Belly Pain

You wake up in the middle of the night with stomach cramps, clutch a pillow and curl your body around it. That helps a little and you go back to sleep. But in the morning, the pain is still there. "Ouch, I have a stomachache!" you tell your mom or dad.

That's when the questions begin: Do you feel like you're going to throw up? Has it been hard for you to go to the bathroom lately? Did you have diarrhea in the night? Does it hurt anywhere else? Does it hurt so much you can't stand up? Are you worried about anything at school? Your mom or dad asks all these questions because lots of different things could cause pain in your belly or abdomen.Keep reading to find out what belly pain is, what causes it, and what you can do to feel better.

All About the Abdomen

When you get a pain in your stomach, it might be an actual problem right in your stomach, but not necessarily. Your abdomen is more than your stomach. It's more than your intestines. It's the whole area between your chest and your pelvic (hip) bones.

Inside your abdomen, you have your stomach and your intestines, along with lots of other organs: bladder, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and adrenal glands. If you're a girl, your abdomen also includes your uterus and ovaries.

All of these organs aren't just bouncing around all over the place inside you — they're held together inside you by a bag-like membrane called your peritoneum (say: per-uh-tun-ee-um). This two-layered membrane also separates these organs from your outer abdominal muscles. Three layers of muscles\— front, back, and side — support this "case" of organs and protect them

Types of Tummy Troubles

A kid might feel belly pain many reasons, including:

• Constipation is one of the most common reasons for abdominal pain. If you haven't had a bowel movement (poop) for a while or if it hurts to go to the bathroom or your bowel movements are hard, you are probably constipated.
• Diarrhea is often caused by an infection that some people call "the stomach flu." Doctors call this type of diarrhea/infection gastroenteritis. When you have diarrhea — runny, watery bowel movements — you may also feel sick to your stomach. Feeling sick to your stomach and throwing up can also be linked to gastroenteritis. The pain is one way your body tells you to stay near a bathroom!
• An infection someplace else in your body may cause belly pain, too. A sore throat, pneumonia, an ear infection, or a cough can sometimes cause tummy trouble as well. Severe pain also can be caused by a urinary tract infection or a blocked intestine. Infection by bacteria or a parasite, heartburn. irritable bowel disease, or inflammatory bowel disease also can cause abdominal pain.
• Food. Some kids get abdominal pain because they ate too much of something, ate a food that was too spicy or greasy, ate a food they have an allergy to, or ate food that sat around in the fridge for too long and went bad. The pain is the body's way of telling you that your stomach and intestines are having a tough job breaking down or digesting this food. For example, some people have lactoseintolerance, which means they have a tough time digesting lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods. Whatever the cause, funky foods can quickly make your tummy feel funky!
• Appendicitis or other painful problems. If the pain starts by your belly button and then moves to the lower right side of your abdomen, it might be appendicitis\. Fever or vomiting, along with pain that gets worse and worse and a loss of appetite, can also be signs of appendicitis.
• Stress. Many, many kids (and adults, too) have a "nervous stomach" when they are worried or stressed.

A Pain in the Brain

If there is no physical reason for you to have abdominal pain, the pain in your gut may really be a pain in your brain. If you're stressed about something, you can get sharp pains in your stomach. Lots of kids do!

If you think this is happening to you, sit down with someone you trust and talk about what's going on in your life. Are you worried about a bully at school? Are your parents fighting a lot? Did you do something you wish you hadn't? Are you worried that you won't get good grades? Talk it out. Many times, stressful worries become less stressful when they're out in the open — instead of inside your stomach.

When you talk, make sure you find out what you can do about having less stress in your life so you can get rid of that painful nervous stomach

Bye-Bye, Bellyaches

Your doctor will first ask you some questions, examine you, and maybe do some tests. Your doctor may suggest you take some medicine or might give you special instructions for eating to help your body heal the bellyache.

