How Will My Child’s Recurrent Abdominal Pain Be Investigated
Most children with RAP do not need investigations, because their symptoms and examination findings point so strongly to one of the common patterns of RAP. However, because coeliac disease and infection with giardia are both common possibilities which are easily ruled out , these basic tests are commonly offered:
- Blood tests: these can look for conditions such as coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disorders, for anaemia and for general inflammation. In the UK doctors generally test anyone with repeated abdominal pain for coeliac disease, as it is fairly common. If your doctor did not mention it, it may mean your child has been tested before – but ask them.
- Urine tests: to rule out infection.
- Stool examination: to rule out giardia and other infections and to look for blood.
If your child is upset at the thought of a blood test then ask the doctor how necessary this is. If the doctor feels that coeliac disease is very unlikely in your child’s case, and everything else suggests to the doctor that there is no physical cause for the pain, then a blood test is very unlikely to be helpful.
However, if your doctor feels that your child’s signs or symptoms suggest a physical cause for the pain, further investigations will be needed. These may include:
Urinary Tract Infections As A Reason For Belly Button Pain
Sharp pain near the belly button and a burning sensation when urinating could be a sign of a urinary tract infection.
Urinary tract infections affect more women than men and are sometimes a reason for pain under the belly button in females. According to the National Kidney Foundation, pain around the belly button, painful sensation when peeing, and discolored urine that smells bad are all symptoms of a urinary tract infection.7
You can treat the first signs of a urinary tract infection naturally by drinking baking soda and water. Baking soda remedy helps to neutralize the acid in your urine and reduces the burning sensation when you use the bathroom.
What Exams And Tests Help Diagnose The Cause Of Abdominal Pain
Physical examination
Examining the patient will provide the doctor with additional clues to the cause of the pain. The doctor will determine:
For example:
- Finding tenderness and signs of inflammation in the left lower abdomen often means that diverticulitis is present, while finding a tender mass in the same area may mean that the inflammation has progressed and that an abscess has formed.
- Finding tenderness and signs of inflammation in the right lower abdomen often means that appendicitis is present, while finding a tender mass in the same area may mean that the inflammation has progressed and that an abscess has formed.
- Inflammation in the right lower abdomen, with or without a mass, also may be found in Crohn’s disease.
- A mass without signs of inflammation may mean that cancer is present.
While the health history and physical examination are vitally important in determining the cause of abdominal pain, other medical tests often are necessary to determine the cause.
Laboratory tests
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What Is Abdominal Migraine Like
Your child has recurrent sudden episodes of pain around the belly button which last for over an hour, and which interfere with normal activities. During attacks your child is off their food, may have nausea or vomiting, and may also have headache, turn pale and be intolerant of light. Between episodes your child is perfectly well.
What Is The Medical Treatment For Causes Of Abdominal Pain In Adults
The patient’s treatment will depend on what the doctor thinks is causing the abdominal pain.
The patient may be given IV fluids. The doctor may ask the patient not to eat or drink anything until the cause of the pain is known. This is done to avoid worsening certain medical conditions or to prepare the patient in case they need to have surgery.
The patient may be given pain medication.
- For pain caused by bowel spasm, they may be given a shot in the hip, arm, or leg.
- If the patient is not throwing up, they may receive a drink that has antacid in it or pain medication.
- Although the patient’s pain may not go away completely, they have the right to be comfortable and should ask for pain medicine until they are made comfortable.
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Foods Natural Remedies And Otc Treatments For Certain Causes Of Abdominal Pain
If you arent sure if you need to seek medical advice for belly pain, contact your doctor or other health care professional before using any home remedies.
Common home remedies and over-the-counter medicines include:
- Eat less food
- Medications such as bismuth subsalicylate , loperamide , ranitidine and other over-the-counter substances
Some of these may help reduce symptoms, but if symptoms persist, seek medical care. Beware of “cures” advertised as a single treatment that can cure all causes of this problem because no such remedy or cure exists.
Taking aspirin or NSAIDs should be avoided until the cause of the pain is diagnosed because the medications could make some causes worse .
Causes Of Gastritis :
- Analgesic abuse .
- Other medications: such as iron supplements, some antibiotics, corticosteroids.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Autoimmune gastritis: an immune-mediated disease. It mainly affects younger women. Autoimmune gastritis leads to atrophy of the stomach lining and malabsorption of iron and vitamin B12 leading to anemia.
- Bile acid reflux.
- Less common causes: radiation, autoimmune diseases, Crohns disease, and others.
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Symptoms Of Functional Dyspepsia:
- Pain or discomfort in the middle of the stomach .
