“My Tummy Hurts!” – Abdominal Pain in Kids: Causes And Treatment

We can all recall a time when we as children had awful stomach pain or aches. Chances are you were hunched over, gripping your stomach in agony, claiming someone was stabbing your intestines with a knife. Dramatic and exaggerated, but when you’re a kid, everything is theatrical. Some of those incidents were no big deal. Just a minor cramp or nausea from eating too much candy before bed, but other times it may have been serious, so much so that medical attention was needed due to a parasite or appendicitis. Abdominal pain in children can vary from minor to major in the blink of an eye, which is why it is so important to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms.

Causes of Stomach Pain

If your child is experiencing stomach pain, it is most likely due to indigestion, constipation, stress, irritable bowel syndrome, appendicitis, or a stomach bug. These are the most common complaints that a child will have regarding stomach issues and fortunately, over counter drugs or a quick visit to your healthcare provider will help. However, stomach pain is more complicated than you might think. Depending on where the child is feeling the pain, this can change the diagnosis and the severity of the injury.

Around the Belly Button

Stomach pain around the belly button is the most common complaint among children and in most cases, the least significant. The culprit of this discomfort is typically attributed to stress or eating something unagreeable. The best action to take for your child who is struggling with this would be to encourage them to rest, check to see if they need to poop, suggest drinking a glass of water, or offer a distraction of sorts. Reading a soothing story or playing a light-hearted game can take their mind off the pain and before they know it, they’ll forget all about it!

Lower Right Part of the Abdomen

Pain in the lower right side of the abdomen can be much more serious, potentially hinting that your child may have appendicitis. Appendicitis is a serious medical emergency that can cause sudden, severe pain in the lower right part of your child’s stomach. If your child complains of stomach pain that moves to the lower right side of the belly, watch for other symptoms including fever, nausea, vomiting, difficulty passing gas, loss of appetite, constipation, and diarrhea. If you suspect that your child has appendicitis, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Early diagnosis decreases the risk of a ruptured appendix or serious complications.

Lower Left Side of the Abdomen

If your child is complaining about pain on the left side of their stomach, it could be caused by constipation or a more severe condition like pancreatitis. Most of the time, stomach pain on the left side is due to something mild, like constipation. Rarely, it can be a sign of something more serious. Your child’s healthcare provider can work with you to better understand the pain and symptoms your child experiences to ensure they receive an accurate diagnosis.

Upper Right Side of the Abdomen

If your child is complaining about pain in their upper abdomen, they may be experiencing indigestion. Telltale signs of indigestion include pain in the upper belly, nausea, bloating, burping, and heartburn. It is also worth mentioning that if your child has pain in the upper right side of their abdomen, this could also be a sign of gallstones. Gallstones are more common in adults than in children, but some children may be more at risk for developing gallstones, including children with obesity, children with certain health conditions including sickle cell disease, and children with a family history of gallstone disease.

Most Common Causes of Abdominal Pain

Indigestion

This is a general term that describes discomfort in children’s upper abdomen. Common symptoms include pain or burning in the area between the breastbone and navel or bloating in the upper abdomen. Most of the time, indigestion will go away on its own and is not considered serious. Prepare smaller meals and try a bland diet. Talk with their healthcare provider if the discomfort persists.

Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

This is an infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, pain, and nausea or vomiting. Seek medical attention if your child has a fever of 100.4 F or higher, bloody diarrhea, or significant pain or discomfort. The most important thing to do is to stay well-hydrated.

Constipation

Constipated children have infrequent bowel movements or hard, dry stools. They may frequently complain of a stomachache, bloating, or discomfort. Talk with their primary care provider if they don’t want to eat, are losing weight, have bloody stools, or are having repeated episodes of constipation.

Stress or anxiety

When children are stressed or anxious, their bodies release the hormone cortisol into the blood. This can trigger abdominal cramps and discomfort.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. It causes sudden pain that begins around the navel and then moves to the lower right abdomen. The pain worsens if children cough, walk or make other jarring movements. Appendicitis pain typically increases and eventually becomes severe. Appendicitis is a medical emergency, and these children should receive immediate medical attention.

Appendicitis is one of the more common reasons your child may need surgery. The appendix is a small, dead-end tube leading from a part of the bowel. If this tube gets blocked, it can cause an infection. Appendicitis can happen at any age but is rare in young children.

The pain often starts in the middle of the tummy and moves down low on the right side. The stomach becomes sore to the touch. This is often worse with coughing and walking around. A child with appendicitis often shows signs of being unwell such as fever, refusing food, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If you are concerned your child may be developing appendicitis, visit your healthcare provider. An operation is often needed to remove the appendix, although in some cases the problem will settle without surgery.

Intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstruction is a blockage that prevents food or liquid from passing through children’s small intestines or colon. It could be caused by scar tissue, a twisting or narrowing of the intestine, or if they swallow an object. Common symptoms include abdominal pain that comes and goes and is located around or below the navel, constipation, inability to pass gas, swelling of the abdomen, or vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention if children are suspected to have an intestinal obstruction.

Diagnosis of the Abdominal Pain

Typically, when the problem is obvious there are no tests needed. However, if tests are needed, they may include blood or urine tests, stool samples, or other special tests for further examination. If your child does undergo tests, the healthcare provider should explain the results to you. Some results may take several days to come back, and these results will be sent to your primary care physician.

Stomach pain in children is usually nothing to worry about. But, if your child experiences any of the following symptoms, take your little one to their healthcare provider: diarrhea, pain when urinating, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, blood in stool, and recurrent stomach pain with no clear cause. From there, a medical professional can help you determine how severe the illness is.

Treatment of the Abdominal Pain

Your child’s treatment will depend on what your healthcare provider determines is causing their pain. Treatment may be as simple as sending your child home with advice to rest, take fluids and eat a bland diet. Other treatment options include hospital admission and surgery. A few general suggestions would be to make sure your child gets plenty of rest and have them drink plenty of clear fluids such as cooled boiled water or juice. Do not push your child to eat if they feel unwell. If they are hungry, have them eat bland food like crackers or bananas and place a hot water bag on their stomach.

If your child doesn’t seem to be getting any better and their symptoms have manifested into more severe signs such as vomiting, blood in urine or stool, painful skin rash, fever, or chills, then you should take your child to Chai Care to have them checked out by our skilled medical professionals.

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones may have.

Dec 12, 2022

Pinworms vs Your Kid

Here’s a little bit of trivia for you:

You can exercise daily, check up on your mental health regularly and count your carbs, fats, and proteins down to the exact milligram – and still become sick with a minor or even life-threatening illness, when you least expect it. Our unforgiving world gives every creature about an equal chance for survival, and this includes the kinds of creatures that we wish would never exist.

Fortunately, human beings, the single most dominant species on our planet, have evolved to develop rational thinking, so we’re slightly better prepared to handle these unexpected problems, by absorbing as much information as possible and by applying our knowledge into practice.

So, hopefully, after reading this, you will know everything you need to know about one very important and very unpleasant parasite:

Pinworms

Don’t know what pinworms are? Don’t sweat it. Many people don’t and those that claim to know have a rudimentary understanding of the parasitic worm. Even with all our scientific advances, cures, and medications, these creepy crawlers are extremely common. They have been running amok for as long as humans have been around. Fortunately, they are treatable, so don’t fret!

What exactly are pinworms?

How do you treat the infection?

Glad you asked! Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about pinworms.

Simply put, pinworms are white parasitic worms that live in the large intestine of human beings. They are about one-half inch to a full inch in size and while the infected person sleeps, female pinworms leave the intestinal tract and lay their eggs on the skin around the anus. The eggs are laid in a sticky, jelly-like substance that, along with the wriggling of the female pinworm, causes severe itching.

Who is most likely to contract pinworms?

Super-gross and maybe even too much information, but it’s important to know because this is the most common worm infection in the United States. Young children have the highest infection rate due to below-average sanitary conditions in schools, daycare centers, and recreational facilities. Even though these grimy facilities play a major factor, let’s face it, children tend to care less about cleanliness than adults. Kids like to play first and think later, paying no attention to such things as pinworms which is why we must protect them.

How do pinworms spread?

