When a child has a stomach ache at the age of 5, he can most often describe his feelings, or indicate the place where the pain is localized.
But, unfortunately, it is not always easy to determine exactly how the stomach hurts, what medications you can give and whether you need to call a doctor.
Everything will depend on the manifestation of the symptoms and their severity, in some cases it is really necessary to call an ambulance.
Stomach pain in a child 5 years old: first aid
If the occurrence of pain is associated with a violation in the diet, then parents should be more attentive to this: do not let the child drink carbonated drinks, salty foods, raw milk.
The medicine cabinet should always have medications that help with abdominal pain. For example, with bloating, you can give Dysflatil or Espumisan.
If a feeling of severe pain appeared some time after eating, then you can give the following medications - Festal, Mezim. If diarrhea occurs, Lactovit, Smecta, Linex will help.
After taking such drugs, you can eliminate some disturbances in the intestines that arose against the background of food. But if the pain lasts more than two to three hours, while its symptoms are noted, then of course it is worth talking about calling an ambulance. It is possible that the baby will have to be hospitalized.
Stomach pain in a 5-year-old child: possible causes
The most common cause of abdominal pain is bloating, resulting in an accumulation of gas, as well as overeating. The intestines begin to swell, causing pain. Examination by a doctor in this case can not be avoided.
Gastroenteritis
It begins with the onset of nausea and vomiting, the body temperature gradually rises, severe pain occurs in the abdomen. Before and after eating, pain is felt most.
Appendicitis
At the age of 5-7 years is very rare. But, nevertheless, the most common operation in children at this age is the removal of the appendix. In some children, it is very difficult to recognize the first symptoms of appendicitis, since pain can occur only after it ruptures and pus enters the abdominal cavity. Suspect appendicitis in your child by the following symptoms:
• loss of appetite;
• severe weakness and fatigue;
• a slight increase in body temperature;
• a feeling of pain around the navel, which lasts for several hours;
• diarrhea or constipation;
• Touching the right side of the abdomen will cause pain.
If these signs are present, the baby should be taken to the hospital.
Kidney inflammation
Most often, inflammation occurs in girls, manifested by severe pain in the abdomen and lower back. The child will often go to the toilet, body temperature will increase.
Inflammation of the liver
Infectious inflammation of the liver is provoked by viruses that, after eating, enter the body. As a result of this, the liver can increase in size, pressing on other organs will cause pain.
For any abdominal pain, even minor, you need to see a doctor. The specialist will interview parents, examine the child and make an accurate diagnosis.
Also, the causes of chronic pain may be the following:
1. Worms.
2. Abdominal migraine.
3. Constipation.
Almost 10% of children aged 5-6 years have psychological problems. In approximately 90% of cases, it is impossible to identify the cause of physical pain. They can be caused by stress, psychological factors. At this time, children may describe dull pain around the navel. The state of discomfort disappears after some time, but watching the child during this period is still necessary. Pain caused by psychological problems is sometimes very strong, you need to be careful about the child in order to identify the cause of discomfort.
Worms (most often these are roundworms) can be a source of chronic abdominal pain. In addition to pain, bloating and severe headaches will be noted. During sleep, children can grit their teeth.
No matter what the source of the pain, you need to consult a pediatrician. Indeed, at times, tingles that are harmless at first glance, may indicate the presence of serious diseases. That is why timely diagnosis is very important.
5 year old child’s stomach ache: how to treat it
It is not possible to prescribe drugs on your own to treat abdominal pain in a child. However, several safe medicines can be distinguished that will relieve the baby from abdominal pain.
Touring, Rehydron
If, along with the pain of the child, he vomits and has diarrhea, then salt solutions should be taken. As a result of vomiting and diarrhea, the body will lose fluid, and this threatens intoxication and dehydration. After taking these drugs, the body's water balance will be restored, and it will also be saturated with the necessary minerals.
Enterosgel Smecta
Smecta is the best drug for removing toxins and bacteria from the stomach and intestines, in case of poisoning the child. But stopping the diarrhea with such a drug will not work, however, gas formation and bloating will be reduced. Enterosgel has exactly the same effect as Smecta.
Forte, Hilak, Linex, Enterol
Probiotics and prebiotics can restore the intestinal microflora. The drugs have antiviral, antimicrobial effects. They are used to treat poisoning, intestinal infections, and diarrhea.
Diet
For abdominal pain, you need to adhere to a certain diet. For example, if the baby has constipation, you need to include juices and fruits (apples, pears, apricots) in his diet. Cereals and fermented milk products are useful.
But if the child has diarrhea, then the nutrition will be completely different. In order to restore water balance, you need to adhere to frequent drinking. You can eat rice cereals, broths, low-fat soups.
Important! If, along with pain, the child vomits several times, postpone the meal for a while. Let him drink boiled water, often, but little by little.
In order for the baby to not have colic, the following should be excluded:
1. Do not give him too heavy and fatty foods.
2. Limit the sweet.
3. Not recommended sauerkraut, grapes.
4. Fast food, carbonated drinks, preservatives are also excluded.
Many mothers often ask the question which doctor they need to contact if a child has abdominal pain. First of all, of course, you need to visit a pediatrician in order to identify the cause of the pain, as well as get a referral for tests. Depending on what the results will be, the pediatrician will refer you to one of the following doctors:
• psychiatrist;
• cardiologist;
• infectious disease specialist;
• gastroenterologist;
• rheumatologist.
Parents should in no case ignore problems with the stomach in their child, so this can be a manifestation of serious diseases.
5 year old child’s stomach ache: folk remedies
It is worth noting that the medications described above should be used only for mild abdominal pain, which, unfortunately, is often found in children. But if suddenly the parents have doubts about the harmlessness of the pain, and they suspect a serious illness, then of course you need to see a doctor. Since in some cases, for example, with appendicitis, a non-specialist will never distinguish ordinary pain from him.
If the examination has already passed, and you know why your child felt pain, then you can use traditional medicine. For each disease, it is individual:
1. If after eating a child a severe abdominal pain occurs, then it can be removed with a decoction of lemon balm or chamomile. Thanks to the effects of chamomile, spasms in the intestines will be relieved, and lemon balm will warm it. Pour tincture of herbs in a heating pad, wrap it with a damp towel, and then put it on the baby’s stomach for 30-40 minutes. After that, wrap the heating pad with a dry towel and re-attach it to the stomach, but for 10-15 minutes.
2. If your child has worms and is suffering from abdominal pain, carrot juice will come to the rescue. You need to take it freshly squeezed, be sure to add sugar or honey. On the day, three doses of juice, one spoonful, are required on an empty stomach. Remove pinworms mono with garlic. For this, the mother needs to prepare a garlic broth and make the baby an enema based on it. You can soak a cotton wool in it and apply it to the anus.
3. In order to relieve pain during diarrhea, you can prepare a decoction of rice. To do this, take one spoonful of cereal, pour it with two glasses of water and cook. After the rice is ready, pass it through a sieve, pour the resulting liquid into a jar and drink half a glass three times a day.
4. If the baby has pain as a result of constipation, you can use tincture of chamomile. Berries such as gooseberries and lingonberries have exactly the same effect.
5. You can get rid of severe pain with mint tea. Take a few tablespoons of dried mint and one cup of water. Boil water first, add mint to it, cover the container with a lid and wait 5-10 minutes. Let the baby drink tea in small sips. The pain passes quickly enough.
Little children are always cares and troubles. Unfortunately, from time to time they get sick, and the main task of parents is to help their kids on time. This is not always easy and simple, so if you are not confident in your abilities, and the child is getting worse, be sure to show it to the doctor.
