What Can I Do For Stomach Cramps

How To Relieve Gas And Diarrhea

When you have gassy diarrhea, your bowel movements are loose and watery. Its very common and although it feels bad, its usually not severe.

It normally lasts 2 to 3 days, and if you need to treat it, there are non-prescription medications, which suggests they do not require a prescription.

For many people, diarrhea strikes one or two times each year. If you have particular conditions, such as cranky bowel syndrome, it can happen more often.

Avoiding Smoking And Drinking Alcohol

Smoking and alcohol indigestion and other gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastrointestinal reflux disease .

Pros and cons

Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake improves peoples quality of life and reduces the risk of certain health conditions, such as cancer.

However, avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol can be difficult, and people may require extra support.

Learn more about quitting smoking and drinking:

Pros and cons

Avoiding difficult-to-digest foods may help ease the stomach and reduce discomfort and pain. Additionally, more easily digestible foods such as fruit and vegetables may help promote a healthy, balanced diet.

However, avoiding richer or heavily preserved foods may be more difficult for people who do not have the time to source fresher food or those who live in a food desert.

When Should I See My Healthcare Provider About My Abdominal Pain

Always see your doctor if your pain is unexplained, persistent or severe, or if you have been injured or are pregnant.

Also, see your doctor if your pain is accompanied by any of these symptoms:

• Persistent fever.
• Blood in your stools, urine or vomit.
• Swelling and tenderness to the touch.
• Pain in any other part of your body.
• Shortness of breath or symptoms that get worse with exertion.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

So many things can cause abdominal pain that its inevitable well all experience it from time to time. Common causes, such as gas and indigestion, menstrual cramps, or even food poisoning and the flu may be instantly recognizable. Other causes may be more mysterious. And sometimes stomach pain is a sign of an unsuspected or serious condition.

Your healthcare provider will always be interested in your abdominal pain, especially if its unexplained. Common causes are often easy to treat, and having your condition diagnosed can help you find relief. Even if your stomach pain is mild, make sure you see your healthcare provider if it doesnt go away, keeps coming back or gets worse.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/18/2022.

References

Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Cellulite On Stomach And Thighs

How Do You Treat Stomach Cramps

Treating stomach cramps depends on the underlying cause of the problem. If your doctor diagnoses a condition such as IBS or IBD, he or she may prescribe medications. Stomach cramping related to a viral infection will resolve as the infection clears. For causes like appendicitis, surgery may be necessary. Otherwise, everyday stomach cramps due to diarrhea, gas, constipation, or other stomach upset may respond to over-the-counter medicines.

Prevent Diarrhea And Stomach Cramps

Diarrhea can be easily prevented with these simple methods:

• Observe proper hygiene.
• Keep your kitchen utensils especially your chopping board, clean at all times. Run hot water on your chopping boards every after use.
• Regular exercise is a good way of preventing abdominal cramps due to menstrual period.
• Avoid touching your face especially your nose and mouth with your hands.
• Wash your hands properly and frequently to avoid contamination. Using alcohol or hand sanitizer is highly recommended when soap and water is not available.
• Prepare your food well and if possible, eat your food while it is still hot and store left over on the refrigerator and reheat them before eating.

Also Check: Are Pickles Good For Your Stomach

You May Like: Why Does My Stomach Hurt To Touch

Soothe Your Stomach With Fennel

Fennel stimulates digestion, reduces gas and bloating, and soothes stomach pain. Its a common ingredient in many commercial teas that relieve stomach problems. If you like the flavor of licorice, youll probably like how fennel tastes, too.

If you can find raw fennel bulbs at a health food store near you, treat your stomach pain by slicing off a piece and chewing on it.

If you cant find raw fennel, the seeds also work well for treating indigestion and bloating.

Chew on half a teaspoon of them, or steep them in hot water to make fennel tea.

Apple Cider Vinegar Natural Remedy To Get Rid Of Stomach Cramps

Severe abdominal cramping can also be treated with the help of apple cider vinegar. It works by helping out your digestive system and alleviating symptoms like bloating or gas. Take one glass of lukewarm water and add 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar.

Mix it well and drink it while the water is still warm. If the taste is too much, you can always add an extra tablespoon of organic honey to help drink it up. You should repeat this remedy one time every couple of hours and you will soon see any lower or upper abdominal cramps disappear.

Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Stomach Dimples

When Should I Call My Doctor

• Blood in your diarrhea or black, tarry stools.
• A fever that is high or that lasts more than 24 hours.
• Diarrhea lasting longer than 2 days.
• Nausea or vomiting that prevents you from drinking liquids to replace lost fluids.
• Diarrhea when you come back from overseas travel.

Also, call your doctor immediately if you have diarrhea and any of these signs of dehydration:

Also Check: How To Manscape Stomach Hair

What Is The Treatment For Ibs

There is no cure for IBS, but there are things you can do to feel better. Treatment may include:

• Changing your diet

Your doctor may give you medicine to help with symptoms:

• Fiber supplements such as psyllium to help control constipation.
• Anti-diarrheal medications, such as loperamide , to help control diarrhea.
• Antispasmodic agents such as peppermint oil or dicyclomine to slow contractions in the bowel, which may help with diarrhea and pain.
• Antidepressant medications such as a tricylcic antidepressant or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor if symptoms include pain or depression.
• IBS medication. A medication known as Lubiprostone is approved by the FDA for women with severe IBS-C .

Take your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to. All drugs have side effects and may affect people differently. Tell your doctor about any over-the-counter medicines you take.

Read Also: What Causes Trapped Gas In Stomach

Visit The Sydney Gut Clinic

If stomach cramps are persistent and if you experience them very often, it is necessary to treat the underlying cause behind them. Schedule an appointment with us to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

At Sydney Gut Clinic, we have a team of gastrointestinal specialists trained to identify the causes behind symptoms you experience and direct you to the best treatment options.

Which conditions can cause stomach cramps?

Stomach cramps are often a result of your body reacting to medical complications in the digestive tract. Most of the time they are triggered as a result of certain types of food.

If cramps occur outside your dietary habits, it may mean a different gastrointestinal condition like inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal obstruction, or even food poisoning and intestinal infections. Visit a gastrointestinal specialist to get an accurate diagnosis of the stomach cramps you experience.

Dont Miss: What To Give Kids For Stomach Ache

What To Do If You Think You Have Covid

COVID-19 symptoms can occur 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and range from minor to severe. If left untreated, it can impair the immune system and lead to complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Consult a doctor as soon as you notice COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with an infected person. If a diagnosis of COVID-19 is confirmed, take action right away and follow all safety protocols to avoid spreading the virus and worsening your condition.

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Don’t Miss: How To Cure Bloated Stomach Naturally

How Is Abdominal Pain Treated

The treatment of abdominal pain will depend on its underlying cause.

Mild abdominal pain may go away on its own within hours or days. Mild pain and related symptoms can also often be treated with medicines from the pharmacy. Your pharmacist will be able to advise you on what type of product is best suited to your situation.

You should not use aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, to treat abdominal pain, other than period pain. These medicines may cause or irritate a stomach or bowel problem.

If you are treating mild abdominal pain with a known cause at home:

• use a hot water bottle or warm wheat pack on your abdomen
• eat bland foods when you can start eating again, or as advised by your doctor

Specific treatments, depending on the cause of your abdominal pain, include the following:

Gas Medicines designed to break down gas bubbles, such as antacids containing simethicone, are available over the counter. Gas-reducing medicines such as charcoal products, may help with ongoing wind problems. Dietary changes may also help. An Accredited Practising Dietitian or your doctor can help with dietary advice.

Gastroenteritis This usually only lasts a few days and clears up by itself. Rehydrating by drinking plenty of clear fluids is the most important treatment.

Pain due to muscle spasms Spasms in the wall of the bowel may be eased by antispasmodic medicines. Several are available, so talk to your pharmacist or doctor about which are right for you.

How Can I Prevent Amebiasis

Proper sanitation is the key to avoiding amebiasis. As a general rule, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before handling food.

If youre traveling to places where the infection is common, follow this regimen when preparing and eating food:

• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Avoid eating fruits or vegetables unless you wash and peel them yourself.
• Use bottled water and soft drinks from sealed containers.
• If you must drink tap water, boil it for at least 1 minute, or use a store-bought absolute 1 micron filter and add disinfecting chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or iodine tablets to the filtered water.
• Avoid ice cubes or fountain drinks.
• Avoid peeled fresh fruit or vegetables.
• Avoid milk, cheese, or other unpasteurized dairy products.
• Avoid food sold by street vendors.

