Is your little one complaining of stomach ache? Don't be careless, let alone give any medicine for your child's stomachache, Mom. Find out first what causes your little one to have a stomach ache, so that this complaint can be handled properly.
Almost every child has experienced stomach pain, but the cause is not always the same. Therefore, not all cases of abdominal pain in children can be treated with the same drug. Other causes, different stomach pain medication for children who need to be given.
Various Medications for Children's Stomach Pain
The following are some types of stomach pain medicine for children based on the condition that causes it:
1. Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is a disease in which the stomach and intestines become inflamed. One of the most common causes of gastroenteritis is a viral infection.
In addition to abdominal pain, this condition can also cause other symptoms, such as diarrhea, weakness, lack of appetite, dizziness, vomiting, and fever. When exposed to this disease, children are at risk for dehydration.
This condition generally gets better on its own without treatment. However, to prevent dehydration, doctors usually prescribe a child's stomach pain medication in the form of ORS or pedialit.
If during treatment your child seems to be getting weaker and his condition does not improve after 10 days, immediately consult a doctor again.
2. Appendicitis
The typical symptom of appendicitis in children is that it looks painful, especially around the navel. Children with appendicitis may also experience other symptoms such as reduced appetite, bloating, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
Until now, there is no stomach pain medication to prevent or treat appendicitis in children. This condition generally needs to be treated with appendectomy. Therefore, if your little one complains of severe stomach pain and becomes difficult to move, you need to immediately see a doctor.
3. Difficult to defecate
Constipation or constipation is a cause of abdominal pain that is quite common in children.
When you are constipated, your little one will have less bowel movements (less than 3 times a week), need to push hard to pass stool, and feel uncomfortable or in pain when he wants to defecate.
Constipation experienced by your little one can usually improve as long as you give him more drinking water and foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables.
However, if your child's constipation is severe enough, then he may need laxatives or laxatives for children, such as lactulose or glycerin.
4. Excess gas in the stomach
If your little one often farts, bloats, complains that his stomach feels hot, or is nauseous, then you should suspect that the stomach pain he is experiencing is caused by excess gas in the stomach.
This condition is often caused by an unhealthy diet. To handle it, you need to improve the schedule and the type of food your child consumes.
As much as possible avoid giving your little one food or drinks that can cause excess gas in the stomach, such as nuts, soft drinks, packaged fruit juices, or milk. Also make sure he drinks enough water and eats high-fiber foods, such as avocados, apples, and broccoli.
You can also give your child an antiflatulence type of stomachache medicine, for example simethicone, which are sold in pharmacies. However, you should first consult with your doctor before giving your little one this medicine.
5. Stomach ache
If your child often complains that his stomach hurts at night or when he is late to eat, it could be a symptom of stomach ulcers in children.
When you have a stomach ulcer, your little one can also feel other symptoms, such as vomiting, bloating, decreased appetite, body weakness, and black stools. These symptoms of heartburn may be caused by an ulcer or peptic ulcer.
Stomach ulcers are generally caused by bacterial infections and side effects of drugs. To treat it, the doctor will usually prescribe a child's stomach pain medication in the form of antibiotics, antacids, and drugs to reduce stomach acid production.
6. Irritable bowel syndrome (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic or long-term disease that causes impaired colon function. This condition is characterized by digestive disorders, such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and discomfort during bowel movements.
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome usually come and go or come and go for about 3 months.
There is no method that can completely treat irritable bowel syndrome. However, the doctor will explain what efforts you can do to relieve the symptoms experienced by your little one.
The doctor may ask the mother to adjust the pattern and diet of the little one. In addition, doctors can also prescribe medication for a child's stomach pain that aims to relieve certain symptoms, such as antidiarrheals, laxatives, and probiotic supplements.
7. Poisoning
Stomach pain in children can also be caused by poisoning. If your little one feels sick to his stomach after he ingests something poisonous or potentially toxic, such as chemical liquids, kerosene, wild plants, expired drinks and food, or drugs, take him to the doctor immediately.
The handling of cases of poisoning in children will vary according to the condition of the child and the symptoms that appear, as well as the type of poison ingested.
8. Functional abdominal pain
If your little one feels sick to the stomach but there is no clear cause, it is likely that he has functional abdominal pain. It is not clear what causes this disease.
However, stress in children, such as the result of piling up schoolwork or fighting with friends, is one of the risk factors for the emergence of functional abdominal pain in children. This condition usually subsides on its own without special treatment.
Now Mother understands why giving a child's stomach pain medicine should not be done carelessly, right? Giving a child's stomach pain medication that does not match the cause is not only ineffective, but also risks making the condition worse.
So, immediately take your little one to the pediatrician when he complains that his stomach hurts. To determine the cause of your little one's abdominal pain, the doctor will perform examinations, such as blood and stool tests.
After the cause of the child's stomach pain is known, the doctor can give the right medicine for the child's stomach pain, according to the cause.
