Transcripts
DR. TARR:
So what it is that underlies
irritable bowel syndrome in general population
may just be a visceral hyperreactivity to
distention of the colon. And we, in trying to
dissect this out, would ask: are there any clear
cut foods that precipitate this?
Most families have already taken
their child off of milk and milk products. Many
people were aware of lactose intolerance by the
time they brought the child in for medical care.
Fewer people actually address
fruits. Fruits and fructose are also a very
common cause of irritable bowel syndrome or
precipitants of abdominal pain. They produce gas
just the way lactose does. And that is
something that one might also try and take out
of the diet on a trial basis.
Just be aware that it is easier
to take out lactose from a diet than it is to
take out fructose. Fructose is everywhere. You
have to read labels. You wouldn't believe the
things fructose gets into.
One should also, when taking a
history, try to localize the pain. If the pain
is localized, if a child uses an index finger to
point to the pain, that's what I would call
localized. If they use the palm of their hand,
that's more general and much harder to pin down.
And if it's localized, we would
encourage you to immediately go where the pain
is located and try to get an ultrasound to image
that area. If nothing shows up on an ultrasound
potentially consider a CT scan.
And then do a test called a KUB.
This is just an x-ray term for kidneys, ureters
and bladder, which is the plain x-ray of the
bowel. And there are a few things that one can
assess with this very simple test.
If the pain is periumbilical,
that is to say around the belly button or
diffuse, we would encourage you first to go to
the abdominal x-rays.
