Child headache medicine: 3 options that are safe and effective

Headaches do not only affect adults, but also children. Even so, the causes of headaches in children are usually not serious. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, you can relieve a child's headache by asking him to rest in a quiet and dimly lit room and giving him a drink of water. But sometimes, you also need medication to calm fussy children due to headaches. Wait a minute. Do not carelessly give headache medicine for children.

List of headache medication options for children

Can children use headache medications commonly used by adults? The short answer: not necessarily.

Here are some types of drugs that children can take to treat headaches. There are drugs that can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies, and some must be prescribed by a doctor first.

1. Paracetamol

Paracetamol belongs to a class of pain relievers that works to block the production of prostaglandins. This hormone can cause pain and trigger a fever.

Paracetamol medicine is available in the form of liquid medicine, chewable tablets, and suppositories. Syrup and chewable tablets are usually given to children who are older than 6 years.

Meanwhile, suppositories can be given to children who have not been able to swallow the drug in liquid or solid form, or children who regurgitate their newly consumed medicine.

The dose of drug administration for this one child is usually determined based on the child's weight. So, it is possible that children of the same age need different doses of drugs because their body weight is different.

Give this medication every four to six hours, but don't give your child more than five doses of the drug in a 24 hour period.

So before giving this drug, make sure beforehand whether your child is already taking other drugs that contain paracetamol in it. The reason is, this drug is also found in medicines for coughs, colds, and allergies.

Another thing you need to know about this one headache medicine for children is the side effects. Giving excessive paracetamol doses has the potential to increase liver damage in children.

In addition, if your child has an allergy to dyes, choose a drug brand that does not contain dyes.

2. Ibuprofen

Another drug that you can give your child is ibuprofen. This drug belongs to the class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely anti-inflammatory drugs.

This drug works to stop the production of prostaglandin hormones in the body that triggers headaches, fever, and inflammation in children.

Quoting Med Line Plus, give ibuprofen to children every six to eight hours as needed. However, never give this drug more than four doses in a 24 hour period. How about the preparations?

Children aged three months to 12 months should be given liquid medicine that can be taken directly or dropped by the parents. For children aged seven years and over, you can provide tablet or capsule dosage forms.

This headache medicine is classified as very easy to find anywhere. You can buy it at the nearest pharmacy or supermarket.

If the child vomits this medicine before swallowing, calm himself before giving the drug again with the same dose. However, if the child has swallowed, and has just vomited afterward, wait up to 6 hours before giving a new dose to the child.

Caution: not all children should take this drug. If it is used to relieve headaches, there are a number of things that need to be considered first.

Children who have a history of asthma, liver problems, or kidney problems or heart problems should not take ibuprofen. So it is with newborns or very young babies.

Therefore, you should always consult your doctor about using headache medications before using them.

3. Sumatriptan

Sumatriptan belongs to the triptan group of drugs. This drug is usually used to relieve migraines in adults, but it can also be used for headaches in children.

This drug works to help narrow the loose blood vessels, which can stop a migraine. In addition, it comes in several preparations, including nasal sprays as well as tablets.

However, this drug should only be used when a child feels migraine symptoms are coming or when they really feel them. Not only does it function as a headache medicine, this drug can also be used as a preventive measure.

The dose of headache medicine given is usually determined by the doctor based on the condition of each child. Generally, the dosage for children is usually only one use.

If the migraine headaches return after two hours or more, you may give the next dose. However, this headache medicine should only be given a maximum of two doses within 24 hours.

Pay attention to this when giving headache medicine to children

Some of the drugs above may be able to relieve headaches in your child. However, there are some things that you should pay attention to, such as:

Read the label and note what the proper and recommended dosage is.
Do not give pain medication more than two or three days in a week.
Be careful when giving aspirin. Although it is safe to use from the age of 3 years and over, this headache medicine for children has the potential to be life-threatening. However, it is a rare thing.

When should a child be taken to the doctor for a headache?

Some cases of headaches that are felt by children are not serious, so there is often no need to immediately take medication. However, if you have given headache medicine but the condition becomes severe enough, you may have to see a doctor immediately.

Here are some conditions that are quite severe: