How does indigestion manifest in children? Symptoms of this pathological condition will be listed below. You will also learn about why this disease develops and how it should be treated.
Basic information
Indigestion in children is a fairly common occurrence. As you know, the said organ is one of the main elements that make up the human digestive system. Disruptions in his work adversely affect not only the patient’s well-being, but also his overall health.
Functional upset stomach in children is a special condition in which one of the functions of the organ in question is violated (for example, motor or secretory). In this case, the small patient feels a noticeable pain in the epigastrium and experiences a significant feeling of discomfort.
A characteristic feature of this condition is the absence of any structural changes in the gastric mucosa. Thus, the diagnosis is made on the basis of a survey of the patient, the available symptoms, test results and other studies.
Varieties of the disease, their causes
Indigestion in children, or rather its variety, is determined by several factors that caused an imbalance in its work. Primary disorders are independent diseases. The main reasons for their development are the following:
- non-observance of the proper diet (including overeating, irregular meals, abuse of smoked, fatty and spicy foods, lack of trace elements and vitamins in the body, passion for strict diets, poor quality chewing of food);
- disorders of an emotional or mental nature;
- allergic reactions to any food;
- taking potent medications that adversely affect the work of the stomach;
- tobacco and alcohol intoxication, as well as harmful working conditions;
- parasitoses;
- atmospheric effects (including radiation, elevated air temperature, various vibrations);
- heavy physical activity.
Why does indigestion occur in children? Secondary causes of such a pathology are accompanying factors or the consequences of other diseases of the internal organs. These include the following:
- vascular and heart diseases;
- failures in the work of the digestive tract;
- disturbances in the endocrine system;
- chronic infections;
- organic or functional diseases of the central nervous system.
Most often, an upset stomach in children does not arise because of one, but because of several factors that were mentioned above.
Symptoms of the disease
Now you know what a pathological condition such as an upset stomach is. Symptoms in children, however, as in adults, can be different. In modern medicine, several clinical pictures of this disease are distinguished:
Usually, a functional stomach upset in children is accompanied by such unpleasant symptoms as pain in the epigastric region. At the same time, both children and adults talk about paroxysmal pains, which usually concentrate in the navel and are intermittent.
In such a pathology, babies may develop mild soreness, especially with pressure on the stomach.
Signs of illness
If the temperature and upset stomach in a child, you should definitely contact a pediatrician. It is also necessary to visit a doctor if a small patient has poor appetite, a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, as well as belching with the smell of rotten or acidic foods and nausea that turns into vomiting.
According to experts, a strong gag reflex in a child may indicate the presence of pylorospasm. It should also be noted that difficulties with swallowing food in a baby may indicate the development of cardiospasm.
Other symptoms of the disease
How does indigestion manifest in children (only a gastroenterologist should treat this disease)? The considered disease in children is often accompanied by excessive sweating, emotional instability, instability of the heart and blood vessels, as well as other internal organs.
It should also be noted that such a disorder of the main digestive organ has special forms in which symptoms such as aerophagia (i.e., severe belching of air), acute expansion of the stomach and habitual vomiting (including sharp bouts of vomiting) are observed.
All of these symptoms require special attention from doctors. But, in order to make a correct diagnosis, one should rely not only on the revealed signs of the disorder, but also on the results of the tests. Only in this case, the specialist will be able to prescribe the necessary treatment, as well as adjust the diet of his patient.
According to statistics, children and adolescents suffer much more from stomach upset than adults. This fact is explained by the fact that it is young people who are inextricably linked with computer and other electronic equipment that regularly experience psychoemotional overloads. By the way, against the background of this, many children and adolescents forget about regular and full-fledged eating, having a bite of burgers and drinking them with highly carbonated drinks. Usually, the results of this behavior are not long in coming.
The child has an upset stomach: what to do?
Modern food products do not always meet all the requirements of quality and safety. Therefore, diseases of the digestive tract took first place among all the others.
Very often this problem occurs in young children and adolescents, especially if their parents do not particularly monitor their nutrition. So how to treat an upset stomach in a child? To eliminate the cause of this ailment, doctors recommend the use of non-drug methods. As them, experts offer the following:
- Normalization of diet. This includes the selection of high-quality and safe products, the presence of various hot dishes on the menu, the regularity of nutrition, the absence of coffee, hot chocolate and sparkling water among the drinks consumed, as well as the complete exclusion of fried, spicy, fatty and salty foods.
- If an upset stomach in an adult is associated with harmful working conditions, then they must be eliminated. To do this, you should refuse to work at night, and also cancel frequent business trips.
- Healthy lifestyle. This method of eliminating the causes of gastric upset involves regular exercise and physical activity, alternating work and rest, giving up bad habits (for example, smoking or alcohol abuse).
In most cases, with an upset stomach, such measures can not only significantly improve the patient's condition, but also eliminate malfunctions of other internal organs.
The temperature and upset stomach in a child can be observed not only in early but also in adolescence. By the way, in such children, the signs of the pathology in question are very similar to gastritis. To make a more accurate diagnosis, morphological confirmation is required.
Medicines for indigestion in children are used for more serious disorders, as well as the presence of a huge number of symptoms of this disease. In addition, in this condition, the patient is assigned a special diet.
Drug treatment
What remedy for indigestion for children should be used? Experts say that to eliminate motor disorders, babies can be prescribed medications of the following groups: antispasmodics, anticholinergics, selective cholinomimetics and prokinetics. If it is necessary to correct secretory disorders, then doctors recommend the use of antacids or anticholinergics.
With vegetative disorders, it is allowed to use drugs and various herbs that have a sedative effect. Also, with such a pathology, acupuncture, antidepressants, electrosleep, massage, gymnastics, water procedures are often used. If gastric disorders have arisen due to psycho-emotional overload, then a consultation with a psychiatrist is indicated.
Treating young children
If adolescents and adults with indigestion can be prescribed various drugs and other procedures, then for small children such methods of treatment will not work. So what if a baby develops a similar disease?
The main condition for a successful therapy for indigestion in a small child is to drink enough fluid to help prevent dehydration.
If with gastric pathologies the child willingly and more often takes the breast, as well as the bottle with the mixture, then it should not be limited in this. Also, the baby is required to give an electrolytic solution. As it may be the drug "Regidron". This tool will help restore water balance in the children's body.
According to experts, in case of gastric disorders, giving a child fruit juices with glucose should not be given. Also, babies are not allowed to drink carbonated drinks. If you neglect this advice, then the listed products will contribute to increased diarrhea and significantly aggravate the condition of the child. By the way, babies are not recommended to give fixing drugs, as they are contraindicated for children under 12 years old.
If the sick child is already 6 months old, then with the development of severe diarrhea, he can be given mashed ripe banana or rice broth. Older children are ideally suited for starchy foods and chicken.
If a loose stool with an upset stomach in a child is observed for two days or more, and dietary restrictions do not affect his condition, then you should definitely consult a doctor. It is not recommended in pharmacies to independently purchase medicines intended for the treatment of this condition.
Sequencing
The advisability of using certain drugs, their doses, as well as the duration of therapy for gastric disorders are determined only by the doctor.
If the disease in question has secondary causes of development, then treatment should be aimed at eliminating the main symptoms and those pathologies that caused the disorder itself. For this, a sick child or adult with complaints of severe pain in the stomach should be registered with a general practitioner or gastroenterologist for a period of 12 months. In this case, examinations of the patient should be carried out every six months.
Diet for upset stomach in a child is very important for the healing process. The correct diet for a baby or adult is prescribed by a doctor. In this case, the doctor must give the patient a brochure indicating the prohibited and permitted products.
In especially severe cases, the patient is prescribed sedation, as well as moderate exercise.
If after some time the main signs of gastric disorders no longer recur, then more intensive therapy is not required. In this case, the patient is deregistered.
If you do not consult a doctor on time with an upset stomach, then the child may experience serious violations in the digestive tract, which can go into peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. In this case, the symptoms and treatment will be significantly different.
Disease Prevention and Diet Recommendations
Proper nutrition of a child with an upset stomach is very important. Usually a special diet is used during an exacerbation of the disease. At the same time, the composition of the child’s diet includes nicotinic acid and additional vitamins C and group B.
All dishes intended for a sick baby should be cooked exclusively on steam. Also, products can be consumed in boiled form.
Eating with an upset stomach should be fractional, that is, up to 6 times a day. As the main symptoms of the disease are eliminated, the patient is transferred to a balanced diet. He is also recommended a sparing diet.
What preventive measures should be taken to prevent indigestion in you and your child? The primary prevention of the disease in question is the introduction of a healthy lifestyle. This will not only entail the elimination of many causes that cause disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract, but also simply improve the patient's condition.
According to experts, the correct observance of the daily regimen, the absence of physical overload, a balanced diet, and the elimination of nervous tension will help significantly reduce the number of patients, including children, with the mentioned diagnosis.
If the child has diseases of the abdominal organs or helminthic infestations are observed that contribute to the development of gastric upset, then preventive measures must be carried out together with the treatment that is being carried out at this time. In order to rehabilitate a small patient, he is shown sanatorium-resort therapy.