It is children who normally suffer from abdominal migraine from age five to nine years with it being more prevalent in girls than boys. Some adults suffer this migraine type as well. The differences that characterize abdominal migraine is the age at which it affects the person and that there is usually no headache.

It has been established that children who have a family history of migraine will be more likely diagnosed with abdominal migraine and then develop migraines after puberty. Generally contact your medical professional for those who have queries about migraine relief. The key to diagnosing abdominal migraine in children is the family history, as the symptoms alone cannot be used to correctly diagnose the condition.

The main symptom of this type of migraine is abdominal pain. Because abdominal pain is present in a wide range of conditions, abdominal migraine can be difficult to diagnose. Other symptoms are vomiting, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, sensitivity to light and noise and appear pale. The child may have a flushed look with dark circles around the eyes. The pain usually occurs around the belly button, lasts for one or two hours and recurs several times over the next one to three days. Some of the other symptoms may be present during this time.

The International Headache Society has categorized this condition and their criteria must be met before diagnosis can be reached. These criteria are labeled from A to E which range from a child having had at least five attacks with dull pain in the mid section that lasts for one to three days, to having at least two accompanying symptoms and a family history that includes migraines. Once more your physician will be man or women to make contact with should you experience any hemiplegic migraines. All other cause of the symptoms must first be eliminated before a diagnosis of abdominal migraine can be reached.

Abdominal Migraine was only officially recognized in the 1990s, but pediatricians as early as the mid 1960s were making the link between repeat abdominal symptoms and migraines. Children were diagnosed with childhood migraine if they had repeat attacks of these abdominal symptoms.

This migraine type is not as common as others, but his may be because it isn’t always diagnosed because the general symptoms could be put down to other conditions. No recommended pattern of treatment has been developed for this type of migraine. the treatment is similar to that of other types of migraine, but a diagnosis must be reached first. 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. During an attack, the child should rest in bed in a quiet, darkened room, just like many older migraine sufferers need.

Some children with abdominal migraine may also be sensitive to know migraine triggers. A good strategy for parents would be to eliminate known food triggers from the child’s diet to see if this helps. The most common food triggers are citrus, chocolate, manufactured meats, preservatives, tomatoes, artificial flavors and colors and dairy foods. Over-tiredness, anxiety and stress are also common migraine symptoms.

The information in this article will give you a better understanding of this form of migraine and maybe help in getting an accurate diagnosis for your child. Perhaps you could try eliminating the migraine food triggers to see if this helps the symptoms.

Thanks for studying our article for additional medical knowledge try cancer signs.

This article is definitely not health advice speak to your medical professional for any concerns.

 

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October 12, 2010 at 9:17 am by FourLane
Category: Main Content