9 Causes for Your Child being Sick
9 Causes for Your Child being Sick
9 Reasons Why Your Child Could Be Being Sick
Children do not enjoy being sick. It can, however, cause you to be concerned. A child who is vomiting but does not have a fever could be suffering from a variety of ailments. Knowing what else to look for will help you narrow down the causes of your child’s stomach ache and get them the attention they require. Here are 9 potential causes of your child being sick:
Stomach Flu
This is not the same as the flu (influenza ). It’s the term people use to describe a condition known as gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is usually caused by a virus such as a rotavirus or a norovirus. Bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can also cause it. Norovirus can induce a low-grade fever in some people, but it can also cause no fever at all.
Norovirus, like all viruses, is contagious. If your child has it, there are three ways they got it:
- They came into contact with someone who has it.
- They ate food that had the virus in it.
- They touched a surface with the virus on it, and then touched their mouth or nose before washing their hands.
After your child contracts the virus, symptoms appear 12–48 hours later. They’ll probably have diarrhoea, nausea, and stomach cramps in addition to vomiting up.
The majority of children recover in one to three days, but symptoms might continue up to seven days.
A Food Allergy
Throwing up can indicate that your child is allergic to something they’ve eaten. Throwing up could be their sole symptom, but there could be others as well, such as difficulty breathing, hives, a persistent cough, wheezing, or difficulty swallowing. The following foods are associated with nine out of ten allergy reactions:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (almonds or walnuts, for example)
- Shellfish (shrimp, for example)
- Wheat
- Soy
Very young newborns who take solid meals for the first time, such as milk, soy, certain grains, and some other solid foods, are at risk for a condition known as “food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome” (FPIES). It appears 2 to 6 hours after they eat and causes them to vomit several times. They could also have bloody diarrhoea or flecked faeces. If you suspect your child has FPIES, take them to the doctor.
Food Poisoning
There’s a chance your child will get a food-borne disease if germs catch a ride on the food they eat (food poisoning). Bacteria that commonly hide in food include:
- Salmonella
- E. coli
- Listeria
- Campylobacter
Food poisoning can be caused by nearly any food, especially if it hasn’t been cooked or kept properly. The following are the most common offenders:
- Poultry
- Meat
- Shellfish
- Eggs
- Unwashed vegetables, like lettuce
Within a few hours of consuming contaminated food, your child may begin vomiting. It may take a day or two for symptoms to appear. Your youngster will most likely have nausea, watery diarrhoea, and stomach pain.
Food poisoning can produce a temperature, but it’s also usual for it to cause vomiting without a fever. The signs and symptoms might persist anywhere from a few hours to many days.
Intestinal Obstruction
It’s hard to distinguish whether a newborn is vomiting or just spitting up. Vomit is typically more forceful than spit-up. Spit-up is often associated with eating and occurs quickly afterwards. Your doctor can assist you in determining which one you have.
Forceful vomiting in babies is uncommon, but when it does occur, it may indicate an obstruction in your baby’s intestines. It’s also possible that your child has “pyloric stenosis”. This is a condition where their stomach is too small to allow food to pass through. Both of these are major issues that should be addressed immediately by a doctor.
Concussion
Children frequently knock their heads, especially when learning to walk or participating in sports. It’s critical to keep an eye out for indicators of a concussion whenever your child sustains a head injury. One of these warning symptoms is vomiting. Other options include:
- Consciousness loss
- Headache
- Vision is hazy
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Trouble waking up
- Vomiting and other symptoms may not appear for 24 to 72 hours after your child has been struck on the head.
Children frequently knock their heads, especially when learning to walk or participating in sports. It’s critical to keep an eye out for indicators of a concussion whenever your child sustains a head injury. One of these warning symptoms is vomiting. Other options include:
Consciousness loss
Headache
Vision is hazy
Confusion while walking
Difficulty waking up due to slurred speech
Vomiting and other symptoms may not appear for 24 to 72 hours after your child has been smacked in the head.
If your child is being sick after sustaining a head injury, seek immediate medical assistance.
Medications
Certain medications can cause your child to vomit if they are taken on an empty stomach. Vomiting can indicate that you’ve given your youngster too much medication. The following are the most prevalent medications that cause this:
- Codeine
- Erythromycin
- Some birth control pills
- Some asthma medications, like theophylline
- Iron
- Paracetamol
- Ibuprofen
Motion Sickness
When your child’s brain receives conflicting messages about how they’re moving, they may become nauseous and vomit. Some children, for example, may become ill simply by watching a movie because their eyes sense motion but their bodies do not. Children who are unable to see out the car window are prone to car sickness.
A gut discomfort or a queasy feeling is frequently the first sign of motion sickness. Some children may also sweat profusely, lose their appetite, and refuse to eat. Eventually, they will begin to throw up. It’s a hereditary disorder. If one of your parents has had motion sickness, your child is more likely to experience it as well.
Migraines
Migraines affect about 10% of school-aged children. Children as young as 18 months old might develop these headaches. Migraines produce agony in the head, but they can also cause your child to vomit. In addition, your youngster could be suffering from:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Sensitivity to touch, sound, and odours
It’s unclear what causes migraines, according to experts. It could be due to something your youngster is exposed to frequently. It’s also genetic: if one parent suffers from migraines, your child has a 50% risk of developing them as well. If both of their parents suffer from migraines, their chances of having one rise to 75%.
Consult a doctor if your child has a headache, fever, or vomiting.
Stress
It’s true that some children vomit when they are stressed. It’s possible that they’re suffering from another health issue, such as an ear infection. Alternatively, your youngster may vomit after sobbing for a long time. If they only throw up once or twice and don’t have any other symptoms like stomach pain or diarrhoea, it’s likely that it’s stress-related.