What It Means When Your Stomach Hurts

Food Allergy Or Intolerance

Some people may be allergic to certain foods. These can irritate the stomach and may cause pain after eating.

An intolerance is a milder form of an allergy. Both allergies and intolerances can be caused by many different foods.

Common intolerances include gluten, wheat, and lactose.

People can keep a food diary if they think they might have an allergy.

A food diary is a written record of what they have consumed at each meal, including drinks and snacks. They should also include a note of when their stomach hurts.

Keeping a diary can help determine the foods causing an issue. People can then cut this food out of their diet.

Food Allergies Or Intolerances

Burning sensation in the stomach and chest can result from a food allergy or intolerance. This burning sensation can also occur after eating. When a person consumes food they cannot tolerate or are allergic to, they may also experience nausea and vomiting. Your doctor will then conduct an allergy test to narrow down which foods are your triggers.

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

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Eat Plenty Of Fruit And Vegetables

It is recommended that we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit or vegetables each day. If you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables then your chances of developing heart disease, a stroke or bowel cancer are reduced. In addition, fruit and vegetables:

• Contain lots of fibre, which helps to keep your bowels healthy. Problems such as constipation and diverticular disease are less likely to develop.
• Contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, which are needed to keep you healthy.
• Are naturally low in fat.
• Are filling but are low in calories.

Treatment And Home Remedies For Abdominal Pain

How abdominal pain is treated is highly dependent on the diagnosis. Medications that reduce inflammation may help with stomach pains resulting from ulcers.

But other conditions, like kidney stones, may require more intensive treatment like shock wave lithotripsy. Inflammation of the gall bladder might require gall bladder surgery.

Your doctor might prescribe a pain-modifying drug, like amitriptyline or trazodone, to address the pain. These may help change the way the brain processes pain signals.

If you and your doctor have determined that your abdominal pain is not the result of a serious medical condition, there are a number of home health remedies that may provide relief. Heres a brief list:

• bitters and soda
• BRAT diet
• peppermint

Not all forms of abdominal pain are preventable. But you can minimize the risk of developing abdominal pain by:

• eating a healthy diet
• exercising regularly
• eating smaller meals

If you have an intestinal disorder, like Crohns disease, follow the diet your doctor has given you to minimize discomfort. If you have GERD, dont eat within 2 hours of bedtime.

Lying down too soon after eating may cause heartburn and abdominal pain. Try waiting at least 2 hours after eating before lying down.

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What Are The Causes Of Severe Abdominal Pain

• Appendicitis the swelling of the appendix , which causes unbearable pain in the lower right-hand side of your abdomen, and removal of the appendix is needed.
• Acute cholecystitis Gallstones causes inflammation of the gallbladder which results in removing of a gallbladder.
• Kidney stones small stones may come out in your urine, but larger stones may block the kidney tubes, and that needs to be broken down.
• Diverticulitis small pouches in the bowel leads to inflammation that sometimes requires treatment with antibiotics in a hospital.

Diagnosis Of Stomach Pain After Meals

Your doctor will ask you a number of questions about your diet, lifestyle, and medical history. All of these can significantly affect the digestive system.

Doctors can use computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans to diagnose gastrointestinal pain, but it is not always easy to generate accurate images of the digestive system using these methods.

Also Check: Why Does My Stomach Cramp After I Eat

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Pain Due To Old Surgery

Many people suffer from pain on the right side of their body due to having previously been operated on. For appendicitis, gallbladder, stomach, etc… In this case to rule out any other condition is to get an ultrasound and sonography. If there is only inflammation, it may be due to some kind of food intolerance, like gluten or lactose. If you have ruled out these options you must consult your doctor to make sure there are no problems with the wound’s healing.

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.

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General Abdominal Pain With Bloating

Possible explanation: irritable bowel syndrome

What is it: As a syndrome, IBS refers to a group of symptoms that have been identified in addition to abdominal pain and bloating, many people also experience changes in bowel habits like constipation and diarrhea. It is not well known what causes IBS, but it may be related to genetics, food sensitivity, stress, or an infection.

Treatment: There is no cure for IBS at this time, so treatment revolves around managing whatever symptoms are present. Medications to treat diarrhea and constipation can be supplemented by some changes to diet one highly recommended regimen is a low-FODMAP diet, which refers to foods that contain certain fermentable components.

Vague Upper Abdominal Pain Associated With Nausea And Belching

Sometimes stomach pain is hard to identify or comes with multiple symptoms. Vague pain in the upper and mid-abdominal area that is linked to nausea, burping, or belching could be signs of a heart attack, particularly in older patients. Physicians say tests like an ECG or cardiac markers can be lifesaving. They also warn that vomiting with back or jaw pain and shortness of breath can also be a sign of a life-threatening emergency.

