• April 19, 2024

Stomach pain is common among children, but the exact source is not always easy to identify, experts say. Mayo Clinic

Although irritable bowel syndrome can actually occur in a child, that is very rare. Although the pains of stomach in many cases they are frequent, when they are very persistent, they must be evaluated.

Identify if your child has it ...

According to the Mexican Academy of Pediatrics , between 10 and 20% of children suffer from colon irritable and if either parent had this problem, the percentage increases.

While, Mayo Clinic It states that if the child has not yet been assessed, make an appointment with your child's family doctor, who will refer you to a gastroenterologist specializing in child care if necessary. However, there are usually ways to effectively control the pain of stomach even when the exact source can not be identified.

"Many children suffer from pain stomach , but that is usually not a symptom of any large medical problem and is often resolved without any intervention. However, when the child's stomach pain lasts, then it becomes a concern especially if the problem continues for three months or more, "says the doctor William Faubion, gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota .

Other warning signs related to stomach pains that need to be evaluated include: chronic diarrhea, fever, frequent vomiting, bloody or black stools such as tar, sudden or severe pain, and bowel movements at night.

The doctor Faubion adds that when the child who suffers stomach pains does not grow at normal speed or loses weight, that may indicate the presence of an underlying medical problem that also warrants evaluation.

The first step in assessing chronic stomach pain in a child usually involves talking in detail about the child's medical history, which also includes family history. "It is important that your child's doctor knows the details of the condition, for example, when the pain , how long it normally lasts and any other symptoms that the child presents, "he recommends.

Other symptoms in particular, such as inflammation in the joints, red or painful eyes, and skin rashes can make it possible to discover the underlying cause. Then comes the physical examination, followed by x-rays and blood tests that may also be useful. In some cases, it may be useful to perform an endoscopy (examination that involves traversing a lighted tube or endoscope inside the colon or stomach and small intestine).

If the doctor sees any area of ​​suspicious tissue during the endoscopy, he may extract a sample to analyze it and determine if that is part of the problem and that information helps diagnose it.

When no other specific disease is found, the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can then be considered.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition of the intestine that usually produces stomach pains, in addition to colic, abdominal distension, gas and diarrhea or constipation. It is important to note that despite the rare diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome among adolescents, there are true cases of the disease in children under the age of ten, says the Mayo Clinic specialist.

In many young children who suffer from chronic stomach pain can not identify the cause of the pain clarifies the doctor Faubion, and that can be very frustrating for the child and family.

However, even in cases where stomach pain has no explanation, some measures can be used to control it, such as making changes in diet, decreasing stress , apply relaxation techniques and do physical activity on a regular basis.

"If, despite your child's comprehensive evaluation, it is not possible to identify the source of stomach pain, consult your child's doctor about what steps you can take to relieve the symptoms. With the passage of time and changing behavior, the pain of stomach Chronic of children often improves, "concludes doctor William Faubion.

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