- Early satiety soon after you start eating.
- A sense of fullness in the upper-middle part of your abdomen after eating.
- Epigastric burning.
- Excessive bleching.
- Nausea can also be present.
The above symptoms are non-specific and can occur with chronic gastritis. The differentiation without the help of your doctor is impossible.
Management Of Ibs In Children
The symptoms of IBS can often be treated with a combination of the following:
- Adjustments to diet, including eating smaller meals more often, or eating smaller portions, and eating meals that are low in fat and high in carbohydrates.
- Medications .
- Probiotics are helpful for some children.
- Increased exercise.
Certain foods and drinks are thought to cause IBS symptoms in some children, such as milk products, caffeine drinks, artificial sweeteners and gas-producers such as cabbage and onions. It is not a good idea to exclude everything at once: keeping a food diary can help work out whether any foods are triggers.
Dietary fibre can lessen constipation in children with IBS but it may not help with lowering pain.
Medications for IBSMedications are sometimes used in childhood IBS. They include:
- Fibre supplements and/or laxatives when there is constipation.
- Antidiarrhoeal medicines to reduce diarrhoea in IBS .
- Antispasmodic drugs to try to reduce bowel activity and, therefore, pain .
- Probiotics: live micro-organisms such as bifidobacteria improve symptoms of IBS in some children.
- Rarely, antidepressants are used to modify the pain but these medicines can have powerful side-effects so are only used in children by specialists.
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When To Worry About Abdominal Pain
Find out when stomach painfrom upper abdominal pain to middle stomach painis serious and when you can ride it out.
When the abdominal pain is accompanied by any of the following systems, it’s a good idea to call your doctor:
- Severity
- Melena
- Dizziness
In previous articles, Ive given mystery symptoms and shown how doctors make the diagnosis. But something needs to happen before the doctor can make a diagnosis: the patient has to come in. Deciding when to worry about symptoms is one of the hardest decisions. On the one hand, you dont want to feel foolish coming in for something small on the other, you dont to want sit at home with a serious problem.
According to a prior study, over a third of abdominal pain complaints in the emergency room are discharged without a known cause. How can doctors send a patient home without finding the specific cause of a patients abdominal pain? The truth is that we are trained to search for red flags, or more serious symptoms.
So what are these red flags? When should you worry about any sort of upper abdominal pain or middle stomach pain?
What Causes Lower Abdominal Pain In Women
- Thu, Nov 4, 2021
There are lots of reasons why women of all ages might experience abdominal pain. Its extremely common and generally easy to manage if you know the cause.
Most lower abdominal pain in females isnt a sign of a serious condition, but occasionally there can be something that needs investigating. If you do experience this type of pain, its helpful to familiarise yourself with the area of the tummy that hurts and how to manage the different types of pain, says Dr Rhianna McClymont, Lead GP at Livi.
The lower abdomen refers to the part of your tummy below the belly button. Pain in that area might also be referred to as pelvic pain.
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Why Do I Have Random Bruises On My Stomach
Clotting problems can also be an acquired condition, as in the case of cirrhosis of the liver. Leukemia, von Willebrand disease, and other platelet disorders also make people more likely to have bruises for no reason, while bruising around the belly button may indicate pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.
When Should My Child See A Doctor
Many children recover from abdominal pain quickly and dont need to see a doctor.
Take your child to a doctor immediately or go to your nearest hospital emergency department if they:
- are in pain that goes on for longer than 24 hours or if youre worried about them
- have pain that is severe or debilitating even though they have taken pain medicine
- are hard to wake and are unwell
- vomit for more than 24 hours, or they are unable to keep any fluids down, refusing to drink any fluids and their vomit is green
- have blood in their poo or vomit
- are having trouble doing a wee
- have pain and lumps in the groin
- were recently injured for example, falling onto the handlebars of a bike
If your child is still a baby and they have fewer than 4 wet nappies per day, as well as their abdominal pain, you should take them to a doctor immediately or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
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Pregnancy And Belly Button Pain
Belly button pain above, below, or around your navel is common during pregnancy. As long as you dont have severe abdominal cramping in pregnancy, you usually dont have anything to worry about.
According to doctors at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, pain around your belly button can start in your second trimester. Sometimes, the area around the belly button becomes very tender and sore to touch. One reason for belly button pain could be an umbilical hernia. Or, your belly could become more sensitive as your abdomen stretches.11
If you are pregnant and start to get sharp stomach pains around your belly button and have nausea and vomiting, you should speak with your healthcare provider. This could be a sign of a urinary tract infection and needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Causes Of A Distended Stomach
Distension may be generalized or localized. Generalized distension of the abdomen means that the entire abdomens is enlarged. Localized distension means that the enlargement is more prominent in one part of the abdomen.The causes of localized distension may differ depending on the location one of the four abdominal quadrants : right upper quadrant , left upper quadrant , right lower quadrant or left lower quadrant .