If the doctor suspects you might have appendicitis, he or she may want to take a small sample of your blood and have it tested. Or, the doctor may ask you to have an X-ray, ultrasound, or CAT scan. These tests give the doctor more information about what's going on inside you. If it turns out that you have appendicitis, you will need an operation called an appendectomy.

If stress seems to be causing your stomach problems, your doctor may recommend a specialist, such as a psychologist. These experts can help kids figure out the source of the stress and help them come up with some ideas for how to fix the problems or handle them better.If you'd like to prevent bellyaches, here are some good tips to follow:

• Don't overeat.
• Eat fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, so your bowel movements are regular.
• Wash your hands before eating.
• Don't eat right before bedtime.
• Get lots of sleep so your body doesn't get run down.

whats Puke?

Jordan didn't know what was going on in his stomach. But after eating lunch and going to recess, he stopped wanting to run around after a soccer ball. Was it something he ate? Did he gobble his lunch too fast? Was he coming down with the stomach "flu"

Jordan was just about to ask his best friend, Nate, for some advice, when Jordan felt like something moved inside his belly. Before he could take a breath, a giant multicolored mess came out of his mouth. "Yuck!" yelled Nate. Jordan felt like yelling too, but his nose was clogged and his throat burned so badly he could barely talk.

What just happened?

Jordan just threw up, or puked. But what is puke? It goes by many names: vomit, throw up, upchuck, gut soup, ralphing, and barf. Whatever you call it, it's the same stuff: mushed-up, half-digested food or liquid that gets mixed with spit and stomach juices as it makes a quick exit up your throat and out of your mouth.

Sometimes puke tastes bitter, sometimes it tastes sour. Sometimes it tastes like the food you just ate, and it's often the color of what you last munched on, too. For example, blueberry pie might churn up blue puke. A red ice pop might make red puke. Your puke may be green sometimes, but that's not because you ate green beans. Puke looks green when a chemical called bile (say: byel) mixes with it. This will happen if the food that comes back up is squeezed from your intestines into your stomach and then up your throat. Be sure to tell a parent if your puke looks green.

No matter what color it is, though, puke usually stinks — whether you've eaten tuna fish, toast, or jelly beans.

How Does Your Body Do That

Normally, your digestive system carries food down your throat, into your stomach, and on through your intestines until what's left of the food reaches the end of the line at your rectum and comes out as a bowel movement (what you might call poop).

But if you have a virus or other germs in your stomach or intestine, eat food with lots of bacteria (say: bak-teer-ee-uh) in it, feel very nervous, or spin too fast on the merry-go-round, your stomach or intestines might say "this food is stopping here." When that happens, the muscles in your stomach and intestines push food

up instead of down and carry that food right back up to where it started — your mouth.

Can Puking Be Prevented

As gross as it can look and feel, puking is pretty normal. Everyone has puked during their life, even your mom or dad. When you're sick with the stomach "flu" you may need to puke, and there's not much you can do about it. Sometimes being nervous or eating too much food is all it takes to upset your stomach. In these cases, you often can help your stomach by relaxing and taking a few slow deep breaths.

Motion sickness — a sick feeling that some people get from riding in cars, boats, or airplanes — can sometimes be helped by eating a small snack before you start moving. If you know that trips to grandma's house make you feel yucky, ask your parents for some crackers or a piece of fruit before you hop into the car. Opening the car window a bit and letting in some fresh air can also help prevent that pukey feeling. If this doesn't work, talk with your mom or dad about medicines that might help motion sickness.

Puking in Public

If you're at school or a friend's house and you feel like your stomach is upset enough to make you puke, head to a bathroom or sink. But you might end up like Jordan and puke on the playground or your math workbook. It's not a pretty sight, but don't feel embarrassed — remember, all people puke sometimes! You can make the best of it by staying calm. Catch your breath and let a teacher or adult know what happened. If you don't feel well enough to find an adult, ask a friend to go.

If you see someone else puke, don't make a big deal about it. You'll only embarrass the person who's sick and already feels bad enough. Instead, stay calm and give the person a tissue if you've got one handy. Offer to find an adult or get a glass of water. Sometimes just having you nearby will help the person feel better.

After You Puke

Once you've puked, it's time to work on feeling better. Relax — lie down or sit down — and when you feel well enough, try to take a few sips of water. Don't drink soda or fruit juices right away, because they tend to make upset stomachs feel worse.

Also, don't drink while you're lying down — that makes it too easy for the liquid to come back up. Drink little bits at a time and catch your breath in between sips. You'll most likely begin to feel better pretty quickly. You might feel ready to take bigger sips of liquid and maybe even eat something. If, however, you have a fever, puke several times in a day, or puke for more than a day or two, your body might be telling you to see a doctor. Make sure your parents or another adult know if you've been puking a lot.

Puke is pretty yucky. Luckily, most kids don't puke very often. And when you do, remember that you'll probably feel better very soon

What's an allergy?

An allergy is an immune reaction to a substance in the environment called an allergen.

When a child with allergies comes into contact with an allergen – either by touching it, breathing it, eating it, or having it injected – her body mistakenly views it as a dangerous invader and releases histamines and other chemicals to fight it off.
These chemicals irritate the body and cause symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, and coughing. Symptoms can be mild or more severe, intermittent (seasonal, for example), or ongoing because of constant exposure to the allergen.

In some cases, an allergen can cause a severe reaction, called anaphylactic shock. This is a medical

emergency, as the symptoms – including difficulty breathing and swelling – can be life threatening

What are examples of allergens?

 Possible allergens include food, drugs, insects, animal dander, dust mites, mold, and pollen. Allergens can cause respiratory symptoms, as in nasal allergies or allergic rhinitis, skin symptoms like eczema, or intestinal problems – from food allergies for example.

What causes nasal allergies?

The most likely culprits are:

• Dust mites: microscopic organisms that thrive on human skin flakes. Nearly 85 percent of allergy sufferers are allergic to dust mites.
• Animal dander, those white, flaky specks made up of skin and hair shed by cats, dogs, and other furry animals.
• 
  
  Pollen, particularly from trees, grasses, and weeds.
• Mold: fungi found in wet, damp places such as bathrooms and basements or outdoors in humid climates.

Some children are allergic to down and feather pillows or wool blankets. And while most experts don't think children can be allergic to tobacco smoke, it can certainly make their allergic symptoms worse.

How can I tell if my child has nasal allergies or just a cold?

Because the symptoms of nasal allergies are much like cold symptoms – runny nose, watery eyes, cough, nasal congestion, sneezing – it can be tough to tell the difference. There are some telltale signs of allergies, though.
Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does it seem like your child always has a cold? Colds usually wind down in a week to ten days; allergies don't.
• Is your child's nose continually stuffy or running?
• Is she constantly wiggling, wiping, or pushing her nose up in what doctors call the allergic salute?
• Is the mucus that drains from her nose clear and thin (as opposed to yellow or greenish and thick)?
• Does she seem to sneeze a lot?
• Are her eyes itchy, red, and watery?
• Does the skin under her eyes look dark or purple or blue – what doctors call allergic shiners?
• Does she breathe through her mouth?
• Does she have a persistent dry cough?
• Is her skin irritated or broken out in an itchy red rash?

التوعية والثقيف الصحي

التوعية الصحية ( التثقيف الصحي)

لقد شهدت العقود الماضية تغيراً جذرياً في أنماط الأمراض وانتشارها بين أفراد المجتمع من الأمراض المعدية، إلى الأمراض المزمنة لاسيما الأمراض التي يعبر عنها بأمراض النمط المعيشي كأمراض الضغط والقلب والسكري وكثير من هذه الأمراض إنما هي نتيجة لسلوك خاطئ ومن هنا فإن التثقيف الصحي هو حجر الزاوية للوقاية من هذه الإمراض بل هو أول مناشط تعزيز الصحة فمن خلاله يتم الارتقاء بالمعارف والمعلومات وبناء التوجهات وتغيير السلوكيات الصحية. وخلال السنوات الأخيرة تم الارتقاء بمفاهيم التثقيف الصحي فأصبح علماً من علوم المعرفة يستخدم النظريات السلوكية والتربوية وأساليب الاتصال ووسائل التعليم ومبادئ الإعلام للارتقاء بالمستوى الصحي للفرد والمجتمع

