When Stomach Pain Is An Emergency
Sometimes stomach pain is mild at first but gets worse after a few hours. You may also develop other symptoms.
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms along with stomach pain:
- Extremely hard abdomen
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Vomiting that won’t stop
- Inability to have a bowel movement, along with vomiting
- Pain in the neck, shoulder, or between shoulder blades
If you have these symptoms, call for an ambulance or have someone drive you to the ER. You should not “wait and see” or take medicine for the pain. Get help right away.
When stomach pain is associated with these other symptoms, it may be caused by a life-threatening condition. Some examples of these conditions include:
These emergencies usually cause pain that feels extreme. Other circumstances in which you should discuss stomach pain with a healthcare provider include when:
- You’re pregnant
- Your pain started within a week of abdominal surgery
- Your pain started after a procedure in your stomach area, like an endoscopy
- You have ever had surgery on your digestive tract, like a gastric bypass, colostomy, or bowel resection
- Your pain started shortly after an abdominal trauma
- Your abdomen is bruised or rapidly expanding
- Excessive vaginal bleeding, or blood clots and bleeding longer than usual
- You have rectal bleeding, or tarry-looking or bloody stool
What Causes An Upset Stomach
Many different things can cause pain or discomfort in the stomach. Some causes are more severe than others, and the treatment for stomach pain varies accordingly. Gas or bloating after a meal can be managed at home. However, drinking contaminated water while traveling requires care from a medical professional. Chronic health problems that cause stomach pain must be managed long term with the help of a healthcare professional.
Common causes of stomach pain include
- greasy or fatty foods
- bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli.
- chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohns disease
What Other Symptoms Relate To Abdominal Pain
Pain in the abdomen may be experienced as aching, stabbing, burning, twisting, cramping, dull, or a gnawing pain.
The pain may also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen, bloating, constipation, wind , belching , fever, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, fever, dehydration or loss of appetite
The pain might be steady or it might get stronger. It can be made worse or it can be improved by changes in posture or by coughing.
Describing the pattern and location of your symptoms to a doctor may help them in identifying the cause of your abdominal pain. These causes include:
- Peptic ulcer The pain is often felt in the upper abdomen, as a knife-like pain which goes through to the back.
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease The pain usually causes a central burning pain that develops just under the breastbone, and may rise upwards. It may be accompanied by belching.
- Appendicitis The pain usually starts near the navel before moving down to the lower right abdomen when it becomes more constant.
- Gallstones or gallbladder irritation The pain is felt in the upper right abdomen, back or right shoulder.
- Lower abdominal pain: Also referred to as lower stomach pain, it is probably coming from your bowel.
- Period pain This is usually a dull, cramping pain, felt low down, which may radiate through to the back.
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What Foods Help Gas Pains
eating raw, low-sugar fruits, such as apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, grapefruits, peaches, strawberries, and watermelons. choosing low-carbohydrate vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, okra, tomatoes, and bok choy. eating rice instead of wheat or potatoes, as rice produces less gas.
Make A Drink With Apple Cider Vinegar
When your stomach is aching, a shot of acidic apple cider vinegar might be the last thing you want to put in it, but it could actually make you feel better. There are two reasons for this.
First, apple cider vinegar kills bacteria, so if youve got a bacterial infection in your stomach, the vinegar can help clear it out. Second, apple cider vinegar balances your stomach acid, which can help with acid reflux issues. Dont ever drink apple cider vinegar on its own its too strong, and it could damage your teeth. Instead, mix it with something else. Try stirring a tablespoon of vinegar into a cup of warm water or fruit juice.
Add some honey to improve the taste if you want.
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Why Your Stomach Aches After Eating
There are several reasons why your stomach might hurt after eating. If you ate more than usual, it could be hurting because itâs full of too much food. On the other hand, your stomach could feel âoffâ because you ate foods that disagree with it. Spicy, starchy or especially decadent foods can cause stomach discomfort in some people because these foods often lead to bloating or gas to build up inside the stomach.
Ginger Tea As A Stomach Pain Remedy
The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ginger neutralize excess acids that cause stomach pain.
Drinking ginger tea may help to stimulate proper digestion by promoting the production of digestive juices while fighting harmful free radicals that cause disease.
Drink two to three cups of ginger tea daily.
- Cut one medium-sized ginger root into thin slices.
- Add the ginger to one cup of boiling water and boil for three minutes.
- Lower heat and simmer for five minutes.
- Strain and add honey for flavor.
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Stomach Pain Wont Go Away
I have a mild form of UC. 2 months ago i forgot to take my mesalazin for a couple days. After that ive been having stomach ache and gas. After a month i got tired of it and started a 3 week cortisone treatment. It felt better for the first week but then it got worse again. I didnt consider this a real flare up since there was no blood, thats why only 3 week cortisone treatment. That might have been a mistake.
