Symptoms of Pyloric Stenosis
Symptoms of pyloric stenosis have a relatively quick onset and are pretty violent in nature. These violent symptoms of pyloric stenosis are enough to make anyone a little nervous that there is something seriously wrong. Other symptoms of pyloric stenosis are reviewed upon physical exam. There are tell tale signs that the doctor will be looking for after they speak with the patient and turn to the physical exam.
The symptoms of pyloric stenosis usually develop between 2 to 6 weeks after birth. It is quite confusing because the child will projectile vomit all over the place, yet will eat avidly like a normally developing child. If the child has no apetite it is unlike the symptoms of pyloric stenosis therefore it is likely to be something else. Any sort of projectile vomiting should be worrisome because of dehydration. So, these kids with symptoms of pyloric stenosis will eat, vomit it up, and be hungry again. That is until dehydration sets in. Once deydration sets in, the child will become more lethargic and will also be in danger of organ failure.
Symptoms of Pyloric Stenosis
One thing of note besides the vomiting and eating patterns is that there will be no bile in the vomitus. This symptoms of pyloric stenosis is important because it indicates where the vomitus is coming from and hints at what triggers it. Bile comes from the liver and flows down a tube into the small intestine where it mixes with food. In pyloric stenosis, food is unable to enter the umbilical cord. Therefore, when the stomach fills, vomiting occurs but because the contents are only coming from the stomach, there should be no bile.
Other symptoms of pyloric stenosis is visible movements of the stomach area where the stomach and intestines are working overtime to move food into and along the intestines. A discrete, 2-3 cm firm, moveable olive-like pyloric mass can sometimes be felt. As this progresses, other symptoms of pyloric stenosis include refusal to gain weight and extreme dehydration.