“Mom, my stomach hurts!”
While raising children, we often hear stories of stomach ache, and each time, mothers and fathers are very worried. If you take them to the hospital in a hurry, there are many other cases where they only hear that there is nothing special. You may think that it is a gimmick, but stomach pain is actually the most common pain in children, and since it can appear from various causes, it is necessary to closely monitor the child.
More than 70% of the abdominal pain that children complain of is not caused by a disease but is classified as ‘functional abdominal pain’. Functional abdominal pain in children does not have any inflammatory or organic problems, but it occurs when the digestive system is weak, psychologically unstable, stressed, or when it is difficult to pass stool.
A child with a weak digestive system usually eats less, takes a long time to eat, and often vomits, feigns, and tends to have cold hands and feet. Stomach function is poor, so you can complain of stomach pain even if you eat a little bit or eat in an uncomfortable state. It can cause stomach pain, so you need to manage your diet.
The most common food that can cause stomach pain is ‘milk’. Milk is often fed regularly to help growth, but children with ‘lactose intolerance’ do not secrete enough enzymes to digest the lactose in milk, so they complain of stomach pain or diarrhea due to undigested lactose. also do If the child does not like to eat milk, do not force it, and if you eat milk or dairy products, you need to carefully observe whether the stomach is uncomfortable.
Stress and emotional problems are also important causes of abdominal pain. Children often complain of stomach ache before going to daycare or school. It may seem like a gimmick to parents, but children can actually have a stomach ache. Rather than scolding you for being a fool, it is helpful to talk about why your child doesn’t want to go to school, stress about an unfamiliar environment, and any discomfort in relationships with teachers or friends and give them peace of mind.
Even a child with constipation often complains of a stomach ache before having a bowel movement. If you have not had a bowel movement for several days or if the stool is hardened in the intestine, you may complain of abdominal pain.
In the case of abdominal pain in children, most of them are functional abdominal pain, but there are cases where you must visit a hospital for examination and treatment.
The intestine is a long, hose-like digestive tract. ‘Intestinal hypertrophy’ refers to a certain part of the intestine being drawn into the inside of the intestine following it. It usually occurs in babies under one year old, and the baby suddenly starts crying with severe abdominal pain, and shows severe paroxysmal abdominal pain every 10 to 15 minutes. You may see sticky, mucous and bloody stools along with vomiting, and you may feel something like a lump in your stomach.
Appendicitis is a disease commonly referred to as ‘appendicitis’. In adults, symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting appear in the lower right abdomen, but in children, the typical symptoms of appendicitis do not appear, so it is often difficult to detect in the early stages. The younger the age, the more vaguely complaining of abdominal pain, and abdominal pain may appear throughout the abdomen, and symptoms such as low fever, loss of appetite, and vomiting may also be seen. Since symptoms similar to general gastrointestinal diseases may appear in the early stages, careful observation of parents is necessary when a child complains of severe abdominal pain.
If you force a child to eat with a stomach ache, you should be careful as it can cause stress and lower digestive function and may cause a sense of reluctance to eat.
Above all else, it is important to have a good lifestyle, eat regularly and reduce intake of foods that are difficult to digest, such as snacks, cold foods, and flour foods. In addition, it is good to check the child’s mind to see if he is psychologically anxious or stressed, and to allow him to play happily with appropriate physical activity.
When a child expresses a stomach ache, if it is due to a psychological problem, just rubbing the stomach with warm hands can help relieve symptoms. In addition, it is necessary to check whether there is no physical condition, and whether there are symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea.
Temporary and mild functional abdominal pain will not be a problem, but if you continue to have abdominal pain for a long time even though you are taking good care of your food and lifestyle, it is good to seek help from a medical institution.
In the case of children who usually have weak digestive function, or children who respond to stress with abdominal pain, oriental medical treatment is often helpful. Functional recovery of the digestive system can be promoted by selecting and taking an appropriate herbal medicine prescription according to the child’s symptoms and constitutional type.
If you make your child’s digestive system strong, not only will the symptoms of abdominal pain be improved, but also the digestion and absorption of nutrients will be improved, which will have a positive effect on overall health and growth and development.
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