Read Also: How To Get Relief From Stomach Ulcer

When Should I Call The Doctor

Sometimes, what seems like one problem food poisoning, for example can turn out to be something more serious, like appendicitis.

• the pain is very strong
• you’re vomiting a lot
• you already have another health condition
• the pain gets worse over time, doesn’t go away, or wakes you up from sleep

Also let the doctor know if you:

• have a fever
• have pain when you pee
• have trouble pooping or peeing
• have blood in your poop or pee
• think the belly pain is from an injury
• might be pregnant

Causes Of Acute Stomach Pain

• Eating Too Much. Eating too much can cause an upset stomach and mild stomach pain.
• Hunger Pains. Younger children may complain of stomach pain when they are hungry.
• GI Virus . A GI virus can cause stomach cramps as well as vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• Food Poisoning. This causes sudden vomiting and/or diarrhea within hours after eating the bad food. It is caused by toxins from germs growing in foods left out too long. Most often, symptoms go away in less than 24 hours. It often can be treated at home without the need for medical care.
• Constipation. The need to pass a stool may cause cramps in the lower abdomen.
• Strep Throat. A strep throat infection causes 10% of new onset stomach pain with fever.
• Bladder Infection. Bladder infections usually present with painful urination, urgency and bad smelling urine. Sometimes the only symptom is pain in the lower abdomen.
• Appendicitis . Suspect appendicitis if pain is low on the right side and walks bent over. Other signs are the child won’t hop and wants to lie still.
• Intussusception . Sudden attacks of severe pain that switch back and forth with periods of calm. Caused by one segment of bowel telescoping into a lower piece of bowel. Peak age is 6 months to 2 years.

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When To See A Doctor About Abdominal Pain

Go straight to your doctor or the emergency department of the nearest hospital if you have any of:

• severe pain
• pain lasting for several hours
• pain and/or vaginal bleeding if you are pregnant
• pain in your scrotum if you are a male
• pain and vomiting or shortness of breath
• pain and vomiting blood
• blood in your bowel motions or urine
• pain that spreads to your chest, neck or shoulder
• fever and sweats
• unable to move your bowels or pass gas
• any other concerns.

When To Call The Doctor

Dr. Rx

Black stool can have a lot of causes. They can be uninteresting or more dangerous . The biggest consideration is your health status and underlying conditions. If you have black stool, its important to discuss with your doctor. Dr. Kumar

• You are pregnant.
• You recently started a new medication.
• You are experiencing abdominal pain.
• You are taking blood thinners, like warfarin .

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Sharp Jabbing Pain In The Upper Right Abdomen

Possible explanation: gallstones

What is it: The gallbladder stores some of the bile that is used in digestion it combines with digestive juices from the liver and pancreas to break down the partially digested food that has left the stomach and entered the small intestine. The most frequent cause of gallstones is when the liver excretes excess cholesterol that excess cholesterol can collect in the gallbladder and harden into gallstones. The gallbladder sits next to the liver, and it is in this location in the upper right abdomen that sharp pain can be felt when the body attempts to pass the gallstones through the narrow biliary duct.

Treatment: Some people have gallstones without any symptoms at all, but when pain begins, the condition needs to be treated soon. Depending on the severity of the condition, treatments range from oral medication to dissolve the stones to surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Stomach And Duodenal Ulcers

Stomach and duodenal ulcers can often be found as a cause of mid-abdominal pain. Essentially, an ulcer is an open sore inside your digestive tract. In the case of stomach or gastric ulcers, the ulcer forms in the stomach. Duodenal ulcers form inside the upper portion of the small intestine, which is also known as the duodenum.

These open sores tend to bring on colicky pain, which comes and goes depending on various circumstances. Ulcers can be aggravated by a rise in stomach acid and certain types of foods .

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Stress & Tired Adrenals Impact Digestive Health

Chronic stress raises the adrenal hormone, cortisol, which degrades the gut lining and contributes to leaky gut.

The stress response, also known as fight or flight, is meant to be short-lived. However, people in modern-day society do not get a chance to recover from stress or rebuild their tired adrenals. Yes, it has happened to me too! I shared all about how my body was slowing down while life kept moving. Excess stimulation of the adrenal glands from stress causes blood flow to the digestive tract to decrease. Which means your body cant properly digest food.

