Signs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is the disorder that affects mainly the colon or the larger intestines. This is the part of the digestive system that stores stools.
Since this condition is termed to as syndrome, it is characterized with various symptoms for which the root causes are not known.
Although it is relatively prevalent among Americans, there is still no crucial evidence found that would help produce effective treatments. Lack of research is often thought of as the main reason why there is not enough knowledge concerning Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
In the research industry, only those life-threatening conditions often received immediate attention. Since Irritable Bowel syndrome is a chronic condition and does not pose threats to the life of the patient, it is set off for later research. Add to this the fact that this condition is a functional disorder which further complicates the lack of viable treatment.
Functional disorder is often associated with subjective sensations and symptoms for which quantifiable measures cannot be administered. Say for pain, there is no objective factor that can be studied for pain of irritable Bowel Syndrome unlike with painful ulcer for which damage in the tissues of the intestines can be seen.
Being a functional disorder, there can be no physical manifestations of the disorder since everything lies in the abnormality of functions covered by the digestive system itself, more specifically the colon. With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in children as well as in adults, the colon muscles and nerves are extra sensitive which means that any substance that can’t be tolerated by the muscles may cause adverse effects on the system itself.
Another factor that contributes to the lack of knowledge on the root cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is the varied clinical presentations of the patients. Some may have diarrhea-dominated Irritable Bowel Syndrome while others have constipation-dominated IBS. Each of which should be studied and treated separately.
While the condition is more commonly prevalent among people aged 20 years and above, it is likely that this can also be observed among children. However, the symptoms are milder and usually manifests with minimal symptoms.
Often, aggravated diarrhea or constipation is mistakened for Irritable Bowel Syndrome so it is important that once the child is observed with the signs of Irritable Bowel Syndrome or any condition closely resembling IBS, doctor’s assistance is immediately sought.
The two main symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome among children are constipation and diarrhea (or the combination of both) and crampy sensation within the abdominal area.
Diarrhea is the sudden change in the frequency of bowel movements. Often, this is characterized with the sudden and uncontrollable urge to evacuate stool that normally leads to incontinence. Diarrhea is also characterized with fluid-like stool that are supposed to be easier to release. Incomplete evacuation may also be felt and immediate expulsion is needed right after the first bowel movement.
For this case, parents are advised to assist in the whole process to avoid complications. Diarrhea can lead to complications like dehydration or loss of substantial water in the body. Please seek medical advice once this is observed.
Constipation, on the other hand, is the condition wherein there is a compaction of stool means that the stool is too hard to pass through the anus. The immediate treatment to is to add extra amount of dietary fiber in the food to add bulk to the stool. If this is the primary sign for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in your child, it is best to check if he has skipped bowel movements in the last several days.
You need not be fearful of irritable bowel syndrome in your child. It does not post direct threat to the general health of you kid since it is a chronic condition. However, to avoid aggravated discomfort, it is best that he is treated earlier.