Causes of tummy pain in children
Having tummy pain is never good, but you’ve got to know the cause of the pain before you can treat it properly. There are so many different causes of stomach pain that it can be a very difficult symptom to treat. This is why it’s important to also examine any other symptoms the child may have.
The most common cause of tummy pain is a simple stomach bug like influenza or a similar virus. These types of bugs are usually accompanied with nausea and vomiting however, so if both of those two symptoms are missing, then there may be another reason for the tummy pain.
Tummy pain is often caused by some form of inflammation. There are many different causes of stomach inflammation, including appendicitis, diverticulitis, colitis, and more. Tummy pain can also be caused by inflammation of other organs, like the liver, which happens with hepatitis. Gall stones can also cause tummy pain.
In order for your pediatrician to determine exactly what’s causing the tummy pain, you will need to tell him everything you can about the symptoms. For example, he will ask if the pain is dull or sharp. He also may want to order some x-rays or other lab work to determine the cause of the stomach pain. Another indication of exactly what’s causing stomach pain is the way the pain begins. If the pain begins gradually, the cause of it will be something completely different than if the pain came on suddenly and never goes away.
The exact location of the pain is also an important part of what’s causing the stomach pain. Appendicitis will cause pain in the lower side of the abdomen on the right. However, diverticulitis will cause pain in the left lower side of the stomach. Pain from gallstones usually occurs in the right upper stomach.
The doctor will also ask what kind of pattern accompanies the pain. For example, an obstruction in the abdomen usually causes waves of pain and cramps. However, pain that’s caused by gallstones will be sharp pain that lasts for hours constantly.
Another common cause of tummy pain is irritable bowel syndrome, and this problem is a little bit harder to track because the symptoms tend to come and go. The pain is never constant, and it seems to go away immediately after a bowel movement. This can also be true of constipation also, so it’s important to figure out if the constipation is being caused by another underlying health problem or if the constipation is due to a poor diet.
Tummy pain can be a very complicated problem to figure out, but it can also be a very simple one. The most important thing you can do to help your doctor deliver the right diagnosis is to list every single one of your symptoms. Every little detail can play a crucial role in figuring out exactly what’s wrong. Undiagnosed stomach pain can be frightening, but it’s usually very manageable once you find out what is wrong.