“Can anxiety cause stomach pain in kids?”
My son has a stomach pain. I want to know if anxiety can cause stomach pain in kids?
4 Answers
Anxiety has been definitively linked to stomach pain in kids. It is not the only cause, but it can definitely be a contributor. Anxiety and stress can lead to an increased production of acid in the lining of the stomach. This, in turn, can cause irritation to the lining to the stomach and ultimately, reflux. Pain or vomiting right after eating, feeling full quickly, and feeling of acid or burning in the chest or throat can be symptoms of this.
yes
Hello,
"Can anxiety cause stomach pain in kids?" Yes, of course. However, stomach pain is very non-specific and can be caused by a large variety of conditions. If this is a long-term issue lasting more than two weeks, you will need the help of a physician to figure this out. The age of your child and the pattern of the stomach pain is a very important clue. You may want to keep a symptom diary to include the time of day of pain occurrence, the intensity of the pain according to the child on a scale of 1 to 10 with some descriptive adjectives (if possible by the child) of the pain, e.g., burning, sharp, achy, cramp, lightening, dull, etc., the location of the pain, how long it lasts, the relationship to meals, what makes it worse, what makes it better, etc. It's important to know if the pain occurs overnight, especially if it wakes the child.
Observing the child's poop prior to flushing down the toilet would be wise. Is it large, hard, loose, abnormal color, etc. The child may not want you present while pooping, but it should not be embarrassing to your child to have you view the poop prior to flushing.
You also will want to record a typical 3-day record of your child's diet for the doctor's review. Now, you probably know that intense pain in the child's right lower abdomen could be appendicitis and a visit to the emergency room or urgent care would be wise, but intermittent recurrent stomach aches of mild to moderate intensity can be evaluated by your child's doctor.
To evaluate the role of anxiety as a cause of stomach pains, a conversation with your child's teacher could be helpful. Ask a general question and be prepared to simply listen to the teacher's feedback. Also a gentle inquiry of your child about his social situation, bullying, texting issues and even sexting might prove revealing. If your child has a cell phone, reviewing the phone history could be helpful. You can explain that parents have the legal right to do this if needed.
Look for patterns. Stomach pains on school days but not on weekends or holidays is very suspicious for school anxieties. Be aware of test grades and homework grades.
The fact that you are asking the question if anxieties can cause stomach pains is highly relevant that you think it's a possibility. A sensitive conversation between parent and child could be very revealing. A question like, "If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change about your school day?" could prove a good opener to a meaningful conversation.
I hope this information helps.
Regards,
Dr. T
"Can anxiety cause stomach pain in kids?" Yes, of course. However, stomach pain is very non-specific and can be caused by a large variety of conditions. If this is a long-term issue lasting more than two weeks, you will need the help of a physician to figure this out. The age of your child and the pattern of the stomach pain is a very important clue. You may want to keep a symptom diary to include the time of day of pain occurrence, the intensity of the pain according to the child on a scale of 1 to 10 with some descriptive adjectives (if possible by the child) of the pain, e.g., burning, sharp, achy, cramp, lightening, dull, etc., the location of the pain, how long it lasts, the relationship to meals, what makes it worse, what makes it better, etc. It's important to know if the pain occurs overnight, especially if it wakes the child.
Observing the child's poop prior to flushing down the toilet would be wise. Is it large, hard, loose, abnormal color, etc. The child may not want you present while pooping, but it should not be embarrassing to your child to have you view the poop prior to flushing.
You also will want to record a typical 3-day record of your child's diet for the doctor's review. Now, you probably know that intense pain in the child's right lower abdomen could be appendicitis and a visit to the emergency room or urgent care would be wise, but intermittent recurrent stomach aches of mild to moderate intensity can be evaluated by your child's doctor.
To evaluate the role of anxiety as a cause of stomach pains, a conversation with your child's teacher could be helpful. Ask a general question and be prepared to simply listen to the teacher's feedback. Also a gentle inquiry of your child about his social situation, bullying, texting issues and even sexting might prove revealing. If your child has a cell phone, reviewing the phone history could be helpful. You can explain that parents have the legal right to do this if needed.
Look for patterns. Stomach pains on school days but not on weekends or holidays is very suspicious for school anxieties. Be aware of test grades and homework grades.
The fact that you are asking the question if anxieties can cause stomach pains is highly relevant that you think it's a possibility. A sensitive conversation between parent and child could be very revealing. A question like, "If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change about your school day?" could prove a good opener to a meaningful conversation.
I hope this information helps.
Regards,
Dr. T
Anxiety can cause many symptoms and stomach pain is one of the most common.
