Full Question:

I have a eight year old nephew who has been suffering from headaches. The headaches are coming on suddenly and lasting only a short time in a twenty-four hour period. He will go into a room with the lights off and no sounds plus he\'s even been throwing up. Could this be migraines or just like a Sinus headache. I was diagnosed with them then i had a hysterectomy got rid of some of them but I still get them from lack of sleep or stress or some foods i eat so could this be something that was passed to him and what do we need to do to help him with these for he's getting them every day. Connie.

Answer:

Dear Connie;

Migraine is a genetic neurological disease. With a history of Migraine on one side of his family, your nephew has a 50% chance of inheriting Migraine. If it's on both sides of the family, that increases to 50%.

Sinus headaches are very rare unless infection is present. The vast majority of what people think are sinus headaches are actually Migraines. You can read more about that in Sinuses Giving You a Headache? It’s Probably a Migraine.

There are a couple of steps to take for your nephew. First, he does need to see a doctor and get a diagnosis. Second, if he does have Migraines, identifying his triggers will be important.

Trigger identification and management is a vital component of managing Migraine disease. One of the best tools for identifying triggers is a good Migraine diary. You can download a free diary workbook from our article Your Migraine and Headache Diary. Some of us have food triggers; some of us don't. It's advisable to determine if your nephew does, and an elimination diet is the best way to do that. For more information and a workbook on this, see Managing Migraine - Migraine Trigger Foods.

If his doctor isn’t able to help you, it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It’s important to note that neurologists aren’t necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

Best regards,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

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If you need help finding a Migraine and headache specialist,
 visit our listing of Patient Recommended Specialists.

About Ask the Clinician:

Dr. Krusz is a recognized expert in the fields of headache and Migraine treatment and pain treatment. Each week, he and Lead Expert Teri Robert, team up to answer your questions about headaches and Migraines. You can read more about Dr. Krusz or more about Teri Robert.

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