A headache is pain felt somewhere in the head. A child with chronic daily headaches has headaches that happen 15 days or more per month for at least 3 months. 

Follow these care instructions to treat your child's headaches and to help prevent future headaches.

• Give any prescription medicines as recommended by your health care provider.
• If your health care provider says it's OK, you can give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol®, Panadol®, or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Give exactly as directed. Don't use these medicines for more than 2 days in a week without talking to your health care provider first.
• Don't give your child or teen aspirin, because it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
• If your child has a headache, it may help to:
  • Take a nap.
  • Put a cold compress on the head.
  • Gently massage the head and neck.
• To prevent future headaches, it may help for your child to:
  • Avoid any foods or smells that cause headaches.
  • Get plenty of sleep and stick to a regular sleep schedule.
  • Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks.
  • Drink plenty of liquids, especially when exercising or in hot weather.
  • Find ways to lower stress, like meditation or yoga.
  • Get plenty of physical activity.
  • Avoid taking medicines that aren't needed.
  • Avoid caffeine.
  • Not smoke or be around anyone who smokes.
• Keep a headache diary. Be sure to include:
  • when the headaches happen
  • how long the headaches last
  • what might have brought on the headache
• Encourage your child to go to school and participate in sports and other activities. Even kids with a headache can try to do regular activities. If needed, they can take breaks or rest during the activity.
• Make any appointments with specialists as recommended by your health care provider.

Your child:

• has a headache that doesn't get better after following the health care provider's instructions 
• has headaches that are getting worse
• has headaches that happen more often
• is taking over-the-counter headache medicine more than 15 days a month
• is taking prescription headache medicine more than 10 days a month
• throws up when having a headache
• has headaches in the morning or that wake your child up
• develops a fever with a headache
• has a headache along with changes in mood or feeling anxious
• can't go to school or do other activities because of the headache

Your child:

• has a fever and stiff neck
• has blurry or double vision
• seems confused or isn't walking or talking normally
• is hard to wake up

What types of headaches can happen in chronic daily headaches? Types of chronic daily headaches include:

• migraines (headaches that are often throbbing and usually happen with other symptoms like nausea or sensitivity to light)
• cluster headaches (clusters, or groups, of headaches that last 1–3 hours)
• tension headaches (headaches caused by stress and muscle tightness)
• medicine overuse headaches
• headaches after a head injury