The easiest way for your child to spread pinworms is if they have scratched his or her bare anal area and the eggs get under his or her fingernails without proper hand washing. They can also be transferred from the fingers to clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home, and believe it or not, the eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed. It’s important to note that even if your child may have seemingly healed, pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding, or other objects if kept at room temperature. So even though your child may be in the clear, make sure to do a deep clean of your home to ensure that you have completely eradicated the parasite.

What are the symptoms of pinworms?

The most common symptoms of pinworms are extreme itching in the anal/vaginal area, difficulty sleeping, and irritability but other symptoms that are important to be aware of are nervousness, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, poor concentration, weight loss, sweet cravings, teeth grinding, mood swings, bed wetting, and fatigue. These additional symptoms may be due to other illnesses – so the next step to take is searching for the female worm or egg which will confirm if your child has pinworms or not.

Pinworms can be sneaky and usually only reveal themselves in the evening. The adult worms can sometimes be seen directly around the anal area or in pajamas. If the worms are not visible, you may try conducting something known as a “tape test” in the morning. You do this by applying a piece of transparent tape against the folds of skin around the anus to pick up any eggs or worms and then seal it in a plastic bag. After this, take the tape to a medical professional, where the eggs can be identified under a microscope, for an official diagnosis. We may be biased, but we strongly believe that Chai Care is one of the best places to visit for expert medical help. Please consider visiting one of our urgent care centers if your child experiences the symptoms of pinworm infection!

Let’s paint a picture. Your child hasn’t been acting like themselves lately. They are restless, losing weight, have severe mood swings, and have been complaining about a never-ending itch located in their anus. You take a look and notice a half-inch-long white worm. Now what?

How to get rid of pinworms?

There are both over-the-counter and prescription drugs one can take but consult with a healthcare provider before doing so. Once you received a legitimate diagnosis, next comes treating the infected.

The infected person should take the prescribed medicine orally. The medicine is given in two doses. The second dose should be given two weeks after the first. It’s crucial for the person to bathe first thing in the morning to reduce egg contamination and prevent it from spreading. Essentially, it’s best to be as clean as possible. Make sure your child washes their hands and under the fingernails thoroughly. Whether this is after using the bathroom, before eating, or after any activity, it’s paramount that they scrub their hands with warm water and soap. During this time, avoid nail biting and scratching bare anal areas to avoid re-infection. Most people don’t know this, but parasites live off bacteria/sugar. So, during this time, it is best to cut down on your child’s sugar intake. Lastly, it is important to know that when one person in a household contracts pinworms, usually another family member does too so make sure to treat all infected family members at the same time.

Now that your child is treated, it’s time to treat your home. Make sure to change all the sheets, pillowcases, and bedspreads, and thoroughly wash them with hot water along with all the underwear, pants, shorts, and clothing to ensure maximum cleanliness. During the daytime keep all blinds open because the eggs are ultra-sensitive to sunlight. Pinworm eggs are light and scatter easily so dust should be removed carefully from all surfaces in the home. Be extra careful when vacuuming or use an oiled cloth (which may be boiled or destroyed later) to help prevent the eggs from scattering.

You did it! Now that your child is finally pinworm-free, how do you prevent this from ever happening again?

How to prevent pinworm reinfection?

It’s simple. Make sure they wash their hands and underneath the fingernails frequently, bathe daily, encourage them to avoid scratching their bare anal areas, and change and wash clothing and bedding frequently. It’s important to note that pinworm eggs continue to be present (excreted) in the feces of an infected person for up to a week after the treatment, so precautions should be taken to prevent reinfection by washing hands thoroughly, especially under the nails.

If your child follows these simple steps, they will be in the clear, but kids sometimes have a difficult time following the rules. If your child winds up contracting the infection again, consult your healthcare provider and follow the same steps. In some cases, it may be necessary to treat the patient and close family contacts more than once for extra protection.

If your little one gets infected with pinworms, there’s no sugarcoating this: The experience will not be pleasant for them or for you as a parent. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tools and great medications readily available, and thankfully there are urgent care facilities that can offer them exceptional treatment and make sure they are as good as new in no time. If you feel that your child may have contracted pinworms, bring them down to Chai Care and we will get them treated and healthy in no time!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.