Common Digestive Problems in Children
Digestive problems in children are triggered by wrong foods, wrong eating habits, infection, exposure to toxins and so on. The most common among them are given below:
Constipation: In this condition, children have infrequent bowel movements. Its symptoms are hard stools which are difficult to pass. Stool withholding, lack of fiber in diet, side effects of medicines are the most common causes of constipation. Constipation in children can be relieved and regular bowel movements is restored by including lots of fiber-rich foods in their diet.
Diarrhea: Diarrhea in children is mostly triggered by bacterial or viral infection. It can be a symptom of an undetected disease of the digestive system. It is identified with watery stools 3 or more number of times in a day, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, dehydration, etc. Diarrhea can be acute or chronic. In acute cases, these symptoms last for one or two days. On the other hand, chronic diarrhea is more serious and persist for several days. Here the treatment involves replenishment of lost fluids with the help of rehydrating solution and avoiding all such foods that causes stomach irritation.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This can be described as abnormal functioning of the bowel. Due to this abnormality, the intestines fail to contract properly to promote bowel movements. As a result, one gets diarrhea and constipation alternately. Irritable bowel syndrome makes the intestine highly sensitive towards gas and causes abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, etc. Irritable bowel syndrome in children cannot be cured completely, but its symptoms can be checked with the help of suitable medicines and dietary changes.
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: This can be described as a sudden bout of excessive vomiting that last for a few hours or days. It tends to recur after a short period of time. The characteristic and duration of each episode of vomiting syndrome remains same. The exact cause of this digestive problem is still not clearly known. Its treatment includes medicines for controlling vomiting and nausea, and adequate rest and sleep.
Gastrooesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): This is a condition where the stomach acids back flow into the esophagus and causes a lot of irritation there. A small amount of acid released into the esophagus is a common occurrence in both adults and children, and does not cause any harm. However, when too much of acid get into the esophagus then its lining get damaged and causes a lot of discomfort. Heartburn, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, swallowing difficulty, wheezing are some of the commonly observed symptoms of acid reflux disease. Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. Sometimes, following a GERD diet can bring about improvement in condition and in other cases medicines are needed to control acid production in stomach.
Common Digestive Problems in Infants
Colic, food allergies, lactose intolerance and acid reflux are the common digestive problems found in infants. Colic is found in small babies who are less than 3 months old. This happens mainly in those babies who are more sensitive towards intestinal gas. In this condition, the baby cries continuously for several hours in a day, particularly in the evening time. The symptoms that you notice while the baby cries are swollen abdomen, tensed legs that are drawn towards the body, hands clenched and her face turns red. Infant acid reflux mainly occurs when the baby drinks too much of milk or drink fast. Sometime, excessive crying or coughing can also cause back flow of acid from the stomach. It can be identified with frequent spitting out, vomiting, lack of appetite, irritability, etc. These problems can be tackled by bringing about changes in feeding techniques and habits of the baby.
In some infants, do not have the digestive enzyme lactase that breaks down the lactose present in milk and dairy products. As a result, they get nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain every time they consume dairy products. Some infants are allergic towards certain foods. It can be milk, soy products, peanuts and so on. If they are exposed to such foods then their body respond to it abnormally and causes diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and so on. Food allergies and food intolerance are two such digestive problems which continue throughout the life and one has to avoid the food that causes allergy or intolerance.
As you can see most of the digestive problems in children can be controlled with the help of suitable diet and medicines. However, do not try any home treatment for these problems without consulting your pediatrician.
The Various Buddhist Practices
Most Buddhist practices today are no different from those that have been followed since centuries. Here are some of the most commonly followed practices of Buddhism.
Meditation
The first amongst all Buddhist practices is that of meditation. It is believed that this is the first, and possibly the only real step towards attaining enlightenment and allowing yourself spiritual freedom. Buddhism believes in two particular forms of meditation, the forms being Samatha (Tranquility Meditation) and Vipassana (Insight Meditation).
Tranquility meditation is reference to training the mind to concentrate and ward off all unnecessary thoughts. It is also about learning how to detach from all worldly possessions of the external world, and leading yourself to the path of self control, self possession, and absolute composure if the mind.
The next kind is Insight meditation, and this form is considered as a higher form of meditation as opposed to the one formerly mentioned. This form of meditation is also more about mindfulness rather than just concentration. Unlike concentration, which is only about complete focus on an object (irrespective of what it is), when practicing mindfulness, it is about a combination of focus along with comprehension on the object of focus.
Mantras or Chanting
Chanting is a large part of the religion. In ancient India, when the concept of written text or scriptures was rare, it was through these words that were chanted that knowledge was passed down. The mantras are also believed as being very powerful words with immense spiritual or supernatural powers. The various chants used in Buddhism are also said to be so powerful, that they have the ability to protect, and they are used in times of danger, or to protect oneself against misfortune of any kind.
Vegetarianism
It truly is interesting to learn that although several Buddhists, or rather, most Buddhists follow vegetarianism, Buddha did not prohibit the consumption of meat as a part of the diet. Today however, this decision has become a matter of individual choice. While some people choose not to eat meat, others do not mind working otherwise. There are also some who may eat meat, but will limit their consumption to the bare minimum. Possibly the best part about Buddhism is the fact that it does not believe in imposing anything on people, most of the beliefs of Buddhism are quite liberal, thus allowing them the freedom to make decisions.
While those were some of the more commonly followed practices, other practices include:
Mudras (Hand gestures)
Pilgrimage
Prayer Wheels
Making Offerings
Lighting of Candles and Incense
Following Gestures of Respect
Monasticism or Asceticism
Buddhism has always been a fascinating religion, and has seen disciples from the world-over. It is a great way to go for all those people who have always been seeking the purpose of life, and have been trying to understand what the purpose of their being is. And for those who are trying to understand, here are some words by Buddha that you may want to remember always…
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.