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What Does It Mean When You Have Severe Stomach Pain

How Is Abdominal Pain Treated

How to Ease Stomach Pain (4 Tips)

Treating abdominal pain depends on its cause. Options include:

  • Medications for inflammation, gastroesophageal reflux disease or ulcers.
  • Antibiotics for infection.
  • Changes in personal behavior for abdominal pain caused by certain foods or beverages.
  • Local or spinal injections of numbing agents or corticosteroids by pain management physicians.

In more severe cases like appendicitis and hernia, surgery is necessary.

When Should You Worry About Abdominal Pain

When to Worry. You should go talk to your doctor if you have middle right abdominal pain that is severe and is associated with pressure in the chest or trauma, such as an injury or accident. Ask someone to take you to the emergency room if you have fever, severe pain, weight loss, persistent nausea, bloody stools, swelling of the abdomen,

How Common Are Stomachaches

Just about everybody will experience abdominal pain at one point or another. Most causes of abdominal pain are not serious and resolve spontaneously. A healthcare provider can usually readily diagnose and treat these conditions. However, abdominal pain can also be a sign of a serious illness, or even an emergency. Abdominal pain is responsible for some 5% of emergency room visits.

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Pain In The Middle Of The Stomach Should Be A Concern

While mild pain in the middle of the stomach may be treated easily, it should be observed. From inflammatory bowel disease to pancreatic disorders, there are plenty of possibilities for the mid-abdominal pain to be a warning sign of a serious issue. Knowing the anatomy of the abdomen and related organs may help you identify the cause. If the pain goes away and does not return, it may have been nothing serious. But if its a pain that reoccurs or worsens, its best to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

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Other Characteristics Of Severe Abdominal Pain

7 Stomach Pains and What They Mean

Also, pay attention to the quality and location of the pain. Your pain may be localized and limited to one area of the abdomen. It may be intermittent, or colicky, which is a term that describes the pain that is sudden and feels like a severe muscle spasm. The pain can also feel like cramps or a tightening sensation in your stomach.

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When To Contact A Medical Professional

Get medical help right away or call your local emergency number if you:

  • Are currently being treated for cancer
  • Are unable to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting
  • Are vomiting blood or have blood in your stool
  • Have chest, neck, or shoulder pain
  • Have sudden, sharp abdominal pain
  • Have pain in, or between, your shoulder blades with nausea
  • Have tenderness in your belly, or your belly is rigid and hard to the touch
  • Are pregnant or could be pregnant
  • Had a recent injury to your abdomen
  • Have difficulty breathing
  • Abdominal discomfort that lasts 1 week or longer
  • Abdominal pain that does not improve in 24 to 48 hours, or becomes more severe and frequent and occurs with nausea and vomiting
  • Bloating that persists for more than 2 days
  • Burning sensation when you urinate or frequent urination
  • Diarrhea for more than 5 days
  • Fever, over 100°F for adults or 100.4°F for children, with pain
  • Prolonged poor appetite
  • Unexplained weight loss

Symptoms Of Abdominal Pain In Adults

The type of pain can vary greatly. When abdominal pain occurs, it can:

  • be sharp, dull, stabbing, cramp-like, twisting or fit many other descriptions
  • be brief, come and go in waves, or it can be constant
  • make you throw up
  • make you want to stay still or make you so restless that you pace around trying to find just the right position
  • vary from a minor problem to one needing urgent surgery.

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Menstrual Cramp Causes And Risk Factors

Menstrual cramps happen because of contractions in the uterus, or womb, which is a muscle. If it contracts too strongly during your menstrual cycle, it can press against nearby blood vessels. This briefly cuts off oxygen to the uterus. Itâs this lack of oxygen that causes your pain and cramping.

You can also have cramps because of:

  • Endometriosis, a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus grows outside of the uterus
  • Fibroids in your uterus
  • Adenomyosis, when your uterine lining grows into nearby muscle
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease , an infection caused by bacteria that starts in the uterus and can spread to other reproductive organs
  • Cervical stenosis, or a narrowing of the lower part of your uterus, caused by scarring, as well as a lack of estrogen after menopause

Certain things put you at a higher risk of menstrual cramps. Youâre more likely to have them if you:

  • Are under 30

What Causes Pain In My Stomach Every Night

Severe Abdominal Pain Causes | HealthONE Denver

10 Causes of Stomach Pain at Night Food Poisoning. When stomach pain hits at night, our first thought is the last meal we had. Gas. Gas pains in the stomach, like the sensation of food poisoning, can keep you up all night with a sharp, stabbing pain radiating throughout the abdominal cavity. Stomach Ulcer. Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. Gallstones.

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The Link Between Your Gut Microbiome And Your Health

In addition, many of the underlying conditions that cause abdominal pain can lead to serious complications, including the possibility of structural damage to the digestive system from infection, cancer and its treatments, and inflammatory bowel disease .

