Why Does My 13 Year Old Keep Getting Headaches?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Tension headaches are the most common type experienced by teens. They are usually caused by

stress, tension, or depression

. They can also be caused by eye strain and neck or back strain from having poor posture. Tension headaches usually cause a mild to moderate ache or pressure in a “band” across the forehead.

Can puberty cause headaches?

Headaches and Migraines in Teens

There are times during a teen’s development that migraines

may develop

. Boys going through puberty experience migraines more often than girls going through puberty. Yet teen girls past puberty experience migraines more regularly than boys of the same age.

When should a teenager worry about headaches?


Seizures

/convulsions—Any headaches associated with seizures or fainting require immediate attention. Frequent headaches—You get more than one headache a week. Severe pain—Headache pain is severe and prevents you from doing activities you want to do.

Why does my 13 year old get migraines?

However, some common migraine triggers in children and adolescents include:

Stress

– especially related to school (after school activities, friends, bullying) and family problems. Carefully reviewing what causes stress can help determine what stress factors to avoid.

Can a 13 year old get a migraine?

Unfortunately, migraine is very common in children. It’s been reported in

kids as young as 18 months old

. About 10% of school-age children suffer from migraine, and up to 28% of adolescents between 15-19 years are affected by it. Half of all migraine sufferers have their first attack before the age of 12.

Are headaches common with growth spurts?

Growing pains usually cause an aching or throbbing feeling in the legs. This pain often occurs in the front of the thighs, the calves or behind the knees. Usually both legs hurt. Some children may also experience abdominal pain or headaches during episodes of growing pains.

What are the 4 types of headaches?

There are several hundred types of headaches, but there are four very common types:

sinus, tension, migraine, and cluster

. Headaches are always classified as either primary or secondary. A primary headache is a headache that is not caused by another condition or sickness.

Is it normal to have headaches everyday?

Most people have headaches from time to time. But if you have a headache more days than not, you might have chronic

daily

headaches. Rather than a specific headache type, chronic daily headaches include a variety of headache subtypes. Chronic refers to how often the headaches occur and how long the condition lasts.

Why does my 12 year old keep getting headaches?

Common illnesses such as

colds, flu, and ear and sinus infections

are some of the most frequent causes of headaches in children. Very rarely, meningitis or encephalitis may cause headaches. Head trauma. Bumps and bruises can cause headaches.

Can too much screen time cause migraines?

The short answer is

yes

. Too much screen time can cause headaches and migraine. How and why it happens, however, is a bit more involved. One 2015 study found an association between high levels of screen time and migraine in young adults, with the mean age being 20.8 years old.

What is the most frequent type of headache?


Tension headaches

are the most common type of headache. Stress and muscle tension are thought to play a role, as are genetics and environment. Symptoms usually include moderate pain on or around both sides of the head, and/or pain in the back of the head and neck.

Do teenagers outgrow migraines?

Oct. 30, 2006 — A majority of adolescents with migraines

either stop having headaches or develop less-severe ones as

they reach adulthood, new research shows.

When should I be worried about a headache?

Get

urgent medical attention

if you have severe, unusual pain or other signs and symptoms. Your headache may be a sign of an underlying illness or health condition. Your headache pain may be serious if you have: sudden, very intense headache pain (thunderclap headache)

Are Growing Pains normal at 14?

Some young people may continue to experience growing pains into their early

adolescence

or teenage years. Pain may be experienced in the legs – often the calf, front of thigh or behind the knees – and is often worse in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes, the pain can wake a child from their sleep.

What are the signs of a growth spurt?

  • Increased appetite. A child’s nutritional needs increase before and during periods of rapid growth.
  • An increase in bone and muscle growth.
  • An increase in the amount of fat stored in the body.

What does a brain Tumour headache feel like?

Every patient’s pain experience is unique, but headaches associated with brain tumors tend to be constant and are worse at night or in the early morning. They are often described as

dull, “pressure-type” headaches

, though some patients also experience sharp or “stabbing” pain.

Can dehydration cause headaches?


An imbalance of fluid and electrolytes in the body can

result in a dehydration headache. When your body is dehydrated, your brain may temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss. This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a headache.

Can iron deficiency cause headaches?

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) can cause the brain to receive less oxygen than it needs to function optimally, leading to

basic headaches

. IDA has also been associated with migraine, especially in women who are menstruating.

