Stomach pain due to ARVI in a child

The main signs of acute respiratory viral infections are familiar to everyone: a runny nose, sore throat, cough, watery eyes, etc. Such symptoms are provoked by viral infections that penetrate inside the human body. Having noticed one or several of the above signs in themselves or their child, people immediately begin to take appropriate measures to treat colds. However, with ARVI there is one symptom that for many seems very strange and completely incompatible with a cold - abdominal pain. Surely, many parents have encountered a problem when their baby complains of sharp pain in the abdomen, although you know for sure that he does not have a disorder or any disturbances in the functioning of the intestines. Why does this happen, and what solutions to the problem can be proposed?

Abdominal pain in a child may occur as a result of colds

At what age does this happen most often?

A child with ARVI can have a stomach ache at almost any age, and in general, this symptom does not depend on the person’s age. Parents should be prepared for such a phenomenon at any moment, although when such a situation occurs in their lives, it is difficult to prepare for this, and they always become afraid for the baby’s health.

There are many cases where pain appeared in children 3-4 years old - they complained that their tummy hurts, they feel discomfort in this part of the body. After the examinations, the doctors concluded that it was not an intestinal infection or an upset stomach, but a common cold that caused such unpleasant symptoms.

Older children also experience abdominal pain with respiratory infections, so you shouldn't be surprised if your child complains of these symptoms only to discover that they have a common cold or flu.

You cannot scold a child for what he feels, say that he came up with all this himself, and there should not be any pain in the stomach. The baby feels his body better, and parents are obliged to listen to his experiences.

At the same time, you cannot make sudden conclusions when trying to independently determine the diagnosis of the disease. It is necessary to contact a specialist so that he can establish an accurate diagnosis and can prescribe exactly the treatment that your child needs.

Abdominal pain due to ARVI can appear at any age

Causes of stomach illness with influenza

Many adults do not understand why their stomach hurts when they have the flu. The pain syndrome may differ in its origin and is characterized by muscle spasm, irritation of the peritoneum, ischemic changes, and neuralgic impulses.

Before you understand why a child starts to have a stomach ache with the flu, it is necessary to identify the cause of this phenomenon. In medical practice, the concept of “stomach or intestinal flu” simply does not exist. Pain syndrome in combination with respiratory symptoms often occurs due to other infections in the form of adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and rotaviruses.

But the flu itself can also cause unpleasant discomfort in the stomach. But this has nothing to do with damage to the digestive canal. The reason for this process is a reaction to intoxication.

Symptoms

When a child has a stomach ache after an acute respiratory viral infection, you should pay attention to other symptoms that will help determine that this condition is due to a cold or flu, and not due to an intestinal infection:

• increase in body temperature, often a slow increase to 37.5-38 degrees;
• presence of a runny nose;
• dry cough;
• feeling of weakness;
• inflammation of the sinuses of the nose or ear;
• nausea and vomiting.

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If the child is old enough and he can already describe his condition, you should ask him where exactly he feels pain, when the unpleasant sensations arose, what he is experiencing at this point in time.

Abdominal pain during ARVI and colds can occur for various reasons, which will be discussed below. But the main thing to remember is that such symptoms cannot be ignored.

As soon as the first signs make themselves felt, you must immediately seek help from qualified specialists, otherwise the consequences of self-medication may be too dangerous for the child’s health.

Abdominal pain is accompanied by a runny nose, cough and other symptoms of ARVI

Pain in the back of the head with a cold

Pain in the back of the head often accompanies colds, being one of their consequences. However, this may be a signal of the onset of more serious diseases hidden behind a cold and runny nose.

The appearance of headaches during colds is due to several reasons. Firstly, there is an increase in the amount of intracranial fluid pressing on the membranes of the brain; this circumstance is relevant at high temperatures. Secondly, pain in the back of the head during a cold occurs as a result of intoxication of the body with bacterial toxins and other harmful microbes. Thirdly, the cause of pain in the back of the head during a cold may be inflammation of the nasal sinuses or otitis media.

Usually, pain in the back of the head during a cold is accompanied by aches and fever. If it is not a cold, but the flu, the pain is localized in the temples, forehead, and eye area.

In order to quickly get rid of pain in the back of the head during a cold, you should stay in bed and limit physical activity. Do not forget that the pain is often intensified by excessive TV watching.

Causes

There may be several causes of abdominal pain during ARVI in children. Only an experienced doctor will be able to determine the underlying cause, so you should seek medical help right away. This symptom may occur due to:

1. Use of certain medications that cause side effects or are contraindicated for your child. That is why it is recommended to carefully read the instructions for use of medications, and also consult a doctor regarding medications. Even seemingly harmless baby syrups can cause discomfort in the abdominal area.
2. The negative impact of viral infections that penetrate the stomach or intestines and damage the functioning of internal organs. Many people underestimate the effect of pathogenic bacteria, although they, in turn, can cause enormous harm to the human body.
3. A large amount of snot and purulent discharge during a runny nose, when the child swallows saliva along with these accumulations. In this case, the stomach may react with upset.
4. As the temperature rises, the acetone level also rises. One of the signs of increased acetone is abdominal pain.

