Stomach pain can have various causes such as overeating, food poisoning, medication side effects, and serious conditions like heart attack or cancer. Chronic pain may indicate conditions like Crohn’s disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, or ulcers. Medical attention is necessary if the pain persists.
The term, stomachache, requires definition. For some, this means an uncomfortable feeling of fullness and perhaps some nausea. Others use the term to describe painful tummies with diarrhea, vomiting, or flatulence. Other definition is acid indigestion, which may cause heartburn. Because of the vast number of ways stomach pain can be perceived and described, it is difficult to identify all causes. So, there are many things that can cause nausea that people may want to consider.
Slightly upset tummy is often caused by eating too much and usually too fast. Most people will find relief for this condition within hours after it occurs. Using an antacid could help ease the indigestion associated with this. However, as soon as the stomach has time to process and digest, the pain or discomfort tends to go away.
When nausea is accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting, common causes include mild to severe cases of food poisoning and viruses. If vomiting or diarrhea does not subside in a day or two and if it is accompanied by a fever, people should see a doctor. Cases of food poisoning may require antibiotics, and dehydration is a problem when diarrhea or vomiting doesn’t stop. Some people experience chronic diarrhea and may need to be investigated if they have conditions such as parasitic infections, spastic colon, or irritable bowel syndrome.
There are medications that can cause chronic stomach pain or discomfort. The list of them is extensive. If you’re on any new medications, look at side effect lists to see if an upset stomach is a possible cause. When this becomes difficult to manage, people may want to see if they can switch to another drug with fewer side effects.
If a sick stomach is described as severe stomach pain and possibly nausea, this can suggest more serious conditions. Some people in the midst of a heart attack will feel intense abdominal pain. What looks like very bad heartburn can also be a heart attack. Other conditions that could create an upset stomach include mononucleosis, appendicitis and pancreatitis. If a person vomits blood or passes bloody or black stools, this is a matter that deserves medical attention, especially if severe stomach pain is present.
Chronic (ongoing) stomach pain can be the result of numerous conditions. Sometimes people with extreme food allergies, such as wheat, can experience stomach pains whenever they consume wheat. Crohn’s disease can cause chronic pain, as can pelvic inflammatory disease and some forms of cancer. Gastrointestinal reflux disease can create a fairly constant state of heartburn, and people who have ulcers may also feel like their stomach is aching all the time.
If your stomach pain doesn’t ease, see a doctor. There are many ways to determine the causes of stomach pain and many treatments that can help people find relief. As mentioned, usually stomach pain, especially after eating a large meal, is simply the result of overeating.
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