To reduce the risk of complications, its important to seek medical attention for your abdominal pain if its sudden and severe, or if it includes symptoms like fever, bloody stool, weight loss, nausea and vomiting, or visible swelling.

Why Do I Have Sharp Pains In My Stomach

Whether youve got a mild ache, sharp pain, or cramps, abdominal pain can have many causes. For instance, you might have indigestion, constipation, a stomach virus, or, if youre a woman, menstrual cramps. Other possible causes include: Irritable bowel syndrome Crohns disease. Food poisoning.

These different sensations may actually be abdominal discomfort rather than from the stomach specifically. Stomach discomfort may vary. Sometimes it is just mild discomfort or a minor stomach ache, while at other times, it can intensify to the point of severe gastric pain.

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How Can I Treat Abdominal Pain

If you have abdominal pain, keeping warm and placing a heat pack or hot water bottle on your stomach may help.

If your abdominal pain does not require you to stop eating and drinking, stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of clear, non-alcoholic fluids. If you have a medical condition that restricts your fluid intake, check with your doctor about how much fluid you can have.

Eat small meals and – foods such as rice, dry toast or bananas. Avoid spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine until 48 hours after the pain has gone away.

Several medicines can help if you have non-acute abdominal pain, including:

  • paracetamol to ease the pain
  • charcoal tablets or similar for wind pain
  • medicines to ease spasms
  • medicines to stop diarrhoea

Avoid aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen and naproxen since these can irritate your stomach. A pharmacist can advise you about the most appropriate medicine for your abdominal pain.

In more serious cases, the treatment recommended will depend on the cause and severity of the abdominal pain, and how long you have had it. Treatment may include following a particular diet in the long term getting more exercise taking medicines or having surgery.

Causes Of Abdominal Pain And Diarrhea In Children

Severe Upper Abdominal Pain

As in adults, abdominal pain and diarrhea in children are commonly caused by the stomach flu, infections, food allergies, lactose intolerance, and stress. But eating too much can also cause these symptoms. Some children may have trouble telling the difference between when theyre hungry and when theyre full. This can cause them to overeat. Overeating places stress on the digestive system, which can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.

  • swelling of the genitals
  • external bleeding

Diarrhea can be more dangerous for infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. In these cases, discuss symptoms with a medical professional.

If you dont already have a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

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Viral Or Bacterial Infections

One of the most common causes of lower abdominal pain are infections caused by various viruses or bacteria known as gastroenteritis. Viral causes are by far the most common and more contagious, but bacterial causes are often more serious in nature, often caused by food or water sources, notes Mark D. Salsberry, MD, Medical Director of the Urgent Care Network at WellStar Health System. Gastroenteritis generally presents with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea before the typically crampy pain develops. Symptoms typically last anywhere from one to three days, but bacterial infections tend to be more severe and lengthy. He recommends that patients seek medical care if symptoms last more than a day, if they have a fever, or if they experience blood in the stools. Symptoms of mild gastroenteritis are often amenable to home treatment, consisting of clear fluids with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and occasionally over-the-counter agents such as bismuth subsalicylate and loperamide , he says. Doctors will soon be able to test whether your infection is bacterial or viral.

When Should I Seek The Attention Of My Doctor

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You should immediately seek medical care after trying out the home remedies but stomach pain persists. It is not advisable to keep on trying out several home remedies when the stomach ache still persists. This is due to the fact that by the time you will see your doctor, the damage of alcohol in your stomach may severe to an extent that no medication will reverse it. Maybe the medication will only reduce its effect.

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When To Go To The Doctor

Pain in the body means that something is wrong. If you experience pain after eating only every once in a while and it is not debilitating, you may want to mention it to your doctor the next time that you see them.

But if you are experiencing pain after eating on a fairly frequent basis, it is essential that you make an appointment right away with your doctor to ensure that you get an accurate diagnosis and come up with a treatment plan.

If the pain is severe, debilitating, and accompanied by jaundice, fever, rapid heart rate, chills, or severe vomiting, you should seek emergency care.

Causes Of Abdominal Pain And Diarrhea

Sharp Stomach Pain That Comes and Goes

Most people occasionally experience abdominal pain and diarrhea for short periods. Dietary changes, consuming too much alcohol, and indigestion may cause these symptoms.

Frequent, constant, or severe abdominal pain and diarrhea may indicate a disease or a more serious medical issue. Diarrhea that gets progressively worse and is bloody can be also be a sign of a more serious issue. Possible causes of abdominal pain and diarrhea include:

Diarrhea and abdominal pain that last for more than a week or that frequently reoccur may be a sign of an intestinal disease or disorder. You should talk to your doctor if youve experienced these symptoms for more than a week or on a reoccurring basis.

The above conditions and disorders can cause swelling of various parts of the digestive tract, such as the stomach and intestines. Inflammation of the digestive system can cause cramps and disrupt normal digestive processes. This usually results in abdominal pain and diarrhea.ADVERTISING

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Related Conditions Of Abdominal Pain

Some of the most common conditions associated with abdominal pain include the following:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome This condition is characterized by symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

Constipation If you arent having regular bowel movements, you may feel bloated and full and experience sharp gas pains in your abdomen.