Stress causes one to be in sympathetic mode vs. parasympathetic mode the state the body needs to be in to actually digest food. When was the last time you ate in a relaxed state? When was the last time you did not have stress, anxiety, or worries in your life? The majority of us are suffering from poor digestive health ailments due to this one issue alone.

Even drinking too much water can impact your metabolism and adrenal health. Taking steps to improve your metabolic health will improve your digestive health. Also, getting adequate sleep will improve your adrenal health.

For females, imbalanced reproductive hormones, as well as cortisol, can impact digestion. It is all related via the HPA Axis.

Want to learn more? We have an interview about adrenal health with Lydia Shatney NTP, our former contributing writer Bethany, and myself . Dont miss it!!

What Causes Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is frequently caused by a problem in the digestive tract . However, it can also be caused by other organs located in the abdomen, such as the kidneys. Large blood vessels, such as the aorta are also found in the abdomen and may give rise to pain. Abdominal pain can even be caused by some medicines.

Causes of abdominal pain connected to the gut include:

• trapped wind or indigestion
• gallstones, gallbladder problems, liver problems
• appendicitis

• aspirin
• medicines to help manage the symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease

Some of the causes of abdominal pain are short-term , whereas others are long-term or ongoing conditions. Find more information about the underlying causes of abdominal pain here.

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What Are The Symptoms Of The Stomach Flu

Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain are the most common signs of a stomach virus. Although its called the stomach flu, this virus has nothing to do with the flu. These symptoms are caused by other viruses, most commonly norovirus. Fever, headache, and body aches are other possible symptoms.

Jenny Hills, Nutritionist and Medical Writer Health

Stomach pain after eating can happen for a number of reasons such as indigestion, gas, ulcers, gastritis as well as other conditions. In this article Ill get to the bottom of why many people suffer from stomach ache after eating. Ill also cover natural remedies to help you relieve the post-meal stomach discomfort. However, you should also be aware that in many cases, an abdominal pain should be checked by your doctor, especially stomach ache every time you eat.

Upper Stomach Pain Or Burning Sensation

Possible explanation: peptic ulcer

What is it: Peptic ulcers occur when damage to the lining of the stomach results in painful sores. The stomach is normally coated with a layer of thick mucus that serves as a barrier between the lining itself and the caustic digestive juices. When the mucus barrier is compromised, which can happen as a result of infection, heavy drinking, smoking, aspirin, or a variety of other digestive illnesses, the digestive juices can actually eat away at the stomach lining. The resulting sores cause stomach pain and even potentially bleeding.

Treatment: Treatment depends on the underlying cause, but most treatment options focus on neutralizing or reducing stomach acid enough so that the sores can heal. In the case of infection, antibiotics may also be used.

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Arsenic Or Other Contamination

Arsenic in groundwater is a huge issue in many countries, such as Bangladesh. Arsenic poisoning can be linked with acute vomiting, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea. Similarly, contaminants such as mercury, copper, manganese etc. in your drinking water can also cause an upset stomach. This is why you need to perform regular tests on your drinking water quality.

What Does It Mean When Your Stomach Hurts And You Can’t Stop Burping

abdominal painburping

. Herein, what is excessive burping a sign of?

Frequent burpingBurping a releasing of swallowed air from the stomach through the mouth really needs no explanation. But excessive belching could be a sign of acid reflux or stomach ulcers, Raj said. It’s important to know because chronic acid exposure in your esophagus can cause pre-cancerous changes.

Likewise, is excessive burping a sign of cancer? Belching has a number of causative factors and may be related to habit or to an irritant of the gastrointestinal tract that causes air to move upwards to the mouth, most commonly after eating. However, belching itself has not been clearly associated with a risk of developing esophageal cancer.

In respect to this, what does it mean if you can’t stop burping?

Burping as many as four times after a meal is normal. But some illnesses can make you burp a lot more than that: Gastroesophageal reflux disease , sometimes called acid reflux, happens when acid in your stomach flows back into your esophagus and causes heartburn.

What can I take for excessive burping?

Take an antacid to neutralize stomach acid and prevent heartburn, which can cause burping. Bismuth subsalicylate is particularly useful if your burps smell like sulfur. Take an anti-gas medication like simethicone .

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Can Abdominal Pain Be Prevented

Eating enough fibreand doing regular exercise can help prevent constipation and keep your bowels working well, which will prevent some forms of abdominal pain. It will also reduce your long-term risk of some diseases, such as diverticular disease or bowel cancer.

Drinking plain water but not carbonated or fizzy drinks will reduce the chance of pain from bloating as well as keeping your body healthy.

Following a specific diet can help reduce pain due to lactose intolerance, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and trapped gas, or wind.