - as a sign of a disease of the pancreas or liver;
migraine.

Chronic diseases of ENT organs

The reasons why a teenager has a headache can be chronic and acute:

sinusitis;
frontitis;
tonsillitis;
ethmoiditis.

In acute diseases, headache is accompanied by other symptoms: fever, sore throat, runny nose. In chronic cases, pain may be the only symptom.

Sleep deprivation due to chronotype change

Most children are early risers. But to adolescence many of them begin to rebuild into an "owl", and they constantly do not get enough sleep. Why this happens is unknown.

Hypertension

Hormonal changes in adolescence can lead to vegetative-vascular dystonia, which sometimes causes an increase in blood pressure. As a result of hypertension, headaches appear (most often the back of the head begins to hurt).

Other causes of hypertension are diseases of the kidneys, adrenal glands, and the brain. Sometimes high blood pressure can be caused by the use of large amounts of salt, energy drinks, coffee.

Heart rhythm disorder

When the heart is not working properly (irhythmically), the brain does not get enough blood. And in response to hypoxia, a headache appears.

Please note: a teenager will not necessarily feel a violation of the rhythm. Only extrasystoles are felt (like a sinking heart or, conversely, a sharp blow) and an increase in heart rate. More severe arrhythmias may not be felt.

Visual impairment

When visual acuity decreases, the teenager begins to look closely: at the board, at the numbers public transport, to the faces of acquaintances. In this case, the cause of the headache is an overstrain of the oculomotor muscles.

Change in intracranial pressure

When you feel sick and have a headache, it can be either an increase or a decrease intracranial pressure. In many cases, they occur against the background of intoxication against the background of SARS, taking some drugs, bad habits. But the reasons for this may be acute illness brain, such as meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Therefore, nausea and headache, even without fever, even if it has passed, requires examination by a neurologist.

The emergence of a bad habit

Both smoking and alcohol, and most drugs, when a teenager first tries them, can cause a headache. This happens for the reason that some of them have a direct effect on the vessels of the brain, while others cause intoxication.

Poisoning in everyday life with toxic substances, the use of certain products and additives

The head in the forehead can hurt when inhaling air from pungent odor. As a rule, it is saturated with toxic substances. This is new furniture and Appliances, new Construction Materials and carpet products, qualitative clothes, toys made from toxic materials and dyes, some stationery, plastic products with a strong odor. That is, if a teenager is in a poorly ventilated room for a long time with materials that exude a sharp toxic odor, he may have a headache.

Also, the use of certain foods can cause a headache: foods with food additives (flavor enhancers, flavors), nuts, chocolate, cheese, coffee.

Traumatic situation

Headaches in a teenager can begin due to severe stress: fright, bullying at school, conflict with teachers, surprise from meeting a drunk. Such pains also require attention, because if they are not eliminated, they can “result” into depression, asthenia, and neurotic disorders.

How to treat a headache in a teenager

As you can see, there are many causes of headaches - not even half of them are listed here. Each of them has its own examination and its own treatment. Therefore, only a neurologist can decide what to do.

Before his visit, you need to provide the child healthy lifestyle life:

sufficient sleep;
obtaining useful proteins, vitamins and microelements with food;
walks in the fresh air, and not rest at the computer;
support for parents during traumatic situations or when receiving poor grades.

Thus, do not write off a headache in a teenager on hormones. Contact a neurologist, cardiologist, pediatrician, exclude all terrible reasons and do not forget about the love for your grown-up child!

In adolescence, soreness of the head can be triggered by a variety of various factors: due to external changes characteristic of adolescence or the development of certain diseases.

It is difficult to identify the cause of the headache on your own, and parents should listen to the complaints of their children, if necessary, bring them to a doctor's appointment for examination, and the proposed treatment course.

You should not worry too much if your head hurts for 1 day, then it suddenly disappears and does not bother you anymore or some external reasons have led, because in adolescence it is common:

stressful conditions;
emotional overstrain at school when communicating with peers, the manifestation of the first romantic feelings;
strong overexcitation, excitement, the pain becomes throbbing, every day and simply unbearable. Vomiting, nausea joins. Adult support during this period is essential. It is important to teach children how to deal with their problems correctly and on time or visit a psychologist.

Long-term use of certain medications, pills. They allow you to eliminate the symptom of symptoms for a short time, but this is not a solution to the problem.
Hormonal disbalance. In addition to headaches, pimples, blackheads, and other troubles appear on the face of adolescents. often in girls with the advent of menstruation, for 2-3 days passes.
Bad habits. The desire to taste something new is typical of teenagers. A headache provocateur is smoking due to nicotine entering the body, leading to spasm and vasoconstriction. It is common for teenagers to try alcohol in the company, which also leads to some disorders. of cardio-vascular system, dental problems and headache are the first symptom. Some energy drinks that are popular among teenagers today have a negative effect on a fragile body.
Sleep problems. The body grows, excess or lack of sleep leads to a violation of the general regime and, as a result, to pain in the head. Full rest and sleep time for teenagers should be at least 9-10 hours.
Violation of the diet, intake of products with harmful components can provoke pain, also skipping, for example, breakfast, deliberate refusal to eat while following a strict diet. It should be understood that the body of a teenager is growing. Hunger and deficiency in the body of valuable nutrients can lead not only to pain in the head, but also serious illnesses, mental disorders, stress, other troubles.
Dehydration. The head can often hurt from a lack of fluid in the body, with increased sweating due to excessive activity of children. Influenced by heredity (possible transmission of migraine from the mother). Becomes a provocateur low level serotonin in the blood or pain is the result of hypertension, an increase in blood pressure, which is inherited.

