Read This If Your Child Is A Fast Eater & Experiencing Heartburn
It can be a bit comical to watch an active young child seemingly inhaling their food as they eat. Interestingly enough, a study was done that found that males actually eat faster and more than females. But at least most adult males have table manners which can hold them back a bit. Children? Not so much. While it can be humorous to watch a child eat fast, eating fast could lead to the development of several medical conditions. Here's what every parent of a fast-eater needs to know.
Health Risks of Eating Fast
Obviously, the biggest and scariest health risk of eating too fast is choking. If your child chokes regularly when they eat you should make them slow down. You can do this by offering them smaller portions of food during their meals rather than the entire meal at once.
Additionally, eating fast can cause your child to develop heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (also known as GERD), and the development of a hiatal hernia. A hiatal hernia is when a part of the stomach protrudes upward into the opening of the diaphragm, which is called the hiatus. When these types of health conditions start to develop, they can get progressively worse as your child continues to eat fast.
Diagnosed Through Imaging Studies
In order to get a proper diagnosis, your child will need to be referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist who will likely order a series of imaging studies and tests. The primary test that will be ordered to determine the cause of heartburn and chest pains is a barium swallow study. Your child will be asked to swallow a small amount of barium while the technologist will watch the movement of the barium on a cine esophagram. An endoscopy may also be required, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Treatments & Prognosis
Treatment for heartburn due to GERD and/or a hiatal hernia typically involves medication and slower eating habits. The gastroenterologist may provide you with some effective and constructive ways to help your child slow down when eating. Typically, the improvement of eating habits combined with medication will alleviate the symptoms and help improve the GERD and/or hiatal hernia to the point where there's no longer a problem. Rarely, though, if there is a hiatal hernia and medication is ineffective in controlling the symptoms, your child may need to have surgery done to repair the hiatal hernia.
For more information, contact a local gastroenterology doctor.