Seeing color spots and twitching in children

[Mo2010]

I have a 6 year old son who recently started (bout a month ago) asking "why is the grass purple" or "why is the carpet red", etc. He has also more frequently complained about earaches, stomach aches and feeling like he was going to throw up. Recently, he has developed a little "twitch" whereby his eyes slightly close and his neck twitches to the right and comes back.

I asked him why he was doing that and he said "I told you my ears hurt." I took him to the pediatrician and she said his ears are 'perfect' but recommneded I see an opthamologist. I contacted a pediatric opthamologist and will see one soon but she left me a message saying if it's in both eyes (which it is) it is probably a migraine and he should really be seen by his pediatrician.

I've done some research and found that 1) children can get migraines and that they are sometimes linked to 2) seeing "colors" in the field of vision. So far, I'm starting to conclude that he's getting migraines but I can't explain the twitching. Is that something that might normally be linked to migraines in children?

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing back.
Tics are rapid movements or sounds that are repeated over for no rhyme or reason. They usually occur when a person is tired, stressed or depressed. They have also been found associated with allergies both food and environmental and medicines. It is possible that in your son’s case that his tics are related to environmental allergies.
Try changing his room if possible for few days and see if it helps.
Let us know if you have any other questions.

[Mo2010]

Yes, that does help. Thank you. I guess it's a little confusing b/c the symptoms of migraine and twitching crept up almost simultaneously.

Is it possible that the "Tic" or twitching can be related to an allergic reaction to something in the environment? The twiching only seems to show prevalence in the evenings and when he's been in his room (which was just remodeled 2 weeks ago) for a long period of time. He says his right ear and neck "itch" (the side where the neck gravitates towards in the Tic).

Thanks again.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.
Neck twitching is not a symptom of migraine in children. However tics do develop in children and neck twitching is one of them. At this moment it looks like a Tic. Tics in children usually require no treatment and go away on their own.
Other symptoms of colors in the field of vision, stomach ache are a symptom of childhood migraine.
Hope this helps!