14 DAY TRIAL // Children and teenagers who develop headaches and migraines from an early age should not be worried about more serious and painful symptoms of the disorder later in life, as a recent study shows that migraines tend to 'get lost' or become milder as they reach adulthood. The new research was carried out by Italian researchers at the University of Palermo and the findings of the study have been published in the Neurology Journal, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study was conducted on all school children aged between 11 and 14 in Monreale town, Italy, who have been checked up for migraine and headache. Those who were found to present symptoms of the health disorder - 55 children - have been checked up once again after 10 years by researchers, to see whether the symptoms became more serious and painful or if they diminished or reversed. Overall results showed that a considerable number of 38% of the subjects no longer suffered from migraines as they reached adulthood, while another 20% of the kids presented milder symptoms than before.
However, 42% of the 55 Italian children still presented migraines and headaches after the 10-year period and their symptoms were not lower in intensity. Kids who had first-degree relatives suffering from the same health disorder were found to have a 7-fold increased risk of living with migraines also when adults than their peers who did not have parents or siblings affected by migraine.
Study author Rosolino Camarda, MD, Neurologist at the University of Palermo and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology stated: "This is great news for children and teens who are dealing with migraine headache. Most of them will no longer have to deal with these disabling headaches by the time they are adults."