My daughter has been complaining of headaches in the past three or four days. I took her to the doctor and he said it could be anything (yeah, thanks a lot!). They didn't do a blood test, but they tested her walking, and hearing. Last year, one of her classmates had a brain tumor, and had to have emergency surgery. For this reason, I would not sluff off any fact.
Some suggestions: heat, lack of sleep, not eating right, her eyes, an allergy. I wonder if it could be stress-related, and if so, how? Anyone else's children ever have this happen?
Posts: 1197 | Location: Connecticut, USA | Registered: 06-04-02
I think you should get a second opinion from another doctor, plus take her for an eye exam. Ask her if she is getting enough sleep, if not find out the reason why. (maybe too much to eat before bedtime, or leaving tv or radio on?) Yes my son just had that problem. It was stress, so I set up some stress management excersizes for him to do. It includes a walk or a swim, some soothing music, a bath instead of a shower, and some actual relaxation techniques that involve deep breathing and muscle isolation excersizes. (tightening and releasing from head to foot while lying flat on his back in total dark and absolute quiet) He falls asleep every time lol.
Posts: 1868 | Location: MS gulf coast by debris pile | Registered: 06-05-02
Headaches are pretty much a symptom of almost everything, from lack of sleep to detox, from head cold to brain tumor.
The thing you need to do is figure out if there are any other symptoms before you panic.
I do not blame your doctor for not running blood tests for a head ache that has been going on for 3-4 days. Simply because the costs of blood tests are so much, and he has no clue to know which tests to run.
The Standard testing of walking, hearing and most likely he had her follow his finger with her eyes, is to determine if there is any other neurological symptoms at this time. If there was a brain tumor, one of these simple tests would be telling.
I take it her BP is normal, her pulse and her temperature - other symptoms of 'bad' illnesses would show up in these and would cause the doctor to run tests.
A non-specific complaint of headache isn't enough to run tests on, and would most likely be a waste of time and money if the doctor has no idea which tests to run.
So how has she been sleeping? Is she getting rest when she sleeps or is it fitful sleep? Has there been a change in diet? A change in routine? Has it been hotter than usual? Has she been reading more, watching more TV (Causing eye strain)?
Do the head aches dissipate and return? or are they constant around the clock? Do the headaches hit a specific time of day?
All of these need to be taken into consideration, all of these add meaning and depth to a non-specific complaint of headaches.
Children tend to get low grade infections which can cause headaches at times. Many children will have an infection with NO SYMPTOMS at all. Usually this is just a test run of the body's immune systems, which are learning to deal with new bugs all the time.
Before thinking brain tumor, start thinking of what else is going on first, if you want you can keep track of her activities, what she eats, what she does and write it down. Then, if you need to se the doctor again, you will be armed with more data.
Give it another week, if the headaches do not pass, or if they get worse (if they get worse, go to docs immediately) then see doctor again and give him/her a summery of what you have observed.
David
Posts: 4062 | Location: Neither here nor there | Registered: 06-03-02
One of my 6 year olds gets a headache at least once a week. I myself get them alot and also had them as a child. His doctor said that they can be hereditary. I try not to give him anything for them, unless he has a really bad one. Usually just lying in bed for an hour or two with a cool compress on his forehead helps. I just can't see loading a kid up on medicine at this young of an age. I hope your daughter feels better soon. In the meantime maybe a cool compress will relieve some of the pain.
