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Abdominal pain which reoccurs in children is
the number one reason why parents seek medical help for their children,
abdominal pain is said to be chronic if it is reoccurring over a 3-month
period of time. One important thing to note is that this is pain that
reoccurs over time not just a one or two day tummy bug or pain brought
on by the onset of stomach flu for example.
Should I worry about recurrent abdominal pain?
Most children who suffer from recurrent pains in the abdominal region
show no other sign or symptoms of illness and they continue to grow and
develop at a normal rate. The good news is that in the majority of children
with recurrent abdominal pain there is usually no serious underlying cause
behind the pain, and there are many reasons why the child has pain. However,
possible warning signs that there could be a more sinister underlying
problem can include
* Diarrhoea or blood in the stools
* Black or white coloured stools
* Unexplained weight loss
* Fever
* A decrease in appetite
* Fatigue
* A loss of pallor
* Urinary symptoms
What tests will the Doctor perform?
A wide variety of tests may be performed on the child and these will vary
on where the pain is located and if the child is showing any other signs
or symptoms, x rays are a possibility and blood tests may also be advised
to determine the cause of pain.
Generally speaking, if the child is well overall and the pain isn't causing
any problems other than mild discomfort and there are no warning signs
to suggest an underlying cause, then the Doctor will perform only the
minimum tests needed. Usually the cause of the pain can be something as
simple as constipation which the Doctor can determine through palpitating
the abdomen and can be treated easily.
What can be done to ease constipation?
This is the number one cause for recurrent abdominal pain in most children
and something which is very often overlooked by the parent, constipation
can cause severe pain and it can cause other symptoms to show such as
a fever.
The intestines becoming overloaded cause problems in constipation as pressure
is felt on them due to the retention of stools, this of course shows in
your child as abdominal pain and discomfort. Once the Doctor has diagnosed
constipation has being the cause of the abdominal pain then appropriate
treatment can be prescribed.
What will happen if the cause of the pain cannot be found?
If after examination the Doctor cannot find a cause for the pain as sometimes
happens, then it is classed as idiopathic or functional pain. This can
happen for a number of reasons and several different factors can be the
cause, factors the Doctor will take into consideration will be social
stressors such as family problems or problems in school.
Depending on the age of the child, causes such as bullying in school or
problems such as tension or divorce in the family are very often found
to be the underlying cause of the pain.
If problems in school are thought to be the problem then these can be
determined by such factors as when the pain happens, for instance does
the child suffer more during the weekdays than at weekends. If social
stresses are determined as the cause, then treatment will focus on helping
the child deal with stress, guidance councillors, teachers and parents
could then all play a part in the treatment.
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