Recommended Reading: Why Would My Lower Stomach Hurt

Why Can Diagnosis Of The Cause Of Abdominal Pain Be Difficult

Modern advances in technology have greatly improved the accuracy, speed, and ease of establishing the cause of belly pain, but significant challenges remain. There are many reasons why diagnosing the cause of it can be difficult.

Symptoms may be atypical

• For example, the pain of appendicitis sometimes is located in the right upper abdomen and diverticulitis on the right side. Elderly patients and those taking corticosteroids may have little or no pain and tenderness when there is inflammation, for example, with cholecystitis or diverticulitis. This occurs because corticosteroids reduce inflammation.

Tests are not always abnormal.

• Ultrasound examinations can miss gallstones, particularly small ones.
• CT scans may fail to show pancreatic cancer, particularly small ones.
• The KUB can miss the signs of intestinal obstruction or stomach perforation.
• Ultrasounds and CT scans may fail to demonstrate appendicitis or even abscesses, particularly if the abscesses are small.
• The CBC and other blood tests may be normal despite severe infection or inflammation, particularly in individuals receiving corticosteroids or other drugs that suppress the immune system.

Diseases can mimic one another.

The characteristics of the pain may change.

• Examples discussed previously include the extension of the inflammation of pancreatitis to involve the entire abdomen and the progression of biliary colic to cholecystitis.

Lowering The Effects Of High Fat Meals

In 2011, researchers concluded that diets rich in antioxidant spices, including cinnamon, may help reduce the bodys negative response to eating high fat meals.

Six people consumed dishes containing 14 g of a spice blend. Blood tests showed that antioxidant activity increased by 13%, insulin response fell by 21%, and triglycerides fell by 31%.

Read Also: Can You Take Zyrtec D On An Empty Stomach

What Can You Take For Cramps In Your Stomach

or you have chest, Forman says, or caffeine -free sportsLast but not least, and out to a count of 8 or 10, nuts, Spine Twist This pose calls for lying on your back by bending your knees in a way that your feet are grounded to the floor and your arms stretched out on either side.If youve been vomiting, and seeds can help decrease inflammation in the body and can help menstrual cramps.Drinking this mixture after meals can prevent the stomach cramps cause of indigestion, you may have to pull your stomach muscles in for the last few counts.

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.

Also Check: What Can Cause Pain In Stomach And Back

Peppermint Tea To Relieve Stomach Pain

For more generalized pain relief, try peppermint tea, or even sucking on a candy cane if youre feeling festive. Peppermint leaves contain menthol, a natural analgesic known to help nausea and upset stomachs. Whether you get it from a candy, tea, chewing on the leaves, or sniffing some extract, peppermint can alleviate stomach pain and any accompanying nausea.

• Add one teaspoon of dried peppermint to one cup of boiling water.
• Steep for five to 10 minutes before straining.
• Add a dab of honey for taste.
• Or, chew on one fresh peppermint leaf throughout the day.

How To Make Stomach Cramps Go Away With Plain Yogurt

Plain yogurt has been a popular home remedy for abdominal cramps for quite some time. We can understand why, as it has proven its benefits in many cases. Even more so, yogurt with bacteria helps you alleviate pain caused by indigestion.

Make sure that the yogurt you consume is plain, without any added bits of fruit or chocolate. You can either enjoy the yogurt simply, or you can make your own concoction with coriander, cardamom, and a bit of salt. No matter what method you choose, you can drink it multiple times throughout the day for relief.

Read Also: How Effective Is Coolsculpting On Stomach

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.

Also Check: How Long Does Stomach Cancer Take To Develop

Taking Care Of Yourself At Home

Most abdominal pain goes away without special treatment. Be guided by your doctor, but there are some things you can do to help ease the pain, including:

• Place a hot water bottle or heated wheat bag on your abdomen.
• Soak in a warm bath. Take care not to scald yourself.
• Drink plenty of clear fluids such as water.
• Reduce your intake of coffee, tea and alcohol as these can make the pain worse.
• When you are allowed to eat again, start with clear liquids, then progress to bland foods such as crackers, rice, bananas or toast. Your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Try over-the-counter antacids, to help reduce some types of pain.
• Take mild painkillers such as paracetamol. Please check the packet for the right dose. Avoid aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs unless advised to take them by a doctor. These drugs can make some types of abdominal pain worse.

You May Like: How To Reduce Stomach Fat Naturally At Home