Published: August 3, 2022 | Updated: June 24, 2025
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Migraine symptoms in kids are very similar to adult symptoms, and since a tendency toward migraine may be passed from parent to child, parents already may know some of the signs.
Migraine attacks recur and can cause throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. More than with a routine headache, migraine symptoms in kids can include dizziness, nausea and sensitivity to light, noise or smells.
Kids and teens experiencing migraine often need to skip school, sports, work or other activities until they feel better.
In the Louisville area, where allergies are a common complaint, those who experience migraine sometimes self-diagnose their condition as sinus headaches. Mistreating migraine can lead to worse attacks, and early treatment — especially during childhood — often provides greater relief.
“When children experience frequent or severe migraines, specialized care can make all the difference,” said Elizabeth S. Doll, M.D., child neurologist specializing in headaches at Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute. “We focus entirely on pediatric headache medicine and have deep expertise with both evidence-based prevention treatments and targeted rescue medications, as well as addressing other factors that are unique to young patients.”
Sometimes kids and teens will notice feeling “not right” a few hours or days before a migraine attack. They might crave different foods, or feel thirsty, irritable, tired or even full of energy. Some kids get auras — this migraine symptom starts just before the headache and last up to an hour. An aura can include:
Some kids who try to continue with their usual routine amid a migraine may become nauseous and vomit. Physical activities can make the pain worse.
Most migraine attacks last from 30 minutes to several hours; some can last a couple of days.
Headaches can be a condition on their own or a sign of something else, a type known as secondary headache. Headaches that could be symptoms of an underlying condition need advanced treatment and should be brought to a health care provider’s attention right away.
According to the American Headache Society, the following list describes considerations for whether secondary headaches require advanced evaluation in kids: