Irritability
Alternative names:
inconsolability
Definition:
An excessive response to harmless stimuli.
Considerations:
Irritability is used specifically in regard to infants and young children who often, in the presence of illness, demonstrate increased fussiness, whining, and fretfulness despite attempts at comforting and parental responses that would normally be soothing to the infant or child.
Irritability is seen at the beginning of many infectious diseases, some metabolic diseases, head trauma, malignancies, and other types of disease. It can be a very early sign of pending problems. Although irritability cannot be taken as a symptom or sign of any specific illness, it should arouse early suspicion in the parent that something might be wrong with the infant or young child, even though there may not yet be other symptoms. Parents are very aware of their child's normal behavior and may pick up early changes that would be inapparent to the examining health care provider. This may help in the early diagnosis of illness.
Common causes:
Note: There may be other causes of irritability. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for irritability, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.
|
