What are the basic tips that you need to know for managing headaches in school-going kids?

Headache is a very common health complaint among school children because it could arise from multiple reasons like poor sleep routine, dehydration, stress, eye strain and even any kind of underlying health condition like migraine. While occasional episode of headache is not a matter of concern, frequent episodes of headache will affect the academic performance, social interaction and overall quality of life of kids. So, in all such cases, you need to consult the best paediatric neurologist in Vijayawada so that you will be able to identify the exact cause and adopt the practical strategies to help out the children in managing the headache very effectively.

Practical tips for managing headaches in school-going kids:

1. Identifying and understanding the triggers: The very first step in managing the headache is to identify the cause behind it. Common triggers will include lack of sleep, irregular sleep schedule, dehydration, skipping meals, stress, anxiety and excessive screen time, which leads to strain on the eyes and head. So, keeping a headache diary will always be very much important for parents so that they will be able to track whenever the headaches are happening and what factors might be responsible for the entire situation. 
2. Encouraging proper hydration: Dehydration is a very frequent cause of headaches in children, and school-going children will usually be getting to drink water during the day. Parents in this particular case need to make sure that children are using a water bottle at school, and encouraging them to drink water regularly will be highly recommended for parents. Adding fruits like lemon and cucumber will also be helpful in making the overall hydration much more appealing, so that everything will be very well sorted out, and kids will never face the problem of dehydration. 
3. Maintaining a consistent sleep routine: Children will always require approximately 9-11 hours of sleep depending on their age, and any kind of issue in the sleep schedule, staying up too late or poor sleep, will trigger a headache. Creating a consistent bedtime routine and limiting screen use before going to bed will always be very important, so that everyone will be able to enjoy a comfortable sleeping environment without any issues. This will allow you to reduce the headache episodes very successfully, and eventually, you will be able to create things in the right direction without any problem. 
4. Ensure the nutrition and regular meals: Skipping breakfast and other meals is a very common cause of headache in school-going children, and parents should always make sure that children are eating balanced meals with protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, including snacks like nuts and fruits. So, in this particular case, you will be able to maintain the overall energy levels very easily, and eventually you will be able to prevent low blood sugar without any problem. 
5. Reducing the screen time and ensuring proper care of eyes: Doctors at the neurology Hospital for kids in Vijayawada very well recommend that parents reduce the screen time for the kids because, due to online classes, homework and entertainment, kids are consistently exposed to long hours of screen watching, which can lead to digital strain and eventually headache. Parents in this particular case should focus on the 20-20-20 rule, which means that after every 20 minutes, children have to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Additionally, providing the kids with proper lighting at the time of taking the study and regular eye checkups will always be very much important, so that everyone will be able to rule out any kind of vision problem if prevalent throughout the process. 
6. Teaching the relaxation and stress management techniques: As parents, it is very important for people to teach their kids about basic relaxation and stress management techniques so that there is no experience of headache due to academic or social stress. Parents can easily help out the kids by teaching them with simple techniques like breathing exercises, gentle yoga stretches, short breaks during homework and encouraging hobbies like art, music and outdoor gaming to get rid of stress.
7. Encouraging physical activity: Regular exercise will always be helpful in improving blood circulation, reducing stress and giving a great boost to the overall well-being. Activities like cycling, swimming and 30 minutes of outdoor gaming will be helpful in preventing headaches; however, children should always avoid the situation of overexertion because sometimes it can also lead to the trigger of a headache. 
8. Monitoring the food-related triggers: Uncertain elements of foods in children will also lead to sensitivity as well as headache, and the common culprits in this case will be processed snacks, which are very rich in terms of preservatives, excessive consumption of chocolate and caffeine, along with salty and fried food items. So, parents in this particular case need to watch for patterns and limit these types of foods so that there is no chance of any kind of issue related to headache, and these things are very well sorted out.
9. Providing a very comfortable study environment: The haematology oncology specialists and the neurologist for kids will be always recommending the parents to provide a very comfortable study environment because poor positioning, dim lighting and sitting for long hours will be leading to headache and for this you need to make sure that your child is having a very lit study area, perfect placement of chair and table along with regular brakes from setting so that good positioning will be done. This will allow you to reduce the muscle strain and will be helpful in preventing tension headaches very successfully, right from the beginning.

Conclusion: Headache in school-going kids will be a very common situation, but it is very easily manageable with the right approach, and parents will play a very important role in maintaining the overall condition. So, as parents, you should always focus on encouraging healthy lifestyle habits among kids because incorporating regular exercise and basic habits will allow you to effectively manage things and make sure that kids will be able to enjoy their school life with better focus, happiness and energy.