التوعية الصحية أو التثقيف الصحي هي عملية إعلامية هدفها حثُّ الناس على تبنّي نمط حياة وممارسات صحية سليمة من أجل رفع المستوى الصحي للمجتمع ، والحدّ من انتشار الأمراض و السعي المتواصل لتعزيز صحة الفرد والمجتمع ومحاولة منع أو التقليل من حدوث الأمراض وذلك من خلال التأثير على المعتقدات, الاتجاهات, والسلوك فردياً وإجتماعيا اً و مساعدة الناس على تحسين سلوكهم بما يحفظ صحتهم
و هي عملية يتحقق عن طريقها رفع الوعي الصحي عن طريق تزويد الفرد بالمعلومات والخبرات بقصد التأثير في معرفته و ميوله و سلوكه من حيث صحته و صحة المجتمع الذي يعيش فيه

الثقافة الصحية : هي تقديم المعلومات والحقائق الصحية التي ترتبط بالصحة والمرض لكافة الناس.الوعي الصحي : هو إلمام الناس بالمعلومات والحقائق الصحية وإحساسهم بالمسئولية نحو صحتهم وصحة غيرهم،وهو الهدف الذي نسعى إليه لا أن تبقى المعلومات الصحية كثقافة صحية فقط.
العادة الصحية : هي ما يؤديه الفرد بلا تفكير أو شعور نتيجة كثرة تكراره.

الممارسة الصحية - السلوك الصحي  : هي ما يؤديه الفرد من مماسات وسلوك صحي عن قصد نابع من تمسكه بقيم معينه. ويمكن أن تتحول الممارسات الصحية السليمة إلى عادات تؤدى بلا شعور نتيجة كثرة التكرار وهذه مسئولية الأسرة حيث يبدأ تكوين العادات بتعود الطفل عليها قبل أن يتفهم أو يتعلم الأسس التي ترتكز عليها هذه العادات من الناحية الصحية.
ومن خلال التعاريف السابقة فيمكننا القول بأن التثقيف الصحي هو مجمـوع الأنشطة الـهادفة إلى الارتقاء بالمعارف الصحية وبناء الاتجاهات وغرس السلوكيات الصحية للفرد والمجتمع

أهــداف التثقيف الصحي قصيرة المدى:

- نشر المفاهيم والمعارف الصحية السليمة في المجتمع.
-تمكين الناس من تحديد مشاكلهم الصحية واحتياجاتهم.
-مساعدة الناس في حل مشاكلهم الصحية باستخدام إمكاناتهم.
-بناء الاتجاهات الصحية السوية.
-ترسيخ السلوك الصحي السليم وتغير السلوك الخاطئ إلى سلوك صحي صحيح.

 أهــداف التثقيف الصحي بعيدة المدى:

-تحسين الصحة على مستوى الفرد والمجتمع.
-خفض حدوث الأمراض
-خفض الإعاقات والوفيات.
-تحسين نوعية الحياة للفرد والمجتمع.

من اجل أن نحقق هذه الاهداف المذكوره سابقا يجب ان ننتقل من مستوى الثقافة الصحية الى مستوى الوعي والممارسة الصحية لذا يجب على كل من يمتلك تلك المعلومات الصحية تطبيقها والاعتقاد بها حتى يستطيع إيصالها بشكل سليم الى باقي افراد المجتمع فعملية التثقيف الصحي لا تقتصر على المثقف الصحي فقط بل هي مسؤولية الجميع.