Unlike the “traditional” migraine, the abdominal migraine occurs most commonly in children between the ages of five and nine years, with girls being more likely to suffer than boys. Some adults suffer this migraine type as well. Abdominal migraine differs from migraines in two ways; the age of onset and the fact that there is usually no headache.
It is known that children who have a family history of migraine will be more likely to have abdominal migraines, and that the majority of these children will develop migraines at some stage after puberty. Always contact your physician should you have queries about migraine relief. An accurate diagnosis based only on the symptoms is not possible with abdominal migraine and the family history is the key to a correct diagnosis.
Abdominal pain is the main symptom of this form of migraine. Abdominal migraine can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be found in many conditions. Other symptoms that the child may have are dizziness, diarrhea, irritability, vomiting, nausea and pale skin. The child may have dark circles under the eyes and have a flushed look. The pain is usually found in the mid-line region of the abdomen, around the belly-button, and may last for an hour or two; it would then recur several times over a twenty four to seventy-two hour period. Some of the other symptoms may be present during this time.
Several criteria have been set out by the International Headache Society which must be met before a proper diagnosis can be made. The criteria, from A to E, state that certain symptoms and time frames must be met before a confirmed diagnosis can be made. Yet again your health practitioner is the individual to get hold of if you have virtually any abdominal migraines. All other possible cause of the presenting symptoms must first be investigated before abdominal migraine can be correctly diagnosed.
Although abdominal migraine was only officially recognized as a type of migraine in the late 1990s, as early as the 1960s, there were pediatricians who were correctly making the connection between these same abdominal symptoms and migraine. Even then, there were children diagnosed with a form of children’s migraines, after repeated attacks of similar abdominal symptoms.
Although this form of migraine seems to be less common than the other forms, this could be attributed to the fact that the generality of the symptoms means they could be put down to another problem. There is, therefore, no recommended pattern of treatment for the condition. Once abdominal migraine is diagnosed, the treatment is similar to that for other forms of migraine. Migraine medications may be too strong for the young children who suffer from abdominal migraine.
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. Parents could set up a program of removing known food triggers from the child’s diet and guage the reaction, if any. The most common food triggers are citrus, chocolate, manufactured meats, preservatives, tomatoes, artificial flavors and colors and dairy foods. Other migraine triggers include stress, over-tiredness and anxiety.
If you think that your child has abdominal migraine, the article may help you with a firm diagnosis. You could try eliminating the main migraine triggers from your child’s diet to see if that strategy eliminates the symptoms.
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This information is definitely not medical advice speak to your doctor for any troubles.
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