Peptic Ulcer When a sore develops in the lining of your stomach or upper small intestine, you may experience a burning sensation similar to hunger pangs, along with nausea, vomiting, or heartburn.

Pancreatitis Inflammation of your pancreas may cause sharp, severe pain in the upper middle area of your abdomen, along with nausea, vomiting, or fever. This condition can be either acute or chronic.

Diverticulitis

Sudden Stomach Cramps With Diarrhoea

If your stomach cramps have started recently and you also have diarrhoea, the cause may be a tummy bug . This means you have a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel. It should get better without treatment after a few days.

Gastroenteritis may be caused by:

  • coming into close contact with someone who’s infected
  • eating contaminated food

If you have repeated bouts of stomach cramps and diarrhoea, you may have a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome .

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Gastroenteritis And Infectious Colitis

These are the terms for inflammation in the lining of the intestines and colon, respectively. Symptoms will vary based on the location and cause. In both cases, the underlying cause could be due to a condition such as Crohns disease or even something more benign such as a lack of blood flow to the abdominal area, says Dr. Dann. Patients with infectious colitis generally have diarrhea associated abdominal pain, which may be severe.

How to treat it: Depending on the severity of symptoms, antibiotics may be needed.

What Is Lower Abdominal Pain

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Pain in the lower abdomen is often related to the digestive tract, but can also be related to conditions of the body wall, skin, blood vessels, urinary tract, or reproductive organs. The area may be tender to the touch or the pain may be severe and the whole abdomen might be rigid.

Lower can be extremely uncomfortable and with that comes severe . Patients and parents become worried with the onset of lower abdominal pain.

Severe pain can be a symptom of inflammation, , , or . Severe pain in women may result from twisting of an ovary , rupture of an ovarian , ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease. Men may experience severe lower abdominal pain from testicular torsion or injury. Crampy pain may be due to gas, , inflammation or infection, or, in women, from menstrual cramps or .

Severe pain that comes in waves may be caused by kidney stones. Trauma to the body wall, hernias, and shingles can also cause lower abdominal pain. A is a weakening of muscle or tissue that allows organs or other tissues to protrude through it. Shingles is a reactivation of the virus involving a painful, blistering rash that often forms a stripe across the affected area of skin.

Pain that is sudden in onset, severe, persistent, recurring, or worsening, or that is accompanied by other serious symptoms is often the most worrisome.

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Sudden And Severe Onset Stomach Pain

When mid-abdominal pain occurs suddenly especially in people with a history of peptic ulcer disease or in those who take excessive amounts of aspirin or NSAIDs it may be a sign of a perforation that could require emergency surgery. A tear could leak air and gastric content which can lead to a condition called peritonitis, and eventually, septic shock. Surgery would be required to seal the perforation.

What Are The Treatments For Gas

Gas problems are treated by changing your diet and by training yourself to swallow less air. There are also prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help.

Changing your diet will mean getting rid of the foods that cause gas. Unfortunately, this may also result in you having fewer nutritious foods. Ask your doctor to help you build a diet thatâs healthy but doesn’t cause much gas.

Over-the-counter medications include:

  • Antacids — especially those that contain simethicone
  • Probiotics — used to help kill bad bacteria and add good bacteria to the digestive tract
  • Lactase products such as Lactaid and Dairy Ease — may help people with lactose intolerance
  • Beano — contains the enzyme that helps digest sugars in beans and many other vegetables

Your doctor may prescribe drugs to help move food through your digestive system. Medicines that do that may also move gas through quicker.

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When To Call The Doctor About Abdominal Pain

If your abdominal pain is serious, doesn’t go away, or keeps coming back, talk to your doctor. Call 911 right away if your belly hurts because you had a recent injury there or if you have any chest pain.

You should also contact your doctor as soon as you can if you have symptoms along with the pain, such as:

  • Can’t keep food down for more than 2 days
  • Signs you’re getting dehydrated, including not urinating frequently, dark-colored urine, and being very thirsty
  • Can’t have a bowel movement, especially if you’re also vomiting
  • Pain when you pee, or you need to urinate often

Also call your doctor if:

  • Your belly is tender to the touch
  • Pain lasts more than a few hours

You may have other symptoms that could be a sign of a problem inside your body that needs treatment as soon as possible. Get medical care right away if you have abdominal pain and you also:

  • Have unexplained weight loss

Why I Will Experience Stomach Pain After Drinking Alcohol

Abdominal Pain – Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & Moreâ¦

Contents

img source: medicalnewstoday.com

There are two common substances that normally irritate the lining of the digestive system. These are alcohol and caffeine. Normally, the cause of stomach pain is usually harmless and common among drinkers but when you happen to develop severe and recurring stomach pain which cannot withstand home remedies then you should take the situation seriously and immediately visit your doctor.

What are the conditions that may lead to stomach pain after drinking?

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