Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How the pandemic affects children and teens with headaches and migraines

Victoria Karian, CPNP
Conditions
October 20, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

Children and teens with headaches and migraines have been affected in a variety of ways by these pandemic times. Thinking back, there has been a difference between last spring and this fall and the effect on my patients, particularly in the school environment.

In the early days last Spring, many of my patients who had been having a hard time getting to school every day due to headaches were no longer having chronic daily headaches. For many pediatric patients, the school environment is a huge trigger for migraines and headaches. Physically, the bright fluorescent lights (at times flickering), loud noise, and general commotion are headache triggers. Emotionally and socially, many kids have difficulty tolerating the school environment, whether because of the anxiety and stress around making good grades, challenges with learning issues, or related to bullying and other social stressors. With the sudden closure of school, these triggers were removed. They did have stress around the pandemic experience, but this was much less of an issue for them, as long as they felt safe at home.

The transition during this time to remote learning was variable depending on the school district; some kids were doing ‘zoom’ classes daily, others weekly, and others not at all. There was increased screentime, but it was not usually excessive. They all felt less stress and pressure around school demands, leading to fewer headaches.

One group of patients who had more headaches and more distress were those whose headaches/migraines were managed with scheduled injection procedures (Botox, occipital nerve, and trigger point injections). These services were unavailable for almost 2 months, which did mean many fell behind with their care and had more frequent and severe headaches. Fortunately, most were caught up fairly quickly by mid-July.

This fall, there has been considerable uncertainty about what school would be like, about whether they should do remote learning or be in school. Once the teens knew what they were doing, there was the increased screentime to deal with. School formats were determined over the summer, and while there is still a lot of variability from district to district, there is considerable screentime for everyone.

More than any other factor, the increased exposure to screens has increased both migraine and headache, an additional stressor. I start every visit talking about the effect of screens on their headaches. Invariably, my patients report more headaches, more frequent and severe migraines, and more distress.

Many districts have done an excellent job of balancing scheduling classes and downtime, while others have instituted a more grueling schedule, which I would have trouble with. My clinic put together a handout that I give to everyone about how to manage the screentime, which includes posture, balanced lighting, and blue-light blocking glasses. We also discuss additional school accommodations, used in 504 educational support plans.

There is an emotional piece as well, as they miss their friends and activities. Teens are getting creative in finding ways to be in touch with friends and even see them in a socially distant manner. I have not gotten any push back about wearing masks and staying safe. It is important for them to stay connected with friends during this time. Many teens have a good idea about which of their friends is having a hard time and reach out with support.

Maintaining a consistent schedule is very important for patients with headaches. Getting enough sleep, healthy diet, exercise, and hydration are the keys to reducing headaches. Hydration seems a battle for many, and without the arbitrary school structure, it is more difficult to maintain. Exercise can also be challenging without school sports but so important for stress management for many teens. We often discuss how to keep on track with these lifestyle measures and strategize how to keep on schedule.

Stress management is key to thriving rather than just surviving during these pandemic days. I emphasize the need to take time during the day to breathe, intentionally relax, or release stress physically. This can be doing breath counting for two minutes, running around the house, or doing jumping jacks between classes. This gets their eyes off the screen, relaxes, or energizes the body. I again introduce the idea of using a meditation app or even starting counseling as a way to manage stress. There seems to be more openness around acknowledging stress and seeking help than ever before.

We are all living through this difficult time the best we can. We all have challenges, physically and emotionally, that we are dealing with. We must all be kind and supportive with each other, help when we can, and recognize we are all in the same boat.

Vickie Karian is a nurse practitioner and author of Getting Ahead of Pediatric Headaches: A comprehensive guide for nurse practitioners to manage headaches in children and adolescents.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Prev

The magic of medicine stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another

October 20, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

A patient's COVID-19 reflections

October 20, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Neurology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The magic of medicine stems from the empathy of one heart opening itself to another
Next Post >
A patient's COVID-19 reflections

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Victoria Karian, CPNP

  • Insurance struggles in pediatric headache care

    Victoria Karian, CPNP
  • How to help your children manage migraines

    Victoria Karian, CPNP

Related Posts

  • How the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for social media training in medical education 

    Oscar Chen, Sera Choi, and Clara Seong
  • Detention facilities cannot respond adequately to this pandemic

    Priya Pathak, MD, MPH
  • When celebrities attack children with food allergies

    Lianne Mandelbaum, PT
  • Why this physician marched during a pandemic

    Raj Sundar, MD
  • Bullying immigrant children in the name of politics

    Linda Girgis, MD
  • The first day of medical training during a pandemic

    Elizabeth D. Patton

More in Conditions

  • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

    American College of Physicians
  • Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care

    Judith Eguzoikpe, MD, MPH
  • From hospital bed to harsh truths: a writer’s unexpected journey

    Raymond Abbott
  • Bird flu’s deadly return: Are we flying blind into the next pandemic?

    Tista S. Ghosh, MD, MPH
  • “The medical board doesn’t know I exist. That’s the point.”

    Jenny Shields, PhD
  • When moisturizers trigger airport bomb alarms

    Eva M. Shelton, MD and Janmesh Patel
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

      Anonymous | Education
    • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How conflicts of interest are eroding trust in U.S. health agencies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

      Anonymous | Education
    • Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever

      American College of Physicians | Conditions
    • When errors of nature are treated as medical negligence

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Physician job change: Navigating your 457 plan and avoiding tax traps [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden chains holding doctors back

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...