What is the main cause of headaches?


Chemical activity in your brain

, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck (or some combination of these factors) can play a role in primary headaches. Some people may also carry genes that make them more likely to develop such headaches.

Can brain tumors cause headaches?

Brain Cancer Facts

Some

brain tumors do not cause headaches at all

, since the brain itself isn’t capable of sensing pain. Only when a tumor is large enough to press on nerves or vessels do they cause headache.

What food causes headaches?

  • Caffeine. Too much caffeine and experiencing caffeine withdrawal can cause migraine or headaches. …
  • Artificial sweeteners. …
  • Alcohol. …
  • Chocolate. …
  • Foods containing MSG. …
  • Cured meats. …
  • Aged cheeses. …
  • Pickled and fermented foods.

Can screen time cause headaches?

Sure, these devices make our lives easier, but all of that screen time can

lead to eyestrain


( 1 , 2 )

— and even screen headaches. In fact, according to one study review, anywhere from 64% to 90% of computer users studied reported some kind of symptoms, including eyestrain, dry eye, and screen headaches.

What is the 20 20/20 eye rule?

What’s the 20-20-20 rule? If you find yourself gazing at screens all day, your eye doctor may have mentioned this rule to you. Basically,

every 20 minutes spent using a screen

; you should try to look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.

Can mobile phones cause headaches?


Mobile phone use can cause increased headaches in adults, teenagers

, and young children, which means that limiting your mobile phone use can be beneficial at any age.

Can too much phone use cause headaches?


Eyestrain

and Headaches

Long hours looking at television, computers, tablets, cell phones, and video games can lead to exhaustion, lack of circulation, and eyestrain, which can cause headaches.

Do brain tumor headaches come and go?

The headache of a brain tumor, however,

does not go away

. It’s constant (or becomes increasingly frequent) even when you are sleeping. It can also be accompanied by other alarming signs, like seizures and/or fainting. That being said, headache is sometimes the only symptom of a brain tumor.

How often is normal to get headaches?

Headaches can often stop you from going about your day because of the pain it can cause. But as painful as they can be, Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones says headaches are common—if they occur

less than twice a weekly

. If your headaches are coming in more than twice a week, that is not normal.

Is the Covid headache constant?

Therefore, headache as a long-lasting symptom following the acute phase of COVID-19 infection may be pathophysiologically different from headache appearing as a delayed symptom when the infection is about to resolve.

What is a hormonal headache?


Menstrual Migraines

(Hormone Headaches) A menstrual migraine (or hormone headache) starts before or during a woman’s period and can happen every month. Common symptoms include a dull throbbing or severe pulsing headache, sensitivity to light, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and more.

How can you tell the difference between a brain tumor and a migraine?

The nature of a brain tumor headache is different from a tension or migraine headache in some noticeable ways. For example, waking up frequently with a headache can be a sign of a brain tumor. Keep in mind, however, that other conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea or a hangover, can also cause morning headaches.

What are Covid headaches like?

They’ve found that COVID-19 headaches tend to: Be

moderately to severely painful

.

Feel ‘pulsing’

, ‘pressing’ or ‘stabbing’ Occur across both sides of the head (bilateral) rather than in one area.

Can a 13 year old take Sumatriptan?

Intranasal sumatriptan is a safe and mostly effective option for children and adolescents. Currently the recommended dose is

20 mg

for children who weigh more than 40 kg and 10 mg for children who weigh between 20 and 39 kg.

What causes migraines to become more frequent?

Every person who has migraines has different triggers, but common ones include a

lack of sleep, caffeine, and being under stress

. Most people who get chronic migraines are women. This may be because hormone changes are another well-known cause.

Does growing pains mean your getting taller?

Do growing pains make you taller?

There’s no evidence growing pains make you taller

. They’re not connected to rapid growth or a growth spurt in any way. Growing pains are deep cramping or aching pains in your child’s limbs, specifically their legs.

What age do you stop growing?

Height is largely determined by genetics, and most people will not grow taller after

age 18

. However, proper nutrition during childhood and adolescence can help you maximize your height.

What makes your legs hurt at night?

Pain in your legs and feet at night, or when trying to sleep, is often a symptom of

peripheral artery disease (PAD)

. Peripheral artery disease leg pain can occur anywhere in your leg, but the most common places to feel pain are in the muscles of your calf, thigh or buttocks.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.