Stomach Pain: Causes, Treatments, Prevention

What is stomach pain?

Stomach pain, or stomach pain, is considered a abdominal pain. Very common, abdominal pain can come from the stomach but also from other organs of the digestive system, the genital system, the cardiovascular system and the renal system.

How to spot stomach pain?

With stomach pain, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish an upset stomach. Stomach pain is characterized by pain in the epigastrium, that is, a pain in the upper abdomen. However, other organs, including the large intestine and pancreas, are also present in the epigastric region, making the diagnosis of stomach pain difficult.

What are the different stomach ailments?

Stomach upset can manifest itself in different ways. Stomach pain can especially present in the form of:

• stomach cramps, or abdominal cramps;
• stomach spasms, or gastric spasms;
• heartburn, or heartburn;
• nausea ;
• stomach bloating, or abdominal bloating.

Stomach Pain, Is It A Digestive Disorder?

Stomach upset is often due to digestive problems. Among these, we often distinguish:

• The functional digestive disorders : Also called functional dyspepsia, these disorders are characterized by the absence of lesions in the digestive system. They are mainly caused by poor digestion. This is for example the case with abdominal bloating.
• Non-functional digestive disorders: They affect the lining of the digestive system. This is particularly the case during gastroesophageal reflux disease, more commonly known as acid reflux or heartburn. Reflux of acidic contents from the stomach to the esophagus leads to inflammation with the onset of a burning sensation.

Stomach pain, is it stomach disease?

In some cases, stomach pain can be a sign of a disease affecting the stomach. This essential organ of the digestive system can in particular be affected by:

• A gastroenteritis : It corresponds to an inflammation of the digestive system of infectious origin. The germ responsible for this infection can be a virus or a bacteria. The development of these pathogens leads to an inflammatory reaction which can manifest as upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.
• A gastritis : It designates an inflammation that occurs in the lining of the stomach. Gastritis usually manifests as heartburn.
• Un gastric ulcer : It is due to a deep injury to the stomach. A stomach ulcer results in severe pain in the stomach.
• Un stomach cancer : A malignant tumor can develop in the stomach. This tumor manifests itself with various symptoms including nausea and heartburn.

In the majority of cases, stomach aches are mild, that is to say without danger to health. Of low or medium intensity, these pains are transient and subside in a few hours.

However, stomach pain can sometimes be more serious. Certain signs may alert and require medical advice. This is particularly the case when:

• sharp stomach pains ;
• persistent stomach pain ;
• frequent stomach pain ;
• stomach pain associated with other symptoms such as vomiting, severe headache, or general fatigue.

Medical examinations are necessary to remove any doubt about any risk of health complications.

Who to consult in case of stomach pain?

Physical examination. If the intensity, duration and frequency of stomach pain increase, it is strongly recommended to contact a general practitioner. A clinical examination makes it possible to make a first diagnosis.

Additional tests. Depending on the diagnosis of the general practitioner, he may request in-depth medical examinations and additional medical advice. A consultation with a gastroenterologist may then be recommended.

How to treat stomach pain?

Different treatments exist to relieve and eliminate stomach pain. The appropriate treatment depends on the type of pain and the origin identified. For more information, see the fact sheets on the different causes of stomach pain.

Medical treatment

A healthcare professional can prescribe certain medications such as:

• antispasmodics during stomach cramps or spasms;
• pain relievers, or pain relievers, in case of sharp pain in the stomach;
• anti-secretories during heartburn;
• antihistamines to reduce gastric acidity;
• proton pump inhibitors to inhibit acid production;
• antibiotics in case of infection.

Complementary approaches

Stomach pain can also be relieved with herbal medicine, homeopathy or aromatherapy.

Stomach surgery

In the most severe cases, surgery on the stomach may be necessary.

How to prevent stomach pain?

Certain precautionary measures can prevent the occurrence of stomach pain:

• Adopt a healthy and balanced diet;
• Avoid the consumption of acidic or irritating foods;
• Limit meals that are too large, too fatty, too sweet or too spicy;
• Eat slowly, taking the time to chew food
• Limit stressors;
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle.

What can hurt in the stomach

The abdomen is a place where a large number of internal organs are located. These are organs such as:

• Stomach.
• Liver.
• Pancreas.
• Spleen.
• Gallbladder.
• Intestines.
• The organs of the reproductive system in men and women – the uterus and its appendages, the prostate gland.
• bladder and others.