If external causes headaches can still be recognized independently and get rid of them by eliminating provoking factors, then there are a number of internal diseases requiring treatment.

Injury. Often after hitting the head, pain occurs after a few days or even weeks. The pain is inexplicable, but may appear due to brain injury on the 3-4th day.
Hypertension, vascular disorders leading to spasms, vasoconstriction, especially during climate change, a drop in atmospheric pressure.
Colds, hypothermia. Along with a runny nose, cough, sneezing, a headache with damage to the trigeminal nerve, cervical vertebrae or the development of an infection in the body can be short-term or last all day.
Migraine - frequent occurrence in adolescents with changes hormonal background, especially in girls with the onset of menstruation. The pain covers the temporal part, nausea and vomiting are possible.
Meningitis, soreness increases with pressure on some points in the temporal region. Often the disease is accompanied by vomiting, skin rashes, fever. The disease is fraught with complications, which is why it requires urgent examination, inpatient treatment.
Encephalitis develops due to inflammation in the brain. Adolescents not only have a headache, but also muscles, they feel very sick. The disease caused by the development of infection leads to severe throbbing pain in the head. Contacting a doctor should be immediate.
Brain tumor. In addition to severe headaches, convulsions, vomiting, visual disturbances, and coordination of movements are not uncommon. The disease requires the doctor to take emergency measures.
Trigeminal neuralgia. It hurts in a teenager in the back of the head, the symptom intensifies when turning the neck of the head, nodding, palpation of some places in the head area. For treatment, you need to contact a neurologist. Shown physiotherapy, taking anticonvulsants.
Poisoning. The head hurts when intoxicated with certain drugs, in addition, it makes you feel sick, vomits, the temperature rises, a serious disorder occurs in the digestive organs.
Cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself with excessive activity or overstrain of the cervical vertebrae. It develops as a result of non-compliance with posture, which children need to be taught to follow from the beginning of attending school. In addition to pain in the head, it hurts in the neck and limbs. Recommended massage, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises.
Disease of the ear, throat, nose, pain occurs with many ENT diseases: laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis. It pulsates and radiates to different parts of the head.

Some chronic diseases lead to acute spasms in the head in adolescents and this is already alarm signal, serious problems with health requiring treatment. Headache can be due to malfunctions in almost any organ: kidneys, liver, lungs, stomach, locomotor apparatus. During periods of exacerbation, the pain can be unbearable: sharp, shooting or aching.

Seeing a doctor and even calling an ambulance does not require delay when:

severe pain in the head, in conjunction with a steady increase in temperature (antipyretic drugs do not help);
occurrence of vomiting;
drowsiness;
poisoning, when unpleasant symptoms appeared immediately, on the same day;
depression of the child;
loss of consciousness, loss of vision;
violations of the motor function of coordination during movements;
inability to raise their heads while lying on their backs.

Teenage parents sometimes wonder why their head hurts so much. The reasons are usually hidden. With the incomprehensible nature of the onset of symptoms and soreness, it is better to seek help from specialists. If the causes of pain are diseases, then it is hardly possible to get rid of misfortunes with home folk methods.

Based on the diagnostic examination, medication treatment will be prescribed in order to relieve the disease. TO safe means For adolescence include: paracetamol, napraxen, phenacetin, ibuprofen, acetylka, citramon (only after 15 years, can lead to liver damage), nurofen, sumatripan (with bundle soreness of the head).

If the symptoms appeared with a cold, then remedies are prescribed: Galavit to stimulate interferon, Amiksin to relieve inflammation and increase immunity. For removal unpleasant symptoms useful head massage, drinking tea from chamomile, mint, also calm long sleep, walks in the fresh air.

Of course, parents want to see their children cheerful, cheerful. Headache, on the other hand, causes a lot of inconvenience, distracts from study, leads to irritability, nervousness, and mental disorders in adolescents. Responsibility of parents: to ensure emotional peace in the family, teach children to eat right, dress for the weather, adequately assess the world without going to extremes, such as overworking yourself at school in order to achieve the most best results and high marks.

Can't be tolerated. They are not so dangerous if the reason is hormonal surges. But if this is a symptom of the development of a serious internal disease that threatens life, for example, meningitis, brain sarcoma, stroke (which can develop even in adolescents with inflammation sciatic nerve or trauma to the skull), problems with the heart or blood vessels, treatment must be timely and complete, otherwise the consequences can be quite unpleasant.