5-year-old has stomach pain due to gastroenteritis

Children have poor body resistance and are prone to gastrointestinal diseases. Gastroenteritis is a typical example. It is normal for a 5-year-old to have stomach pain due to gastroenteritis. As a parent, in addition to actively treating the child, you must also take daily care measures to ensure that the child's condition is under control to the greatest extent possible. Let’s take a look at the care measures for gastroenteritis.

Gastroenteritis is common in infants and young children of all ages. In addition to adults not cleaning their hands properly when preparing food, young children sometimes do not wash their hands before eating, eat unclean food, or the food is not properly stored and is contaminated by bacteria and viruses. The food enters the gastrointestinal tract and causes infection, leading to gastroenteritis.

The typical symptoms of gastroenteritis are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, fever and abdominal distension. In addition, Dr. Lin Jianhong pointed out that some gastroenteritis may also be combined with cold virus infection, resulting in a mild cold.

In principle, when gastroenteritis is accompanied by respiratory symptoms such as colds, sore throats, and general weakness, a viral infection is generally suspected first.

Whether gastroenteritis is caused by viral infection, such as norovirus, rotavirus; or bacterial infection, such as salmonella, in principle, the incubation period is about 1 to 2 days before the disease occurs, accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. However, gastroenteritis does not necessarily cause diarrhea immediately. If a child is constipated, he may only have a fever and abdominal distension when suffering from gastroenteritis. Do not take it lightly.

How to care for children with gastroenteritis

When a child suffers from gastroenteritis and vomits, he should not eat anything for the time being, let the stomach and intestines rest, and drink water appropriately. Eat small meals frequently, take 1-2 bites first, rest for 10-20 minutes, and then eat again if you haven't vomited.

Viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious. Norovirus can infect people of any age, while rotavirus is more common in infants and young children under 6 years old.

Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis include watery diarrhea and vomiting, or may include headache, fever, abdominal cramps, stomach pain, nausea, muscle aches, etc.; most people can recover after infection, but infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems may become dehydrated, lack electrolytes, and then have convulsions after infection.

Prevention methods include washing hands frequently after using the toilet, before eating or preparing food; cooking all food thoroughly (especially shellfish), and washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly;

Leftover food should be stored in a refrigerator at a moderate temperature, and food that does not need to be cooked should be eaten as soon as possible; clothing and bed sheets contaminated by the patient should be changed immediately, and the environment (such as toilets, door handles) and surfaces of utensils should be wiped with bleach (1000ppm) if they are contaminated;

Before handling feces and vomitus of patients, you should wear gloves and a mask, disinfect them with bleach (5000ppm) before flushing them into the sewer, and wash your hands thoroughly.