In addition, complaints of abdominal pain can occur with circulatory disorders in the abdominal cavity, pathologies of the spine and nervous system, and even with diseases in the organs adjacent to the abdominal cavity. Cardiac and pulmonary pathologies can be given such irradiating pains. This is due to the connection of the abdominal organs with the central nervous system. Because of this, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis only from the words of the patient and after an external examination with palpation of the abdomen. It is advisable to remember and tell the doctor in detail your feelings – where the pain began, how other features changed in your well-being and condition.

How exactly does the stomach hurt?

The stomach can hurt in different ways, and the nature of the pain can tell a lot about the cause. She may be:

• Acute, stabbing – occurs abruptly and immediately quite strong.
• Chronic – worries for a while, can pass and reappear after a while.
• Aching – may resemble a feeling of hunger or heaviness.
• Cutting, burning – an acute attack.
• Tonic – with tension and uncontrolled muscle contractions, spasms.

Pain may be the only symptom or be accompanied by others: nausea, flatulence, stool disorders, frequent urination, vaginal discharge, fever. Such symptoms complement the picture of the disease and allow you to more accurately determine the problem.

By where it hurts, you can at least roughly understand which organ to examine. So:

• Pain in the upper abdomen is highly likely to indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Less often – about developing myocardial infarction.
• Pain in the left side of the abdomen – basically signals problems with the pancreas or spleen.
• Pain in the right side of the abdomen – attention to the liver and gallbladder.
• Pain below – pathology of the genitourinary system, intestines.

Gynecological diseases

Pain in the abdomen in women (especially in its lower part) – may be a sign of pathologies of the uterus and its appendages, or … the norm. Soreness can be caused by physiological causes (for example, before menstruation). You don’t have to worry if the discomfort is insignificant, it has always been there and goes away on its own after a day or two. In a situation where the stomach began to hurt during previously painless periods, the pain is very strong and is not relieved by painkillers, the nature of the bleeding has changed (its duration, profusion, color of the blood) – it is worth being examined by a gynecologist. Such a clinical picture can be with endometriosis, inflammation in the uterus and other situations.

The main gynecological diseases in which the stomach can hurt:

• Uterine fibroids – a benign tumor in the uterus causes aching, chronic pain in the abdomen.
• Inflammation – adnexitis, salpingitis, oophoritis and others. May be accompanied by copious or thick vaginal discharge, fever, general weakness.
• Growth of the endometrium of the uterus (adenomyosis, endometriosis), polyps. The pain often gets worse after or during intercourse.
• Polycystic, ovarian cysts, their ruptures – there is pain on the left side of the abdomen in women (or on the right – depending on which side the ovary is damaged). From the cyst – pain is aching, chronic, with a rupture – acute. In this case, internal bleeding occurs and its signs are a decrease in pressure, dizziness, weakness, nausea.
• An ectopic pregnancy in which the embryo attaches itself to the fallopian tube and eventually ruptures it. Symptoms are similar to an ovarian cyst, only everything develops more rapidly.

Abdominal pain can also occur in pregnant women. In the normal course of pregnancy, a slight feeling of heaviness is quite normal. The uterus increases in size, gradually squeezing neighboring organs. Signs of danger are sharp and unexpected pain, bleeding. Its causes can be placental abruption, miscarriage and other situations. A gynecologist’s consultation is urgently needed.

kidneys

Major diseases:

• Inflammation of one or both kidneys, indicated by pain in the abdomen on the left (or right) and also in the lumbar region, a rise in temperature.
• Urolithiasis – acute colic from the movement of stones.

Other diseases

It can be:

• Appendicitis is a pulling pain that appears at the top or in the umbilical region, and ends with a sharp pain in the abdomen.
• Neurosis is a condition in which it often “twirls” in the stomach.
• Damage to the muscles of the abdominal wall, lumbar spine.
• Neoplasms of a different nature, which are formed in the abdomen.
• Myocardial infarction – an attack can begin with intense pain in the upper, middle part of the abdomen and shortness of breath.
• Testicular torsion in men – pain from the groin gives to the abdomen.

When you need medical help

You need to seek emergency help if:

• The pain is very strong, does not subside from taking pills for an hour.
• During pregnancy.
• The abdomen became hard, the muscles on it were tense.
• The attack is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the vagina, rectum, ureter.
• The temperature rose.

Do not neglect the appeal to doctors and with less pronounced symptoms. To understand why the stomach is worried, an examination with the help of ultrasound , MRI , laboratory tests will help. The list of diagnostic methods and measures for treatment will vary greatly for different diseases. You can start with a consultation with a therapist or immediately contact a specialist if there is a suspicion of a specific disease.