Ive had 2 flare-ups before, first time when i got the disease and second time after eating 2 antibiotic regimens almost in a row. This time i was going through great stress for over two months. I didnt have the energy to exercise, and the stress also led me to eat unhealthy foods and get drunk about once in a week/two weeks for a period of 2 months.
The stress has been gone for over a month already, and ive been eating healthy and stopped drinking, but the stomach ache is still here. Its weird how slowly my gut seems to heal from this.
Remedies And Treatments For Stomach Pain
Stomach pains â also known as stomachaches, tummy aches, and bellyaches â can range from mildly annoying to painfully incapacitating. It can be caused by a food allergy, indigestion, or eating something that has gone bad. Or it can be something more serious like an ulcer, Crohnâs disease, or stomach cancer.
At home, there are things you can do, and things you can take, to potentially alleviate your stomach pain.
Use a Heating Pad
A simple remedy is to place a heating pad where it hurts on your stomach. The heat relaxes your outer stomach muscles and promotes movement in the digestive tract. Lying down usually works best. Keep it on your stomach for 15 minutes.
Draw a Hot Bath
Similar to a heating pad, the warm, soothing effect of a hot bath not only relaxes the stomach area, but it also relaxes the rest of your body. Once the water temperature is to your liking, soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
Get Some Sleep
A recent study found that digestive disruptions can be directly tied to lack of sleep. Getting a full nightâs rest improves the overall health of your body and can help ease any stomach pains you may be experiencing.
Donât Overeat
Chamomile Tea
This ancient brew has been used for countless homeopathic remedies for centuries, and it is especially effective in soothing an upset stomach. Its anti-inflammatory properties help your stomach muscles relax, which can reduce cramp and spasm pains.
Ginger
Peppermint
Soda Water
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How Do I Debloat My Stomach
From the best foods to eat to reduce gas to new activities to try, these ideas will get your digestion back on track as quickly as possible. Eat potassium-rich foods. And asparagus. Go for a walk. Try dandelion root tea. Take an Epsom salt bath. Get out your foam roller. Consider taking a magnesium pill.
When Should I See My Doctor
In some cases, you should seek urgent medical attention or consult a doctor if you have abdominal pain.
If you have a sudden, severe, incapacitating pain in your abdomen, go immediately to your nearest emergency department or call triple zero and ask for an ambulance.
You should also seek urgent medical attention if you have pain that:
- is severe and/or getting worse
- has lasted for several hours or more
- wakes you from sleep
- is spreading to your neck, chest or shoulders
- makes it difficult to swallow
Urgent medical attention is also required if you have abdominal pain accompanied by
- unexplained weight loss
- skin that appears yellow
If you are experiencing pain high up in your abdomen that is made worse by exercise it could be angina or a heart attack. If you, or someone near you is experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, call triple zero immediately and ask for an ambulance.
If you are pregnant and experiencing abdominal pain, check with your doctor or midwife. Abdominal pains are common in pregnancy, but should always be checked out.
If your abdominal pain does not match the situations above, but it is recurrent or persistent , or it started mild but is worsening, you should still consult a doctor.
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How To Relieve Bad Stomach
Bad stomach pain can feel like an all-day thing. Not only can it make you feel physically terrible, but it can also take over your mood. You may start to feel depressed, sad or anxious. There are ways to relieve the pain. Here are some things you can do: Drink plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and help the stomach to stay relaxed. Keep a cup of ginger tea or chamomile tea with you at all times to help with stomach pain. Ginger tea is used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with nausea and diarrhea. Other options include lemon juice, and celery juice. Try using a non-acidic vegetable juice as a base to make your tea. An apple juice and carrot juice work well.
Causes Of Recurrent Stomach Pains
- Stress or Worries. The most common cause of frequent stomach pains is stress. Over 10% of children have a worried stomach. These children tend to be sensitive and too serious. They often are model children. This can make them more at risk to the normal stresses of life. Examples of these events are changing schools, moving or family fights. The pain is in the pit of the stomach or near the belly button. The pain is real.
- Abdominal Migraine. Attacks of stomach pain and vomiting with sudden onset and offset. Often occur in children who later develop migraine headaches. Strongly genetic.
- Functional Abdominal Pains. Functional means the stomach pains are due to a sensitive GI tract. The GI tract is free of any disease.
- School Avoidance. Stomach pains that mainly occur in the morning on school days. They keep the child from going to school.
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Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.
Take Some Deep Breaths
Deep breathing may help relieve gas. But this only tends to work if it’s something you practice regularly.
Since deep breathing from the diaphragm is so effective for reducing stress, it’s worth taking the time to learn how to do it. You can then use this breathing technique as needed for future gas attacks.
