Why is there a headache after basketball work in a 14-year-old?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a 14-year-boy who has been getting a headache after his basketball work for three years. They last for hours and nothing helps them. Last night we were watching TV and suddenly he had a severe headache above his left eye. He said it was the worst he ever had but was the same as the other ones, it was severe pain and it felt like when your hand is going to sleep too. It took hours to go away.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The condition of having severe headache could be due to various reasons. But based on the limited information which I could gather from your query, if I have to provide a diagnosis, then I would doubt that this headache which your son is getting, could be due to strain in his eyes. Because constant exposure to the sun during play hours may lead to a headache in some people (assuming that he plays basketball in an open ground under sunlight) and watching television for long hours could aggravate it further. It would be great if you could provide details on past medical history of your son such as,

History of a migraine.
Any past head injuries or surgeries.
Is he on any medication?
Does he wear spectacles or lens? Or any known issues with his vision?

So that I could give or suggest a complete diagnosis and treatment for your son's condition. For time being, for instant relief of his headache, you can give him the following tablet Paracetamol (500 mg) one tablet once in six hours for two days. Advice him to:

Close his eyes and relax.
Sleep on time at night.

I strongly recommend coming for a review after two days with the detailed history for a complete diagnosis and treatment.

Thank you.