Pediatric Headache Center

In children, one of the most common patient complaints is headache. Headaches have a significant impact on the lives of children and their families. Frequent headaches often result in missed school, decreased activities, and poor school performance.

Migraine headaches constitute most of primary childhood headaches. More than 90% of patients who present to a neurologist complaining of headache are estimated to have migraines.

Migraine headaches are characterized by the following:

• Headaches last between 1 and 48 hours
• The headache is :
  • Pulsating
  • Moderate to severe in intensity
  • Aggravation by routine physical activity
• During the headache you experience:
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Vision distortion

Multidisciplinary Approach

The Pediatric Headache Center at Alexian Brothers Children’s Hospital, led by Medical Director Dr. Hossam AbdelSalam, provides a multidisciplinary approach to care for children and adolescents with headaches, including migraine, tension, cluster and headaches caused by medical disorders.

The medical team crafts a personalized care plan that can include the services of child psychology, nursing, and nutritional counseling to evaluate and treat your child. This collaborative approach to care combines a number of effective treatments:

• Lifestyle changes with possible removal of triggers
• Behavioral coping skills
• Abortive and preventive medications
• Chemo-denervation “Botox”

Multidisciplinary care has improved outcomes because it focuses on many levels of headache management, including medications, teaching new coping skills and educating the patient about the treatment plan.

Appointments

Call 847-490-4222 to schedule your appointment. 

The Pediatric Headache Center is designed to work closely with your child's primary care physician to treat headache. It is important that the primary care doctor be involved throughout the process, so please be sure to have your physician contact information with you.

Click here to request an appointment with Dr. AbdelSalam.