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Natural Remedies For Stomach Ache
If you get stomach aches periodically, youre not alone. An upset stomach can result from all sorts of things from stress and diet to more serious matters such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Disease or colon cancer.
While there is no comparison to care from one of our board-certified gastroenterologists, many stomach aches can easily be treated at home. However, if you have persistent issues or pain, or a sudden onset of severe symptoms, medical treatment is always your best option.
8 Natural Remedies for Stomach ache
Peppermint
The menthol in peppermint leaves has been used as a natural pain reliever to aid stomach problems for centuries. Try drinking it in a tea, chewing on mint gum, or sucking on a peppermint candy.
Apple Cider Vinegar
While not delicious to taste on its own, this pantry staple can be taken by the tablespoon to neutralize an upset stomach. Try mixing it with a cup of water and a teaspoon of honey. The acids inside may help decrease starch digestion, and keep the bacteria in the gut healthy.
Ginger
Ginger has been used since ancient times to help treat stomach aches, and science proves it truly can help. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and can be consumed in various forms candy, capsules, or as tea but fresh ginger root is best when looking to rid stomach pain.
Chamomile Tea
Drink Water
Exercise
Apply Heat
Try the BRAT Diet
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Home Remedies For An Upset Stomach
An upset stomach is a nonmedical term describing a range of gastrointestinal symptoms like gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea.
Next time youre feeling any of these symptoms, try these home remedies from Nebraska Medicine gastroenterologist Sarah Malik, MBBS, to feel better.
Peppermint oil
For centuries, peppermint oil has been used to treat gastrointestinal ailments. Peppermint oil possesses antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulating and anesthetic activities, all of which may help gut disorders. Peppermint oil can relax painful muscle contractions along your food pipe.
Eucalyptus oil, found in vapor rub
Vapor rub contains ingredients that can provide a soothing effect if rubbed on the belly. It contains eucalyptus oil, which fights against bacteria, improves your immune system and reduces inflammation. It also contains menthol, camphor oil and nutmeg oil, which have been used to relieve pain.
Ginger
Herbal medicines are also effective for nausea. People have used ginger root to soothe troubled stomachs for the past 2,000 years. Various preclinical and clinical studies also support ginger’s helpful properties. Try ginger tea with lemon for a relaxing, comforting drink.
Sports drinks and noncaffeinated sodas
Certain foods make an upset stomach worse
Some people with chronic stomach discomfort are more sensitive to certain foods:
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Are Eggs Bad For Gallbladder
The gallbladder produces bile that helps the body digest fats. A high intake of fats, and especially saturated and trans fats, may put extra strain on this process. Researchers have found that people who consume red, processed meats, and egg as part of an overall unhealthful diet have a higher risk of gallstones.
Do Some Gentle Yoga Stretches
Most of these tips have focused on internal remedies for stomach pain, but you can also get some relief by stretching.
A number of yoga poses are designed to help stimulate digestion and relieve bloating, which can make you feel less crampy and miserable. For quick relief, try a knees-to-stomach pose. Lie on your back somewhere comfortable.
Draw your knees up to your chest and wrap your arms around your shins. Make sure to keep your back flat on the floor. Hold this pose for one minute, and then release.
Repeat this pose until you feel better.
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How Do You Relieve Abdominal Pain
Stomach pain has a wide variety of causes and treatments. Some conditions, such as gallstones or appendicitis, may require surgery. Others, such as ulcers or infections, may be eased with medicine. And sometimes you may just have to get through a bout of stomach flu or a kidney stone until it passes.
If you dont know whats causing your abdominal pain, its important to find out, especially if it doesnt go away on its own. Remember that even mild cases can be serious. However, if you have a pretty good idea that your stomachache is related to digestion, you can begin by treating yourself with:
- Bowel rest. Stop eating, or only eat easy-to-digest foods like crackers or bananas.
- Hydration. Drink plenty of water or a hydration formula.
- Heat therapy. Try a warm water bottle or a soak in the bath.
- Home remedies. Try licorice for gas, ginger for indigestion, or peppermint to help relax your intestinal muscles.
Rule Out Food Allergies And Intolerances To Common Foods
Food allergies and intolerances are relatively common.
When you eat foods that you are intolerant to, it can cause excess gas production, bloating and other symptoms.
Here are some common foods and ingredients to consider:
- Lactose: Lactose intolerance is associated with many digestive symptoms, including bloating. Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk (
Both lactose and fructose are a part of a larger group of indigestible carbs or fiber known as FODMAPs. FODMAP intolerance is one of the most common causes of bloating and abdominal pain.
If you strongly suspect that you have a food allergy or intolerance, see a doctor.
Summary
Food allergies and intolerances are common causes of bloating. Common offenders include lactose, fructose, wheat, gluten and eggs.
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