…if he or she has problems with headaches, to be well informed about the two most common types of primary headaches and what they can do about them is really important.

…even if he or she has not had headaches before, this website will give them tips on how to keep it that way.

…so that you are equally well-informed.

…to be able to support your child in dealing with or preventing headaches.

…to learn the differences between a tension-type headache and a migraine, because it is important to treat them differently!

…so that you can learn how to manage headaches – both your child’s headaches and maybe your own.

…to be able to support your child in dealing with headaches.

…to maybe get some good tips yourself for dealing with your own headaches.

…with grandparents or teachers so that they can understand and support your child.

• Distraction is particularly helpful for tension-type headaches. This is because the brain’s perception of pain can be altered. Distraction draws attention away from the pain, activating other areas of the brain instead. As a result, your child perceives their pain less strongly!

• Of course, your child can distract himself on his own. Sometimes, however, it can be very helpful if parents provide the distraction.

• Purposeful relaxation also helps with tension-type headaches. Simple breathing exercises, preferably in the fresh air, can induce shortterm relaxation.

• Yoga and progressive muscle relaxation are exercises that reduce tension.

• Learning a relaxation technique requires that you practice it regularly. Maybe you can make it a daily family activity? If a relaxation exercise is done regularly, the exercise could also be used effectively during acute headaches.

• During acute tension-type headaches, your child can still exercise and play sports! These can help the headache go away quickly.

• It is not necessary to take headache medication for tension-type headaches! Medications do not help any better than the strategies mentioned above; in fact, they can lead to more headaches if taken too often! Then you risk the danger of developing a medication-induced headache.

• If your child has a migraine attack, he or she should take the appropriate dose of pain medication prescribed by the doctor early.

• For most children and teens, the pain killer Ibuprofen helps best. After taking it, your child should take a short break until the medication takes effect (about half an hour), and then they can continue on with their day.

• Important: Stay away from the drug Aspirin! It contains the ingredient acetylsalicylic acid (ASA for short), which can cause rare but serious side effects in children and adolescents.

• Your child should always have their prescribed pain medication with them so they can take it when they need it, such as when they are at school.

• How acute tension-type headaches and migraine attacks are treated is explained in the sections on each type of headache.

• Sufficient exercise and sport can reduce or prevent migraine attacks and tension-type headaches.

• Exercise and sport reduce the severity and frequency of tension-type headaches and migraine attacks. Doing regular exercise and playing sports also improves mental health and reduces stress. In addition, getting better sleep has a positive effect on pain.

• Motivate your child to incorporate more exercise into their daily routine. Maybe he or she can walk to school or ride a bike? Regular exercise in the fresh air has enormous health benefits.

• In addition to recreational and daily movement, sports are important. Did you know that according to a study by the Robert Koch Institute, only 26% of children and adolescents get enough exercise (60 minutes a day)? Talk with your child about what type of sport they are interested in. Perhaps swimming, a team sport, running, or some other extracurricular activity?

• Does your child have a lot of stress? It may be helpful to work together to reduce the stress.

• Stress is one of the most important migraine triggers and it promotes the development of tension-type headaches.

• Stress is a part of life. But constant stress – or too many sources of stress – can lead to constant tension, making the body more sensitive to pain.
  It is therefore important to keep stress levels as low as possible and to relax after very stressful situations!

• How much stress does your child have? How much stress do you have as a family? Where in your life can you work on reducing stress?

There are several ways to reduce stress and tension:

• Reduce stress in everyday life using time management and resolving conflicts.
• Try to balance stressful situations via a hobby, meeting friends, or doing other activities that are fun and enjoyable. Laughter relaxes!
• Reduce tension with exercise, sports and relaxation.

• Many studies have shown that relaxation exercises reduce headache frequency and severity. Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation or even yoga are easy to learn. With regular practice, they quickly lead to stress reduction and relaxation. Motivate your child to learn a relaxation exercise. Maybe you can practice together! Here are instructional videos for 2 relaxation techniques:

• Getting enough good quality sleep can reduce the duration and frequency of headaches. A regular sleep schedule is especially important for migraines.

• Many things can support a good night’s sleep. In addition to adequate sleep duration, a regular sleep-wake rhythm and consistent meal- and bedtime routines are important. Also, all screens, such as computers and cell phones, should be turned off about 30 minutes before bedtime. The blue light from screens suppresses the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. Napping longer than 30 minutes during the day and consuming caffeinated beverages can also reduce sleep quality.

• Yes, screen time can have an effect on headaches. So, keep an eye on how much time your child spends using digital media.

• However, there is no proof that media consumption has a direct influence. What we do know is that too much time using smartphones and computers is associated with less movement and worse sleep. This, in turn, promotes headaches.

• But do not demonize digital media. For young people in particular, social media allows contact with peers, which is very important to them. The German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) provides tips on how to use digital media in a healthy way: