Helping Your Child Manage Headaches: 8 Practical Tips for Parents
Did you know that approximately 58.4% of children and adolescents experience headaches? This common issue can significantly impact a child's quality of life, but there are effective management strategies that can make a big difference. By understanding the triggers and implementing some simple interventions, you can help reduce the frequency and severity of your child's headaches!
Nutrition Strategies
Diet plays a crucial role in managing headaches. Certain foods and eating habits can trigger or alleviate headaches. Consider the following to help alleviate your child’s headaches with nutrition!
1. Avoiding Triggers
Foods high in sodium, like processed snacks, can contribute to headaches, and reducing sodium intake is beneficial for your overall health. In fact, a study from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) showed that participants on a low-sodium diet reported fewer headaches compared to those on a high-sodium diet, highlighting the impact of sodium on headache frequency.
Additionally, monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can trigger headaches. It's important to read ingredient labels and try to opt for fresh, plant-predominant, whole foods when possible to avoid these common triggers.
Read our blog posts on reading ingredient labels and reducing UPF dependence for more information!
2. The Importance of Hydration
Did you know that a study by Blau et al. found that out of 95 migraine patients, 34% identified dehydration as a trigger for their headaches?
Ensuring your child stays well-hydrated helps maintain blood volume and oxygen delivery to the brain. Studies show that adequate hydration is essential in managing headaches!
Consider the following fluid intake recommendations for your child:
- 100-125 mL (3-8 ounces) every 15-20 minutes for young adolescents
- Up to 350 mL (12 ounces) every 15-20 minutes older adolescents
Pro tip: Electrolytes!
To boost hydration, consider incorporating electrolyte-rich beverages or foods. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium help your body retain water more effectively.
A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training (2017) by McDermott et al. found that sodium (an electrolyte) ingestion for athletes during exercise in a hot environment helped reduce fluid loss compared to water alone.
Consider these natural sources of electrolytes:
- Sodium: table salt, pickles, olives
- Potassium: bananas, sweet potatoes, coconut water
- Magnesium: leafy greens, nuts, whole grains
- Calcium: dairy products, fortified plant-based milk, leafy greens
3. Balanced Meal Planning
An Italian population study found a clear association between irregular meals and increased headache incidence. So, try to avoid skipping meals as regular, balanced meals prevent blood sugar fluctuations that can trigger headaches.
- Additionally, Canada’s Food Guide is a great resource for maintaining balanced nutrition by incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and plant-predominant proteins! (Check out our blog post to better understand Canada’s Food Guide!)
Benefits of Physical Activity
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches. In fact, a study involving over 5,000 children between 9 and 18 years old found that those with migraines often engaged in less physical activity, which then exacerbates the risk of headaches. So, encouraging your child to stay active can make a big difference in managing their headaches.
4. Staying Active to Manage Headaches
Encourage at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, such as biking, playing sports, or swimming.
- In a pilot study, 16 migraine patients were examined to study the effect of a 10-week aerobic running exercise program consisting of 3 workouts per week on the number of migraine days per month. As a result, migraine patients of the exercise group showed both a reduction in the number of migraine days per month and the intensity of the attacks.
- A meta-analysis by Lemmens et al. revealed that there was a mean reduction of 0.6 ± 0.3 migraine days/month after implementing an aerobic exercise training program on 176 patients with migraines for 10-12 weeks.
While these studies are focused on adults, we can hypothesize that there would be a similar physiological response in children, if there were to be similar studies conducted on pediatric populations.
5. Exploring Yoga as a Complementary Practice
Yoga has been shown to be particularly effective with headache management. In fact, Hainsworth et al. found that in participants with a headache history from 7 months to 8 years, an 8-week 75-minute yoga intervention improved quality of life, daily functioning, and reduced anxiety, which can positively contribute to headache management. So give it a try and see how it works for your child!
Optimizing Your Child’s Sleep
Adequate sleep is essential for managing headaches. Migraines are the most common form of disabling primary headache in children, and approximately one-third (24%–42%) of migraine patients have occurrences that are almost exclusively related to sleep.
Establishing regular bedtimes and wake-up times helps maintain sleep quality. A meta-analysis by Sullivan et al. indicated that consistent sleep patterns significantly reduced headache frequency. Additionally, a pioneering study by Dr. Markus et al. applied sleep hygiene rules to 70 children and adolescents with migraines, concluding that there was a significant reduction in the duration and frequency of migraine attacks.
6. Improving Your Child’s Sleep Hygiene
Consider these 5 sleep hygiene recommendations from Calhoun and Ford that have been proved to decrease headache frequency in 43 women with transformed migraines:
- Schedule a consistent bedtime that allows for eight hours of sleep.
- Avoid watching screens, reading, and/or listening to stimulating music before bedtime or in bed.
- Use visualization techniques to shorten the time to sleep onset.
- Consume dinner at least four hours before bedtime and limit fluids within two hours of bedtime.
- Try to discontinue daytime naps.
Strategies for Stress Management
Stress has been proven to be a significant trigger for headaches. However, equipping your child with stress management techniques can help!
7. Practice deep breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation exercises together
- Studies in adults have consistently shown that mindfulness meditation can bring about reductions in stress levels, frequency of headaches, disability due to headaches, and headache pain intensity.
- An 8-week intervention by Bhakshani et al. using mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques showed decreased levels of stress and anxiety, contributing to lower headache incidence.
Screen-time Considerations
If your child has developed headaches, it’s important to look at their screen-time use,” - Elizabeth S. Doll, M.D., pediatric neurologist.
With increasing screen time due to digital learning and entertainment, digital eye strain has become a common trigger for headaches in children. In fact, Montagni et al. reported that excessive screen time is linked to migraines in young adults and research by Palm et al. has shown that adolescents watching TV for more than 3 hours everyday developed headaches more frequently than those who watched less than 2 hours everyday.
8. Improving Your Child’s Screen Hygiene
Consider the following to make your child’s screen-time healthier:
- Take breaks: Encourage regular breaks from screens to reduce eye strain. The 20-20-20 rule is a helpful guideline: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
- Proper Lighting: Ensure your child’s screen is not too dim and that the room is well-lit to reduce glare.
- Screen Position: The screen should be at eye level and about an arm’s length away to maintain good posture and reduce strain on the eyes and neck.
Check out our blog post on healthier screen-time habits for kids for more information!
Takeaway
Managing your child's headaches involves a combination of dietary adjustments, regular physical activity, consistent sleep patterns, and stress management techniques. These interventions can help reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, leading to a healthier and happier childhood. By incorporating these practices, you can actively improve your child’s well-being and quality of life!