These are the main causes of abdominal pain that can occur with colds, although there are some others. Only a professional doctor can determine exactly what caused this symptom in a child. Diagnosis is necessary in order to prescribe the correct treatment, so it should not be avoided.

Abdominal pain during ARVI appears, as a rule, due to the action of viruses and bacteria

Symptoms

Any pain that occurs in the child’s abdomen is a reason to visit the pediatrician. In case of acute abdominal pain, you must call an ambulance to avoid serious consequences. Next, we will consider the symptoms characteristic of the development of each of the diseases presented.

Adenovirus infection

The course of adenovirus infection is accompanied by damage to the respiratory tract, fever, and intoxication of the body. Among the main clinical signs are:

1. Cough, pain in the throat area.
2. Discharge from the nasal passages, nasal congestion.
3. Swelling of the eyelids, burning, redness of the visual organ.
4. Swelling of the tonsils, the appearance of plaque on them.

This disease can also cause mesadenitis (enlarged abdominal lymph nodes). In this case, active proliferation of pathogenic bacteria occurs, which causes the development of abdominal pain. In addition, inflammation can spread to the liver and spleen, which also brings unpleasant sensations.

Adenovirus infection can cause gastroenteritis, which causes diarrhea and epigastric pain. Children are most susceptible to developing a complication - intussusception, accompanied by respiratory symptoms.

Infectious mononucleosis

When the symptom in question appears, the development of infectious mononucleosis can be assumed. At an early stage of the disease, the following occurs:

• headache;
• malaise;
• deterioration/loss of appetite.

After some time, the main symptoms characteristic of this pathology appear:

• increased body temperature;
• feeling of sore throat;
• an increase in the size of lymph nodes.

Pain in the throat occurs due to the development of tonsillitis and pharyngitis. In this case, the tonsils swell, often plaque appears on them, the back wall of the throat turns red, and the lymph nodes become inflamed (first the cervical ones). This provokes the appearance of other unpleasant symptoms - intense abdominal pain and cough. The liver and spleen may also become enlarged, yellowness of the sclera, and a small skin rash may appear.

It is worth considering that in children under two years of age, infectious mononucleosis in adults is most often asymptomatic.

Enterovirus infection

The type of pain in question may occur due to infection with an enterovirus infection, which has an acute onset. This appears:

• malaise;
• fever;
• aches in muscles and joints.

Against the background of respiratory disorders (cough, runny nose, formation of redness in the back of the throat), a clinical picture arises that is inherent in gastroenteritis (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain appears). Stools become more frequent (up to 10 times a day), as a result of which dehydration may develop. This pathological condition is extremely dangerous, especially for infants. The disease with enterovirus infection at an early age is more severe and can lead to serious complications:

• myocarditis;
• pneumonia;
• meningitis.

Therefore, it is very important to contact your pediatrician in a timely manner to determine the diagnosis and prescribe the necessary therapy.

Rotavirus infection

Rotavirus infection is characterized by the appearance of:

1. Vomiting attacks, nausea.
2. Increase in temperature indicators.
3. Malaise, general weakening of the body.
4. Frequent stools with a liquid consistency.
5. Intense, sharp pain in the abdomen.
6. Sore throat.
7. Redness of the visual organ and mucous membrane of the pharynx.

If such symptoms develop, you should seek medical help, as frequent bowel movements can lead to dehydration due to rapid fluid loss.

What to do?

The main question that arises for all parents in such a situation is as follows: what to do now? Even if you know for sure that the cause of your stomach pain is a cold, you need to do something to get rid of the unpleasant symptom and the illness in general.

The very first step is to seek help from a qualified pediatrician who has been working with children for many years and knows first-hand how to treat children with completely different signs of ARVI.

The task of parents is to cure a cold in their baby, as well as to treat pronounced symptoms, including abdominal pain. You should not start treatment by eliminating the symptoms, as this will not lead to anything good. The child will feel better, but later the symptoms will return, and perhaps many more of them than before.

If your child has abdominal pain, you should immediately seek medical help.

The essence of abdominal syndrome

Uncontrolled use of antibiotics and poor nutrition during illness lead to the development of abdominal syndrome. The term refers to abdominal discomfort and digestive problems. Pain, spasm and tingling do not give rest during the day and at night. In this case, an acute respiratory viral infection is severe. General health deteriorates significantly. The characteristic symptoms of ARVI: stuffy nose, sore throat, runny nose, cough - include:

• nausea and vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• feeling of heaviness in the stomach,
• elevated body temperature.