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Left Kidney And Ureter
The kidney is responsible for filtering the blood, removing wastes and passing it out in the urine while conserving essential electrolytes and water. It also plays other important roles in regulating several functions in the body that are not associated with urine, like stimulating the production of red blood cells. The kidney is located in the upper part of the abdomen and shielded by the rib cage. Urine from the kidney leads to the bladder via the ureter.
Kidney pain may be due to one or more of these conditions:
- Pyelonephritis infection of the kidney
- Glomerulonephritis , kidney cyst or tumor
- Urinary stones
What Home Remedies Soothe Abdominal Pain In Adults
Abdominal pain without fever, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, passing out, chest pain, or other serious symptoms often get better without special treatment.
- If the pain persists or if a person believes the pain may represent a serious problem, they should see a doctor.
- A heating pad or soaking in a tub of warm water may ease the pain.
- Over-the-counter antacids, such as Tums, Maalox, or Pepto-Bismol, also can reduce some types of abdominal pain. Activated charcoal capsules also may help.
- Acetaminophen may help. This product should be avoided if liver disease is suspected. Patients should try to avoid aspirin or ibuprofen stomach or intestinal ulcer disease is suspected these drugs can make the pain worse.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Recurrent Abdominal Pain In Children
RAP is recurring pain in the tummy which has continued, on and off, for three months or more.
In RAP that is not caused by a physical condition, the pain is usually around the belly button. There is often a headache. Feeling sick and even being sick are fairly common. However, your child is well between attacks and is otherwise healthy – growing well and, generally eating and drinking normally. There are no ‘alarm symptoms’ .
The patterns of RAP that doctors describe, and which are NOT associated with a physical condition, are: irritable bowel syndrome , functional abdominal pain, functional abdominal syndrome, functional dyspepsia and abdominal migraine.
When Should I See My Doctor
Sometimes, abdominal pain can signal something serious. You should see your doctor immediately or go to your nearest hospital emergency department if you:
- have pain that is severe and is getting worse
- have pain that spreads to your chest, neck or shoulders
- have pain that lasts for several hours or longer
- have pain and vaginal bleeding and you are pregnant
- have pain in the scrotum
- have pain and vomiting or shortness of breath
- have pain and vomiting blood
- have blood in bowel motions or urine
- cant pee , do a poo or fart
- are experiencing vomiting that wont go away
If you have a sudden, severe, debilitating pain in your abdomen, go to your nearest hospital emergency department or call triple zero immediately and ask for an ambulance. It may be a sign of a serious illness that requires urgent treatment.
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What Can I Give My Child For Stomach Pain
Stomach pain usually resolves itself after your child:
- Rests
- Passes gas
- Recovers from a stomach virus
There’s no specific treatment for an upset stomach, but you can help relieve your child’s symptoms. Trusted home remedies for stomach pain in kids include:
- Offering plenty of clear liquids to keep your child hydrated
- Offering ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve pain
- Using a heating pad to ease cramps and pain
- Offering a bland diet, like crackers and soups
- Giving your child stool softeners, like MiraLAX® to ease constipation
- Mixing a probiotic in your child’s water, which may help stop diarrhea
Signs Which Suggest A Physical Cause
These include:
- Joint pains.
- Symptoms which are worsening over time.
If one or more of these symptoms are present, this does not mean that your child is seriously ill, or that you should be alarmed. They are sometimes called ‘alarm’ symptoms because they set off an alarm in the mind of a doctor, reminding them to consider other physical causes for the pain.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Pain In Upper Stomach
People experiencing pain in the upper stomach may have only one symptom or may have a combination of several symptoms. Here are some of the most common symptoms of pain in the upper stomach:
Belching is natural and common. Its your bodys way of getting rid of excess air. Everyone belches from time to time. However, if it interferes with your day-to-day life, it could be a sign of something more serious.
Nausea is an uncomfortable sensation in the stomach that leads to the urge to vomit, but doesnt always cause vomiting. Vomiting happens when you empty your stomach contents through your mouth.
Poor appetite
Most people have a regular desire to eat, but if you lose this desire, or appetite, the reason could be connected to pain in the upper stomach.
An unexplained drop in weight can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Pain in the upper stomach combined with weight loss could be related to disorders that prevent your body from absorbing the nutrients it needs.