A human being of age 5-12 years falls under the category of Children. It is believed that children are relatively more vulnerable to the gastric diseases. It happens due to their sensitive digestive systems. And these can cause severe damage if not treated well and in some cases, these can be fatal. That’s why it is recommended to consult child specialist as soon as possible. Now best child specialists in Lahore or any city of Pakistan are just a click away.
There are many gastric issues that acquire medical care when appearing in children. Among those issues, the common ones are explained here.
1- Diarrhea
It is the most common disorder found in children. In developing or non-industrialized countries, multiple episodes of diarrhea can lead to serious problems such as malnutrition (poor nutrition). According to a study in the United States and Canada, young children have an average of two episodes of diarrhea per year.
Collection of stool samples (stool cultures) can be done to identify the specific cause of diarrhea in some children, especially if they have blood in stools. But acute infection (acute gastroenteritis) usually does not require any tests.
Also Read: 10 Best Tips to Administer Medicine to your Child
Special oral rehydration solutions are used to treat the patients with acute diarrhea and they do not require the hospital admission. Patients with more severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration may require intravenous fluids (fluids given through a vein in the arm) in the hospital.
2-Constipation
“It is a condition of infrequent bowel movements, hard bowel movements, and difficulty in passing stool or experiencing painful bowel movements.”
There are not any well-defined causes in children of constipation. This condition can appear due to any of the reasons such as; diet changes, stress, fear, less intake of fluids etc.
The best way to treat constipation in your children is a combination of education, behavioral modification, dietary modification and non-habit forming medications. The two most common stool softeners used in children are Miralax and lactulose. If your child is experiencing constipation and the prescribed treatment by your physician is not working then you need to consult a pediatric gastroenterologist.
3- Gastroenteritis
It is usually called as stomach flu and characterized by the inflammation of digestive tract. This condition can be caused by the common viruses that come in contact in the daily routine. It mostly encounters the children and it is associated with the vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea. These associated disorders usually cause frightening feeling in children so, it requires more attention to handle. The common treatments used to treat the condition involves;
- Enteral rehydration solutions in case of severe dehydration
- Lactose-free food to decrease the duration of diarrhea
- Use of loperamide is limited to the physician’s prescription due to risk of adverse effects in young children.
- More fluid intake is recommended other than ORS therapy.
4- Gastroesophageal Reflux
“Gastroesophageal reflux is the back flow of stomach contents or acid into the esophagus (the swallowing tube).”
To distinguish abnormal or pathological reflux from normal reflux is by measuring the symptoms or damages it is causing to esophagus. These symptoms in children are variable. They may complain the stomachaches as they are not able to properly define the feeling of heartburn. They may also complain of chest pain. Some of them complain that their food is coming back or getting stuck.
There are many medications available to treat this condition in children. But the dosage must be adjusted according to their weight. It also requires monitoring to reduce possible long-term side effects. If you think that the condition of your child is not getting better immediately consult the best gastroenterologist in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad here.
5-Lactose Intolerance
This condition is very common especially in those babies who are born with a deficiency or absence of enzyme lactase. But there might be another common reason of this condition which probably is any kind of infection. It can also be inherited from parents.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance can develop during childhood or adolescence and tend to get worse with age. These symptoms may include abdominal distention and pain, excess burping, loud bowel sounds, excess gas and diarrhea following ingestion of lactose.
The best treatment of the symptoms of lactose intolerance is a combination of dietary modification and taking a supplement to aid in digestion of lactose.
You can also find the best child specialists in other main cities of Pakistan:
Best Child Specialists in Islamabad
Best Child Specialists in Karachi
Best Child Specialists in Faisalabad
Best Child Specialists in Peshawar