By Deborah Condon

Many people are unaware that children can suffer from migraine, yet as many as 10% of Irish children are affected by the condition, the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI) has said.

According to the association, migraine is the most common cause of recurring headaches among children under the age of 18, affecting one in 10. Furthermore these children lose an average of three to four days from school every year as a result.

Despite this, the condition continues to be under-diagnosed and inappropriately managed within this age group.

Migraine is an intense, throbbing headache that occurs on one side of the head. It can last up to three days and can be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and/or noise. Around 400,000 in Ireland are affected.

"It surprises some people to hear that migraine affects children but it is actually almost as common in children as in adults. It can be a particularly debilitating condition in children, often affecting schoolwork, family life and social activities. Yet it often goes unrecognised and is inappropriately treated", said Peter Murphy, chief executive of the MAI.

To highlight this issue, the association has published a new information pack, Migraine and Teenagers: An essential guide for students, parents and teachers. This is being distributed to every secondary school in the country this month. It covers issues such as migraine trigger factors, treatments and dealing with migraine at exam time.

"Our new information pack encourages young people to keep a proper record of their attacks and take responsibility for their condition. Taking control early helps to minimise the effect migraine has in later life", Mr Murphy explained.

Copies of the guide are available from the MAI. Call 1850 200 378. Alternatively, you can download it from the association's website at http://www.migraine.ie

You can set up your own personal migraine tracking service, which you can update via your mobile phone by logging on to Migrainemonitor.ie, a free service from Irishhealth.com.