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Can you grow out of migraines?
Some children improve or outgrow migraine after puberty, but puberty can also change migraine patterns and does not guarantee migraine will disappear.
Yes, some children grow out of migraines, but not everyone does. The safest answer is: migraine can change with puberty, and some children improve, while others continue to have migraine as teens or adults.
What happens around puberty?
Before puberty, migraine affects boys and girls more equally. During the teenage years, migraine becomes more common in girls. Mayo Clinic lists girls after puberty as a group more likely to have headaches, and American Migraine Foundation notes that migraine occurs more frequently in girls than boys during the teenage years.
American Migraine Foundation also quotes a pediatric headache specialist telling boys there is about a 40% chance they will have outgrown migraine by the end of puberty. That is encouraging, but it is not a guarantee for every child, and it does not mean girls cannot improve or boys cannot continue to have migraine.
Why you still need a plan
Waiting for puberty to “fix it” can leave a child untreated for years. A care plan can reduce missed school, pain, nausea, medication mistakes, and fear. The plan should cover sleep, meals, hydration, attack medication, school support, and red flags.
When to ask for more help
Ask a pediatric clinician or headache specialist for help if migraines are frequent, disabling, causing missed school or activities, associated with vomiting, or changing. Seek urgent care for new severe headache, head injury, fever with stiff neck, confusion, seizure, weakness, vision changes, walking changes, or symptoms that do not match the child’s usual pattern.
Sources
- American Migraine Foundation: Children’s migraine questions
- American Migraine Foundation: Understanding pediatric migraine
- American Migraine Foundation: Migraine in children
- Mayo Clinic: Headaches in children symptoms and causes
Migraine Manager is a personal health journal, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. Always follow your clinician's advice for diagnosis, medication, and treatment decisions.
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Related migraine questions
What happens around puberty?
Before puberty, migraine affects boys and girls more equally. During the teenage years, migraine becomes more common in girls. Mayo Clinic lists girls after puberty as a group more likely to have headaches, and American Migraine Foundation notes that migraine occurs more frequently in girls than boys during the teenage years. American Migraine Foundation also quotes a pediatric headache specialist telling boys there is about a 40% chance they will have outgrown migraine by the end of puberty. That is encouraging, but it is not a guarantee for every child, and it does not mean girls cannot improve or boys cannot continue to have migraine.