Type of lifestyle that most of the people and specially teenagers are living, it is common to face headache or stomachache at least once throughout the day. It can happen due to different reasons in different people. The level of pain can vary like sometimes you can face sharp pain and sometimes mild pain and it is not necessary that it always happen due to some underlying disease only. So, here are some causes of abdominal pain in teens:
Lactose Intolerance:
Lactose is a substance found in milk and milk products which can not be digested by everyone. So, whenever they consume any milk product it can lead to uneasiness, pain, cramps and even diarrhea. Now, there are a large variety of lactose free product available in the market that can be consumed as an alternative.
Stomach Virus:
A stomach virus can spread in the stomach that can lead to pain and can be followed by vomiting and diarrhea. It can take some time to be diagnosed but it can be easily cured by medication until its not very serious.
Overeating:
Eating more than your appetite or more than your stomach can handle can lead to stomach pain. for children and teens, it is really difficult for them to stop once they really find a tasty. So, overeating must be avoided to prevent any such situation.
Stress:
This might sound weird but stress in children and teenagers can lead to abdominal pain in them. The best way to identify it is, the pain is recurrent and don’t remain for a long time all together. In that case it is important to talk out the problem so that stress can be relieved.
Problem of Gas:
Facing gas related and indigestion problem is very common among teenagers and children of all ages. Th food we intake plays a huge role in this. Consumption of:
- Soft drinks
- Spicy foods
- Fast food
Can lead to gestation. So, one must limit consumption of such food so that problem of gas can be avoided.
Food Poisoning:
Food poisoning can be a reason that can lead to abdominal pain. consuming food that has passed their expiry date, eating food combination or intake of unhygienic food can lead to poisoning in the stomach. Sometimes it is mild and can be cured at home but sometimes it can be severe and can lead to hospitalization.
Constipation:
Not being able to poop properly can lead to pain in the abdomen and many people might not be aware about it. Pain around the belly button or lower abdomen is the symptom for that. Constipation can be caused by a fault in digestive system or eating food that is not healthy for body.
Milk Allergy:
Milk allergy is a far more different thing that lactose intolerance. It is caused by the protein present in milk. It can lead to pain and cramps. It is important to consult a doctor in that case.
Muscle Strain:
It is not always important that the pain in the abdomen is caused by internal organs sometimes muscular pain can also be the reason. When you don’t workout properly or in a regular basis it can lead to strain in the muscles that can to some severe abdominal pain as well.
Appendicitis:
When food gets stuck in the dead-end food tube named appendix it can lead to severe pain. The only way through which it can be treated is treated is surgery. There is no specific reason why it happens. It can happen to anyone but still it is not common among children aged below 5 years.
Kidney Stones:
Kidney stones don’t usually cause pain in the abdominal area but in some cases, it can be the reason. It can cause pain and problem while urinating also. It is very important to consult a doctor in that case.
No matter what ever the reason is it is important to consult a doctor if you face any kind of belly or lower belly pain and its importance increases even more when the pain occurs more than one time or its severity keep on increasing. A proper treatment is necessary to prevent ant serious health related issue in the future. Diagnosis of abdominal pain in teenagers is not a very big task. It can be easily diagnosed by going a few tests like:
- Urine test
- Stool sample
- X-ray
- Special test
- Blood test
Normal abdominal pain can be easily prevented by making a few corrections in the lifestyle and diet of the child:
- Increase in intake of water
- Control fast food intake
- Check expiry date before eating
- Getting a good sleep
- Prevent overeating
But in ant case you must not give any medicine from the first aid box because these tablets are of heavy dose and might not benefit the child and rather can cause a problem because a teen’s body is different from that of an adult.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5143725/
