In-home migraine treatment for kids.

When a migraine strikes, rely on DispatchHealth for in-home treatment

Migraine attacks present a unique set of symptoms, such as sensitivity to light and sound, that make travel particularly uncomfortable. Harsh traffic lights, noisy cars, and the blaring fluorescent lighting of an emergency room or urgent care clinic are the last things your child needs during a migraine attack. Migraines can be total-body, sensory experiences; even smells can exacerbate symptoms, making home the safest place to recover. The best thing you can do for your child experiencing a migraine is to allow them to stay in bed in their cold, dark bedroom. In-home migraine treatment from DispatchHealth can help make that a reality. We’ll come to you to treat your child’s migraine symptoms within the comfort of your own home, allowing your child to stay in the safe space they need to recover. We have a pharmacy of medications that can be administered through an injection, by mouth, or intravenously for older kids, all of which are safe and effective to administer in the comfort of your home.

If this is an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Migraine symptoms & when to seek treatment

Picture an average migraine sufferer. Did you picture an adult? If so, you’re not alone. Migraines are often underdiagnosed in children, largely due to the fact that migraine symptoms aren’t always as obvious in kids as they are in adults. Migraine symptoms in kids are often mistaken for other health issues, too, such as a stomach bug or the flu.

Common migraine symptoms include:

• Acute head pain, often in one, concentrated location
• Dizziness
• Aura, sometimes experienced as “seeing stars”
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and smells
• Mood swings
• Abdominal pain

In addition to these symptoms, keep in mind that migraine pain in kids can be more short-lived than in adults. Adult migraine pain typically lasts more than four hours, but in kids, it can come and go within the span of just a couple of hours. This can make it tough to diagnose a migraine in a child, since they often don’t communicate symptoms within that time frame, especially when they’re at school or over at a friend’s house.

Not all of these symptoms will occur simultaneously, making it easy for parents to mistake some of these symptoms for other health issues. Parents often write mood swings off as the normal behavior of a growing child, and head pain accompanied by nausea as a common cold, for instance. And since migraines are more common in adulthood, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, they’re not typically the first thing that comes to a parent’s mind when trying to analyze their child’s symptoms.

There’s no cure for migraines, but treatment can help relieve symptoms significantly. Your child’s treatment will depend on a number of factors including their age, their medical history, and the severity, frequency, and duration of their migraines. Your medical professional will also ask whether or not your child responds to NSAIDs and how much your child’s migraines affect their quality of life. Treatment can vary, including options like:

• Anti-nausea medication
• Prescription pain relievers that target the neurological source of the migraine
• Daily medication to prevent migraines

At DispatchHealth, our qualified medical professionals can provide treatment to bring them relief as soon as possible.

What causes migraines in children?

Contrary to popular belief, migraines aren’t typical headaches—they’re not caused by inflammation, as most headaches are. Migraines are neurological in nature, which is why medications like triptans, which stimulate serotonin to constrict blood vessels in the brain, work so well for so many people prone to migraine attacks.

There are a number of common triggers which can cause migraine attacks, including:

• Certain foods or beverages. Foods high in nitrates, like bacon and hot dogs, often cause migraines, along with tannic foods like grapes. Caffeine-laden foods and drinks like soda, chocolate, and some teas can also contribute. Different people report different triggers, so if you notice that your child often contracts a migraine after eating something specific, try to remove that food from their diet. Keeping a food diary for your child can help pinpoint triggers.
• Genetics. If you have a family history of migraines, your child might have a predisposition. Migraines are often confused for simple headaches or other health issues, though, so it’s a good idea to talk to your parents and grandparents about any pattern of migraine symptoms they may have noticed throughout their lives, even if they were never formally diagnosed.
• Stress and anxiety. Emotional factors can be major contributors to migraine attacks. At first glance, it may be tough to consider what kinds of stress and anxiety a child can experience, but the reality is that stress and anxiety are often common in a child’s life.

Anything from a struggle with a peer that a child silently deals with to a teacher that doesn’t account for a child’s learning style can cause stress or anxiety in your child’s life. Children with depression or depressive tendencies are also at higher risk of stress and anxiety, so it’s important to be aware of that connection and how it may play a role in your child’s migraines.

How to prevent migraines in children

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to help prevent migraines for your child, including:

• Keeping them healthy. Make sure your child gets enough sleep every night, exercises daily, eats healthy, and gets plenty of water. These are essential steps for providing the body with everything it needs to keep migraines at bay.
• Reducing stress. What might be causing stress in your child’s life? What steps can you take to reduce that stress? Try to open a dialogue with your child about stress management, and reach out to a mental health professional if you need assistance.
• Keeping a migraine log. Keep a daily journal in which you document your child’s diet, behavior, sleep patterns, and anything else you think might be contributing to their migraine attacks. This can help you find patterns of triggers to avoid in the future.

If left untreated

If left untreated, migraines can drastically reduce your child’s quality of life. There’s nothing worse than your child having to sit things like school days, baseball games, and birthday parties out to recover from a migraine.

Luckily, DispatchHealth can help. We provide in-home treatment for pediatric migraines, allowing your child to stay in bed while we administer treatment in the low-sensory environment of your home. Our services cost a fraction of the cost of an emergency room visit and about the same as a trip to the urgent care without all the added hassle of traveling and waiting in bright waiting rooms. We also accept most major insurance carriers, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offer an affordable flat rate for uninsured patients. We’re ready and waiting to provide the help you need for non-life-threatening conditions—request care online, through our app, or over the phone.