To avoid abdominal syndrome, it is necessary to contact specialists at the first manifestations of the disease. The doctor should tell you how to treat ARVI in an adult. You should not self-medicate. The specialist will prescribe medications that will not only help cope with the virus, but also will not harm the weakened body. Doctors often prescribe Derinat. The drug has three beneficial properties:

• antiviral - fights pathogens of colds, flu and acute respiratory viral infections;
• immunomodulatory - strengthens cellular and humoral immunity, increases the body's own defenses;
• reparative - restores damaged cells of the mucous membrane - the first natural barrier to infections transmitted by airborne droplets, reduces the risk of complications.

Derinat is available in the form of a spray and nasal drops. Thanks to convenient dosage forms, the active components reach the site of infection, do not irritate the walls of the stomach, and do not affect the intestinal microflora. The drug should be used as prescribed by a doctor and in accordance with the instructions.

Read more about the drug on our website.

Drug treatment

As mentioned above, for ARVI and abdominal pain, treatment should begin with drugs that are designed to destroy viral infections.

• Viferon candles. The product has excellent antiviral properties and is prescribed even for the youngest children. Suppositories can be used for infectious and inflammatory ailments, and can also be used for severe abdominal pain due to rotavirus infection.
• Anaferon for children. The product is intended for the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract and perfectly strengthens the child’s immune system. Available in tablet form.
• Interferon. Used for the treatment of respiratory viral diseases, it is allowed to be used by children almost from birth.
• Grippferon. An antimicrobial agent that allows you to get rid of infection in the body, protects against flu and colds.
• Derinat drops. Special nasal drops that are used for colds for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections.

Remember that the use of any of the above drugs must be agreed with your doctor. Many of these drugs have certain side effects, so they can cause an allergic reaction, dizziness and other unwanted effects. To avoid this, you should consult a specialist.

Causes of ARVI

Despite the huge number of viruses that cause colds, rhinovirus is the most common pathogen of ARVI. According to some data, rhinovirus infection accounts for about a third of all ARVI cases. Rhinovirus is highly contagious.

Viruses enter the body through the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. Pathogens are spread through respiratory droplets when a sick person sneezes, coughs, or talks to you. ARVI can also be infected by contact with the hands of a patient, and even with objects that he touched - door handles, escalator handrails, towels, telephone, computer keyboard, children's toys, etc. If you rub your eyes or nose after such contact, you will probably become infected virus.

Medicines for stomach pain

If your child still has stomach pain due to ARVI, you can try the following medications designed to eliminate such symptoms:

1. Mezim. Normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, copes well with digestive disorders caused by any reason.
2. Festal. Promotes rapid absorption of food and their further breakdown, improves metabolism.
3. Panzistal. A combined enzyme preparation that contains components of the pancreas normalizes the digestion process, relieves pain and discomfort in the abdominal area.

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Before using this or that product, be sure to consult with your doctor, because these drugs can cause certain side effects.

Abdominal pain in a child due to ARVI is always an unpleasant symptom that causes a feeling of pity for your baby. During this period, the child worries about his health, experiences pain, discomfort, often cries and is capricious. However, you should not be too alarmed by this sign, especially if a common cold is to blame.

After treating a cold, you can give your child Mezim or Festal to relieve abdominal pain

Timely measures taken by parents will help avoid serious complications and all sorts of consequences, and soon the child will feel much better.

Causes of stomach pain after the flu

If your stomach hurts after suffering from the flu, the reasons are completely different. So, the following reasons can be identified:

1. Decreased immunity under the influence of the virus, as a result of which bacteria that enter the gastrointestinal tract are destroyed less effectively. This can lead to serious poisoning and even intestinal infection if a pathogenic microorganism enters the body with food.
2. Disruption of digestive enzymes. Fever due to influenza negatively affects the functioning of enzymes - proteins that play a vital role in the digestion of food. These proteins, like all active molecules, have certain optimal conditions for operation - pH, temperature. If the body heats up, the enzymes cannot work as usual. In addition, it takes time to restore their normal activity. If your stomach hurts after the flu, this is probably the reason. What to do? Take a drug with enzymes (for example, mezim, pancreatin, enzibene) and no longer overload your stomach with heavy foods.
3. If bacterial complications of influenza (for example, sore throat) were treated with antibiotics, abdominal pain and diarrhea after influenza may be due to a violation of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the intestinal microflora (for example, dysbiosis). It is known that antibiotics effectively destroy pathogenic bacteria, but they also do not spare our internal “friendly” microorganisms. It is necessary to include lactic acid products in your diet; you can also take lactobacilli in the form of tablets and suspensions.
4. Digestive problems (vomiting, diarrhea) 1-2 days after the onset of a runny nose and cough can be a symptom of intestinal (or stomach) flu, i.e. viral gastroenteritis. The fact is that some viruses that cause gastroenteritis provoke the development of respiratory symptoms in the first days of the disease, and only then gastrointestinal symptoms. These include, for example, some rotavirus infections and adenoviruses. In this case, the symptoms of respiratory inflammation subside immediately after the onset of diarrhea or vomiting.

Thus, there are many reasons for disruption of the digestive organs after the flu. Often, some of them appear simultaneously, for example, dysbiosis and decreased activity of digestive enzymes.