Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children Presented

By William Wallace

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.

A disorder like this condition is characterized by several signs or symptoms for which the fundamental cause is not known specifically.

Albeit it is widely affecting the Americans, definitive scientific proofs do not exist, so there is no effective way of treatment. One of the main reasons for which there is not enough information on irritable bowel syndrome is the absence of research.

For a condition to qualify for research, it must be a life threatening one, to grab the attention. But because Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not a life threatening condition for the patients, it is not included on the main study list. Furthermore, this condition being a disorder makes it more complicated to find a clear way of treatment.

Usually when we speak about a functional disorder we think about a subjective feelings and signs which can be measured. For example the pain, there is no damage to be correlated with the pain in Irritable Bowel Syndrome like in ulcer, where there is damage in the intestines that 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 mistaken 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.

Constipation and diarrhea are the two common symptoms in IBS when we speak about children (or a mixture of these two) and additionally crampy feeling in the abdomen.

Diarrhea is the rapid modification of the frequency of bowel movements. Regularly, this is characterized by a strong urge to eliminate the stool and that facilitates incontinence. Diarrhea is additionally characterized by moist stools, which should be evacuated more easily. The patient can feel an incomplete evacuation being necessary expulsion 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, which means that the stool is too hard to pass through the anus. The immediate treatment 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 your kid since it is a chronic condition. However, to avoid aggravated discomfort, it is best that he is treated earlier. - 30209

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