Childhood migraine symptoms may differ from adult symptoms. Both include throbbing pain, nausea and sensitivity to light, but children may also experience abdominal pain, fever, listlessness, stuffy nose, rapid heartbeat and some dizziness. Childhood migraines occur more frequently , ranging from once to several times a week. Adult migraines are more sporadic, averaging 1-3 times a month. Migraines in children may last only 30 minutes , far shorter than adults' several hour to 3-day duration.
Children exhibit different warning signs.
The auras that precede some adult migraines may also occur in children. But the day before an attack children may exhibit excessive yawning, sleepiness, listlessness and a craving for migraine-trigger foods such as processed sugar snacks, chocolate, hot dogs, yogurt and bananas. Children may not experience head pain at all, but rather show symptoms referred to as migraine equivalents. These are unexplained symptoms including stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, or just unexplained vomiting. As the child gets older, these may turn into full-blown migraines.