Teenagers
& Parents

How to Spot the Symptoms of a Teenager’s Migraine

Many of the migraine symptoms teens experience are similar to those adults have. In addition to mild to severe throbbing headaches on one side of their head or on both sides, teens may experience vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, or neck pain, during the time of the headache.

Some teens may experience aura before the headache strikes (Aura Phase), including visual disturbances, like seeing flashes of lights or zigzags. They may also feel a tingling sensation in their body [3].

Not all adolesents experience aura.Head pain may follow warning signs (Prodrome Phase) like neck stiffness, fatigue, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, irritability, mood swings. Other warning signs may include cognitive impairment, sensitivity to smell, nausea or vomiting, yawning, dizziness or vertigo, or food cravings [4].

Following the migraine headache (Postdrome Phase), some teens experience a hangover-like mental fog, inability to concentrate, depressed mood or euphoric mood [5].Migraine attacks in teens are typically briefer than those in adults [1].

Some teens experience abdominal migraine. Rather than a pain in their head, it causes a dull, itchy sensation in their abdominal area. During an abdominal migraine, they may experience nausea, drowsiness or fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, or paleness of skin.