What Are the Acid Reflux Symptoms in Children?
Acid reflux affects many adults, and doesn’t stop there. Children are just as affected by acid reflux as adults are. The biggest difference is that children don’t always recognize the symptoms on their own and don’t know how to tell you what’s wrong. When this happens, there’s no way to go about fixing the problem which can irritate the acid reflux and make it worse.
It’s important to know the acid reflux symptoms in children that are recognizable to you, so you can help your child deal with the disease. There are a few clues to look for, and ways to teach your child how to help you understand what’s going on with them.
What to Look For
When looking for acid reflux symptoms in children, you’ll want to pay close attention at meal time. This is when you may notice your child slow down after eating a few bites, or looking uncomfortable when swallowing their food. They may be experiencing heartburn but they aren’t quite sure what’s going on.
In order to try and get your children to tell you their acid reflux symptoms, you’ll have to do a little poking and prodding. Let them know what heartburn feels like and ask them if they have any feelings like it at all. If they insist they don’t, it’s a best bet to have them looked at by a doctor just to make sure.
Excessive burping is another acid reflux symptom in children that you should look for. If an over the counter indigestion medication helps with the burping, chances are that you’ve found a symptom of acid reflux in your child. It’s a good sign to let you know that you should take your child to the doctor to talk about acid reflux disease.
Acid Reflux Symptoms in Children Aren’t Always Proof
Just because child may display acid reflux symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the disease. As mentioned before, a doctor is always your best bet but if you’re not prepared to visit a doctor you should make sure to take steps in knowing whether there is really something to worry about.
Changing your child’s diet and offering a healthier diet is a good way to determine whether these kinds of things will cure your child’s symptoms. Using over the counter medications is fine as long as you’re not giving them to your child excessively. If you are, chances are their symptoms of acid reflux are true and should be dealt with by their doctor.