Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Bill.D.Katt. on 20/12/2010 06:07:41
-
Why do children suffer from stomach aches more than adults? And why do adults suffer more from sore throats than children?
-
I think that children get ill more often because their immune system has yet to learn how to protect them. Think of it as priming the immune system. I have never heard that adults suffer more from sore throat. Where did you see that and what are the causes?
-
I remember when I was little I almost never got sore throats, and neither did my friends, but whenever one of us got sick it always effected the stomach more. I haven't been sick to my stomach since I was 12, with my friends it's pretty much the same (except for stomach flu cases). I'm pretty much just talking about common cold cases; obviously strep throat will give a nasty sore throat no matter who gets it.
-
Bill:
You are arguing from personal experience. There is nothing wrong with this, but you can't generalize beyond your small group. Maybe everybody else sees this the opposite way. I do from my own experience with myself, my children, and my grandchildren. This sounds like a doable short web research exercise, why don't you find out how many of what who gets (is that a sentence?). Report back.
Steve
-
No, there is something wrong with arguing from personal experience, my apologies. I did a quick google search before posting this, and really didn't see anything about it. That should have been a notice in itself. But now you have made me curious to see whether or not there is any overall trend. I shall look around and ask questions.
-
why do adults suffer more from sore throats than children?
If true could be explained by the fact that about 20% of adults smoke.
-
It's dangerous to estimate such things, but in my experience I would concur that I probably suffered stomach-aches more frequently when I was in my school years than I have done recently (mid-thirties).
I had several thoughts:
a) there might be a genuine difference (immune system priming or whatever)
b) it might just be that as an adult you know that such things "go away" within an hour or two - and so it's less of a big deal than a child who might tend to be focussed much more on the "now" (also that an hour/morning/afternoon is a bigger fraction of a childs life than an adult thus gains more significance).
c) maybe as an adult a greater awareness of the types/causes of stomache-ache eg cramps from exercising too soon after food (avoid), or from built-up wind which you somehow learn to manipulate/manouever and expel as an adult - thus making your own relief?
d) maybe also it takes time to personally learn of any foods which cause you mild discomfort - which a parent of the child wouldn't register/connect to food but which a teenager/young adult begins to recognise and thus avoid the food.
I'm very fortunate to enjoy nearly all foods, but I did realise in my mid-late teens that cherry or black-cherries in any quantity beyond decoration make me very queezy, and thus I now avoid cherry-pie (the odd glace cherry is totally ok).
-
why do adults suffer more from sore throats than children?
If true could be explained by the fact that about 20% of adults smoke.
And that more adults are missing their tonsils, and that their tonsils do not provide the protection they once did as a child.
-
Certainly kids are more prone to colds than adults, and families with young kids are likewise at higher risk than those without the kids. It is probably a combination of exposure, touching & tasting everything, and a naive immune system.
As far as stomach aches.
Perhaps an adult classifies different causes: Diarrhea, Constipation, Menstrual Cramps, Overeating, etc....
While a child lumps all the multiple causes into a single complaint.
We also learn better control over the systems in our bodies over time. I don't think I've had to vomit since I was about 10... except perhaps once following overindulging myself after a wrestling match. On rare occasions I get an acid taste in my mouth which I just swallow. I might pay attention to other subtle signs in the body differently than a young child.
-
Kids suffer from stomach ache is common complaint of parents but may times it is harmless and stop normally after couple of hours.But parents must look after it , some stomach ache also cure by just hugs and kisses. But take care if there is vomiting,diarrhea or abdominal pain.
-
So it is all really due to the immune system of the kids?
-
I was reading about enteroviruses recently.
Many of them have mild symptoms, and then generate lifelong immunity. And, thus one might expect them to be more prevalent in kids (especially those that will put anything in their mouth). Perhaps the same is true as they begin to build a symbiotic relationship with gut flora. E-Coli (enterotoxigenic) may have local strains in the flora, and thus would generate a habitualization to the bacteria after birth.