Do Children Get Acid Reflux?

How often do you hear of children getting acid reflux? Granted, not often but they do. Research has revealed that not only do children get acid reflux, but the symptoms are the same as adults. As the public at large becomes more aware of this phenomenon, doctors and parents are able to detect and prevent acid reflux symptoms early thus avoiding internal damage caused by untreated acid reflux.

acid reflux can even occur in infants. Colic became a general term for a lot of the unknown discomfort an infant was having. More realistically, those babies had acid reflux and not colic.

Thankfully (or maybe not) the symptoms of acid reflux are very universal. The triggers for acid reflux are pretty universal too, provided they are kept in very broad categories. Activities like eating, bending over and lying down, for example are known to trigger acid reflux.

It’s hard to say if anyone really outgrows acid reflux symptoms. Diet and body chemistry vary too much to make an absolute statement. As children are introduced to new foods, their bodies may react to it by triggering acid reflux, nausea or some sort of allergic reaction.

When your children try new foods, observe them carefully for the next few hours to determine if they are experiencing any discomfort or a reaction to the new food. If they do have a reaction, try treating it with mild medication (antacid for acid reflux, allergy-related over the counter medication for an allergic reaction)

One of the biggest reasons children get acid reflux is from the food and drinks they consume. Sugary drinks and foods may trigger acid reflux, as may certain candies and chocolate.

Whether your child suffers from acid reflux or not, make sure they are consuming enough water and milk on a daily basis. Spicy foods and caffeinated drinks are common causes of acid reflux in children.

Because acid reflux is so common, it can almost always be prevented and treated at home. Eating a healthy diet will naturally balance out the acidity levels. If and when acid reflux does occur, treatment with a mild antacid usually does the trick.

As your children age, their hormones can trigger acid reflux. If the child is going through puberty or a growth spurt they may experience more acid reflux symptoms than normal. By now though, both the child and parent should know what foods tend to trigger acid reflux for the child and try to minimize the consumption of those foods.

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