As parents, we strive to ensure that our children are as healthy and comfortable as possible. With that, it’s normal for kids to feel a little under the weather from time to time, and you might find that your child occasionally gets headaches behind their eyes.

There's generally no need to worry right off the bat. In fact, headaches behind the eyes are common issues for both kids and adults.

Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms and causes of these types of headaches, as well as examine some ways in which you can relieve your child’s headache with clean medicine (medicine made with the active ingredients you need, but without artificial fillers) or home remedy choices.

Symptoms of Headache Behind the Eyes

Headaches come in a few different types, but both adults and children often experience headaches with the pain centered behind the eyes or around the sinuses.

Like “regular” headaches that may be centered near the temples or inside the skull, headaches behind the eyes can cause uncomfortable symptoms like:

• The sensation of swelling
• Pain
• Irritation
• Itchiness
• And more

Kids may have a particularly difficult time with headaches behind the eyes since they typically won’t understand the cause or how to take care of the issue. As parents, it’s important to take charge of recognizing the symptoms of a headache behind the eyes so you can find a healthy solution.

Types of Headaches Behind the Eyes

You or your child might experience different types of headaches behind your eyes. Here are some examples.

Tension Headaches

So-called “tension” headaches are another term for the most common type of headaches experienced throughout the world. They’re characterized by dull pain around or behind your eyes, and you or your child might experience extra muscle discomfort around the shoulders and neck.

They get their name since they’re normally triggered by muscle tension, either due to stress or to certain types of physical activity. Kids can get tension headaches if they get too close to a TV, for example, or squint their eyes in bright sunlight all day.

Migraines

Migraines are much more serious headache types. They’re usually more painful than other types of headaches and start around the eyes and temples, and they may eventually spread to the back of the head.

Kids don’t get migraines nearly as frequently as adults, but if they complain of visual symptoms, like flashing lights or halos, it may be a sign that they are suffering from a migraine. It is a good idea to take them to their pediatrician for medical advice if this is the case.

Eyestrain Headaches

Kids these days love technology and spend much more time in front of screens than their parents did. Because of this, eyestrain headaches are becoming more common in children. They crop up when the eyes become tired after lots of exposure to bright screen light, especially if the screen in question is viewed from up close less than a foot away from the face.

Sinusitis

Sinus infections, i.e. sinusitis, can also cause headaches behind the eyes. Your sinuses are located behind your eyes. If they swell, they can cause pain by pressing on the nerves around them.

Sinus infections are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, congestion, and nasal discharge. However, note that sinus headaches by themselves are usually rare. This is another scenario where you may want to take your child to see their doctor.

Common Triggers for Headaches Behind the Eyes

Many of the above headache types have certain specific triggers, but almost all headaches behind the eyes also share some other common triggers.

Here are some of the most common headache triggers your child might experience:

• Weather or humidity changes
• Sudden bright and flashing lights
• Loud noises
• Overexposure to bright lights on screens
• Infections
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Bad posture
• Dehydration

Treatment Options

Although there are tons of ways your kid might get a headache behind their eyes, there’s some good news: there are also multiple ways to treat these headaches so you can quickly help your kid get back to enjoying life as usual.

Child-Safe Pain Reliever

Genexa’s Kids’ Pain & Fever Relief medicine is a perfect pick if you’re looking for some temporary relief for your child’s headache. This helpful medicine is made clean, with the active ingredient you need, without any artificial additives.

Instead, it just has what your kid needs to escape the symptoms of their headache: tried and true acetaminophen, combined with clean inactive ingredients including organic agave syrup and organic blueberry flavoring for a taste your kids will love.

Avoid TV and Screen Use

If your child’s headache behind their eyes is because of eye strain, you'd be wise to limit their screen time or, at the very least, have them sit farther back from their screen. Kids don't usually have the knowledge or self-control to moderate how closely they sit in front of a TV screen or video game, for instance.

Moving them back or preventing them from playing on a tablet all day might do wonders for relieving their headache symptoms. If the symptoms stop after an hour or so, chances are you’ve solved the main issue.

Home Remedies

There are also several home remedies you can look into trying. Home remedies are easy to try as your child starts complaining of headache symptoms.

Home remedy examples include:

• Ice packs. Have your child place the ice packs on their forehead. This can reduce swelling if your child’s sinuses are acting up.
• A warm drink, such as warm milk or tea. Again, this can help relieve swelling and provide a soothing sensation to counteract the symptoms of a headache behind the eyes.
• Sleep. Many kids seem to lose energy as they become tired. Putting them down for a nap might relieve headache symptoms and give you a welcome break!
  

Hydration

Headaches behind the eyes could happen if your kid is dehydrated. Don’t worry too much – lots of kids have trouble recognizing when they need to take a drink.

However, it might be good to suggest a drink of water to your child if they complain of headache symptoms. Good hydration is essential if you live in a hot and dry climate or if the ambient humidity levels are low, like they often are during the winter months.

Summary

All in all, treating your child’s headache is likely going to require some trial and error. Chances are you’ll stumble upon the right fix sooner or later, and you’ll also have good old acetaminophen to provide some headache relief as you navigate the best remedies for your child.

However, don’t forget to contact a doctor if your child complains of headaches behind their eyes frequently or if the headache is associated with other symptoms such as vomiting . It’s normal for kids to get headaches in this area once in a while, but it may be indicative of a deeper issue if the headaches come again and again.

Genexa provides clean medicines made with the same effective active ingredients you need, but without the inactive ones you don’t. Revamp your medicine cabinet today with clean medicine formulas that put people first and leave the artificial additives in the past.