children headaches

my child is 6 yrs old and has had three episodes within the last 6 months of severe headache pain and vomiting after playing. After exhertian of playing he screams of pain in his head and then becomes very very hot and pale.  That is then followed by vomiting.  After about a half hour of this he passes out into a deep sleep for a couple of hours; then wakes up, and everything is fine.  Today was the third time this has happened so we went to the ER and had a CAT scan done and everything was normal.  Should we be concerned or since the CAT was normal is there nothing to worry about?

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi There,

Thanks for writing in.
There is a possibility that your child is suffering from a migraine variant. Painful throbbing headache accompanied by nausea and vomiting and a sick feeling in the stomach is very suggestive of migraine. Migraines can be triggered by exertion.
However it is also important that you make sure that the child is sufficiently hydrated while playing, since dehydration can also cause headache and vomiting.
I would also suggest you to schedule an appointment with his pediatrician and discuss this possibility. Meantime make sure he avoids caffeine, preserved foods and meat.

Take care!