Chronic Daily Headaches: How to Care for Your Child

A headache is pain felt somewhere in the head. A child with chronic daily headaches has headaches that happen 15 days or more per month for at least 3 months. 

Follow these care instructions to treat your child's headaches and to help prevent future headaches.

• Give any prescription medicines as recommended by your health care provider.

• If your health care provider says it's OK, you can give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol®, Panadol®, or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Give exactly as directed. Don't use these medicines for more than 2 days in a week without talking to your health care provider first.

• Don't give your child or teen aspirin, because it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

• If your child has a headache, it may help to:

  • Take a nap.

  • Put a cold compress on the head.

  • Gently massage the head and neck.

• To prevent future headaches, it may help for your child to:

  • Avoid any foods or smells that cause headaches.

  • Get plenty of sleep and stick to a regular sleep schedule.

  • Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks.

  • Drink plenty of liquids, especially when exercising or in hot weather.

  • Find ways to lower stress, like meditation or yoga.

  • Get plenty of physical activity.

  • Avoid taking medicines that aren't needed.

  • Avoid caffeine.

  • Not smoke or be around anyone who smokes.

• Keep a headache diary. Be sure to include:

  • when the headaches happen

  • how long the headaches last

  • what might have brought on the headache

• Encourage your child to go to school and participate in sports and other activities. Even kids with a headache can try to do regular activities. If needed, they can take breaks or rest during the activity.

• Make any appointments with specialists as recommended by your health care provider.

Your child:

• has a headache that doesn't get better after following the health care provider's instructions 

• has headaches that are getting worse

• has headaches that happen more often

• is taking over-the-counter headache medicine more than 15 days a month

• is taking prescription headache medicine more than 10 days a month

• throws up when having a headache

• has headaches in the morning or that wake your child up

• develops a fever with a headache

• has a headache along with changes in mood or feeling anxious

• can't go to school or do other activities because of the headache

Your child:

• has a fever and stiff neck

• has blurry or double vision

• seems confused or isn't walking or talking normally

• is hard to wake up

What types of headaches can happen in chronic daily headaches? Types of chronic daily headaches include:

• migraines (headaches that are often throbbing and usually happen with other symptoms like nausea or sensitivity to light)

• cluster headaches (clusters, or groups, of headaches that last 1–3 hours)

• tension headaches (headaches caused by stress and muscle tightness)

• medicine overuse headaches

• headaches after a head injury