It also explains when it is time to see a healthcare provider.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
What Causes Dizziness and Headaches in Children?
Broadly speaking, the causes of dizziness in children can be broken down into seven categories.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Migraines
Migraineis a neurological disorder characterized by episodes of throbbing pain on the side of the head.
Migraines are the most common cause of dizziness in kids, accounting for 33% of cases.
Vestibular disorders are the second most common cause of dizziness in kids.
It can be resulting from extreme anxiety or be attributed to amood disorder.
Around 20% of dizziness cases in kids can be attributed to psychogenic vertigo.
In kids, approximately one in 10 cases of dizziness are the result of a neurological problem.
This can lead to dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
Around 4% of dizziness cases in kids are the result of motion sickness.
Younger children especially may have difficulty or an inability to describe their symptoms.
Dizziness
Dizziness is a feeling that can be hard for young children to describe.
The two most common are tension headaches and migraines.
How Are Headaches and Dizziness in Children Diagnosed?
Eating a snack or drinking some water or juice can also help both dizziness and headache.
Other remedies are more symptom-specific.
IV (intravenous, through a vein) fluids may be necessary.
There may be an underlying condition that needs to be addressed.
Depending on the cause, a child might have other symptoms as well.
The symptoms might occur separately or together.
Treating headaches and dizziness in kids will depend on what is causing the symptoms.
In some cases, at-home and over-the-counter (OTC) treatments might be enough.
If these remedies do not work, your doctor may prescribe treatment.
American Migraine Foundation.Migraine without aura.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Motion sickness.
Gunton KB, Wasserman BN, DeBenedictis C.Strabismus.Prim Care.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Headaches: when to call the pediatrician.
American Migraine Foundation.Caring for a child with migraine.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headaches in children.
Boston Children’s Hospital.Dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders in children.
National Headache Foundation.Childrens headache disorders.
Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Meningitis.
