Many parents can have trouble getting their children to take their medicine, even when the kids are sick. The taste of cough syrup can be off-putting, and the strong odor of various ointments can also make it hard when giving medicine to children. But the bland nature of most headache medication causes few children to turn it down when they're experiencing a migraine or other head pain. Additionally, over-the-counter drugs may give the impression that they're relatively harmless.
Although headache medicine is usually fine in small doses, overuse can lead to a variety of health problems. The Mayo Clinic noted that pain relievers such as ibuprofen can cause ulcers and intestinal bleeding. These problems can be even more pronounced in children. Aspirin should be avoided in children altogether due to its link to Reye's syndrome.
The solution can become the problem
Another issue related to overusing pain medication is that it can cause additional headaches. HeraldScotland.com recently covered the efforts of Ishaq Abu-Arafeh, M.D., who runs a headache clinic at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill. Abu-Arafeh just released a new book for advancing pediatric patient care and achieving better outcomes in the field of children's headaches. He noted that taking ibuprofen and paracetamol too frequently can cause short periods of pain and leave children's heads feeling sensitive and sore. This in turn can lead to kids taking even more pain relievers and suffering additional headaches. Once parents have resorted to that, they may need to stop giving their children ibuprofen altogether, despite the effect it will have on their kids.
"We are seeing quite a lot of conditions that in the past used to be exclusive to adults, like medication over-use headaches," said Abu-Arafeh. "We see quite a lot of headaches in children because they are getting too many paracetamol. It makes it very difficult to manage them."
The source noted that Abu-Arafeh did not know why headaches were more frequent among children, despite one third of his patients experiencing the condition. However, he pointed out that a sedentary lifestyle can affect children's health and wellness.
A few alternate treatments
To help children alleviate the pain of a headache, the Cleveland Clinic suggested that people try to relax. Activities like taking a hot shower or stretching can alleviate some of the symptoms. Prolonged computer use or strenuous exercise can also cause headaches, but regular breaks can reduce the risk of suffering one. Convincing a kid to do any of these things might be hard, but informing him or her that they will help with a migraine should encourage them to act. Maintaining a healthier diet can also reduce the frequency of pain.
Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Sue Hubbard, M.D., also suggested that parents may want to use triptans. She noted that they are frequently used to treat children's migraines and she considers them safe. She also suggested that caretakers should avoid using the same type of medication, both because of the related health problems associated with overuse and due to the differing types of headaches.
