Kids Have Migraines, Too

Migraines are something that no child or young adult should have to deal with alongside the already treacherous growing pains. According to the American Migraine Foundation, one in 10 children lives with migraine. A lot of parents struggle to see their children suffer and medicate their kiddos for fear of the awful side effects. There’s also, of course, the long journey of figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and putting a child through this is a traumatic and painful journey with sometimes no sweet relief. 

Here, you’ll find some tried-and-true products that help relieve migraines in kids of all ages without medication!

Avulux Migraine Glasses

These glasses block out the harsh lights at school, home or anywhere your child may be suffering from a headache and where the bright fluorescent lights are no help. Avulux lenses precisely filter the light that’s been shown to trigger pain. If your child is light-sensitive, this is the product for them. 

Avulux focuses on blue, amber and red light while allowing beneficial green light through. They don’t focus on just one light; they focus on the wavelengths that have been shown to trigger light sensitivity pain. These lenses allow the good green light while blocking the bad. 

“Wearing Avulux doesn’t impact one’s social interaction,” says David Efraim, Avulux’s chief operating officer. 

Unlike sunglasses, Avulux allows for one’s eyes to be seen. No kid wants to stand out any more than they have to. Avulux lenses are only slightly tinted, as opposed to having a “Weekend at Bernie’s” experience with dark sunnies. If the fluorescent lights on the soccer field are too much, send in your own sports eyewear and Avulux will take care of the rest.

CEFALY

The CEFALY device is for the migraine warriors who struggle. This little robot goes on your forehead and works by stimulating your trigeminal nerve. The electrodes that stick on your forehead have magnets that stimulate the trigeminal nerves; it de-sensitivities the nerve over time, and it’s not a crazy sensation. It simply feels like a massage in your brain and is described most as a calming sensation of releasing tension. 

“We are the only migraine FDA-cleared device, cleared for both prevention and migraines, which people love,” says Megan Kilcoyne, CEFALY’s social media specialist. “We’re also over the counter, so anyone can purchase the device!” 

When it comes to which mode to use, depending on your kid’s age, you should definitely start small, especially since they aren’t FDA-approved for kids specifically. However, if your child is one of the unlucky few, Kilcoyne emphasizes that migraines, especially on the older side nearing upper teens, are certainly a game-changer for them. She says, unlike other companies that do expensive refills, CEFALY has one device and is less expensive than prescription medications. 

According to their product reviews, many users claim their teens took their device to college and it’s the only thing that got them through! CEFALY is the easy-to-work, grab-and-put-on solution for anywhere at any time. Especially before bed seems to be the ideal time to rest your stressed teen’s brain and relieve their pain. I’ll take 10! 

Aculief Wearable Acupressure™ Clip

When you aren’t there to help your little man or lady with nausea or pain, sometimes acupressure is just the trick. Aculief Wearable Accupressure™ Clip is a wearable acupressure relief that supports headache relief that can be nausea, pain or more. It comes in size XS for young children as well! 

They’re discreet, combat some hard-hitting symptoms and are easy for a kiddo to slip on by themselves. These little plastic tools are so soft you hardly even remember they’re on. They’re a great asset to have handy at any age, but especially for kids since there aren’t many options on the market as directed for kids. This can be in their migraine toolbox at any age. It sits on the LI4 point and studies done by Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland found that putting pressure on this point is effective in relieving headaches. 

The migraine world is lonely; there aren’t enough solutions, and there is no cure, especially for children. It seems like it’s never-ending. I hope these migraine tools bring at least an ounce of relief to you and yours as they are the only things on the market that have helped me after trying nearly everything out there.

About the Author

Katerina Cotroneo is a professional photographer turned lifestyle writer. Using her marketing background and her talent behind the camera, Katerina tells unique stories through her lens and captures diverse perspectives.