10-year-old suffers extreme headaches: Missed school, stopped playing with friends, yet tests showed normal. Hyderabad neurologist sheds light

For many parents, headaches in children are often dismissed as minor discomfort or a passing phase. But for some kids, recurring pain can quietly take over their lives, affecting school, play, and even sleep. Ten-year-old Anush from Hyderabad experienced this firsthand. Bright and energetic, he gradually withdrew from cricket, missed school, and dreaded bedtime—all because of unpredictable, intense headaches. Even repeated medical tests showed nothing abnormal, leaving his parents frustrated and worried.

Apollo neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar explains that childhood migraine is real, often misunderstood, and frequently overlooked. One of the main challenges is the misconception that migraines are an adult problem. In reality, children can experience migraines too, and the symptoms often appear differently. For some, pain may last only an hour or show up in the stomach instead of the head, making diagnosis tricky.

These atypical presentations can delay proper care, with serious consequences. Children like Anush may see their grades slip due to poor concentration, withdraw from activities they love, and struggle with broken sleep, leading to fatigue and irritability. Migraine don’t just cause discomfort—they quietly reshape childhood.




Listening carefully to the child and parents remains the most powerful diagnostic tool. By observing patterns, triggers, and related symptoms, doctors can identify the problem even when tests appear normal. In Anush’s case, once the migraine was correctly diagnosed, a combination of preventive and acute treatments transformed his life.

Within weeks, his headaches became rare, sleep improved, school attendance returned to normal, and he was back on the cricket field, enjoying his childhood once again. Dr Kumar emphasises that recurring headaches or unexplained abdominal pain should never be ignored. Early recognition and treatment can restore a child’s learning, play, and overall joy, proving that childhood migraine, though often hidden, is highly treatable.