19
August
2015
|
06:05 AM
America/Chicago

Back-to-school time can mean more headaches for children

Doctors said they see a spike in childhood headaches as students head back to classes at the end of the summer

Headaches are a big reason for children to miss school. They can be tough to deal with because there is no test to determine what is causing them or how to treat them.

"It's not so much that stress causes migraines or other headaches, it's more that if you're already predisposed toward headaches, stress is going to make it worse," said Dr. Jennifer Bickel, of the Children's Mercy Hospital Headache Clinic.

She said it's common to see a lot of young patients complain of headaches after classes resume every August.

"We're talking about something that's incredibly disabling, but doesn't show up on tests. There's no thermometer that can diagnose a headache," Bickel said.

She said contributing factors to these headaches can include a lack of sleep, unhealthy eating and not having enough water.

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