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Irritability and Pain
Managing irritability is a complicated task, especially in a child who has limited capacity to communicate with words. Irritability often suggests pain or other physical discomfort caused by the onset of new symptoms or a reaction to a medication or dosage change. Irritability can also be a symptom of boredom or frustration. Dementia also can cause irritability. Certain causes of pain can be identified and treated. However, some pain with SNI is caused by signals that come from an impaired nervous system. Pain medications can reduce these signals, but because the pain messages are not connected to a problem that can be resolved, irritability may persist.
Your Team:
An interdisciplinary specialist who helps manage the medical, social and emotional challenges of complex and/or long-term care.
A medical specialist in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of pain. Also known as Pain Management Specialists.
A specialist whose aim is to improve the quality of life of their patients over the course of their illness regardless of stage, by relieving pain and other symptoms of that illness.
A medical professional who practices general medicine.
Your child’s primary physician will help assess for new problems when your child remains irritable and appears to be in pain. A complex care clinician can consider more complex reasons when symptoms occur or continue. Complex care and palliative care clinicians can bring expertise in causes of persistent pain that are due to the altered nervous system, and review treatment strategies for these problems. A pain specialist can diagnose and treat many different causes of pain. Some families may wish to consider homeopathic supports, such as acupuncture or massage. The specialists can advise on these.