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Stomach Aches
Anyone may experience stomach aches at any time during the day and even in the middle of the night. Sometimes, you will notice a gradual pain, but most of the time it is sudden and severe.
This condition is not something that you would want to happen at work or while traveling. Unlike other pains, abdominal pain can ruin your day. It depends on the severity of the pain. Some pains are manageable. Others are unbearable.
Whatever type of stomach pain you have, you should not ignore it. It has to be treated immediately unless it stops after a while. However, there are times that the pain stops and recurs after several minutes. In that case, you have to do something immediately.
Causes of Stomach Aches
Stomach pain is tricky. Even if two people experience similar symptoms, there is no guaranty that both have the same type of stomach pain. One may be suffering from an ulcer. The other may be experiencing food poisoning.
There could be several factors to why you have such pain. Each factor is caused by many additional factors. One example is kidney disease. You may think that your stomach pain is due to a stomach ulcer, but you may not be aware that the pain is directly related to a kidney problem.
In order to determine what causes you this pain, there are several questions to take note. What was the last food you ate? When was the last time you experienced the same pain? Is it recurring? How long have you been suffering from it? Even your doctor would ask these questions of you.
If the last time you had stomach pain was a long time ago, there is a probability that the pain is food-related. However, recurring pain that takes place in between months or weeks may be associated with amoebiasis or a stomach ulcer. However, if you are suffering from such recurring pain for a long time already, there is a probability that the pain has something to do with kidney or bladder problems. Nevertheless, many conditions cause abdominal pain.
Conditions Associated with Stomach Pain
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Crohn's Disease
- Endometriosis
- Kidney Stones
- Gallstones
- Hernia
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Ulcer
- Lactose Intolerance
- Gas Spasm
- Hyperacidity
- Heartburn
- Food Allergy
- Food Poisoning
Variation of Stomach Pain
It feels as though stomach pain represents only one certain feeling or experience. But if you've had stomach aches many times, you may notice that some of them vary from one another.
A stomach pain is followed by vomiting and diarrhea. This type of pain is common for people who experience food poisoning. The pain is sudden, and it lasts for about three to six hours.
Another type of pain is the one takes place at the left side of our stomach, and this is followed by pain on the left side of your back. Such pain is most probably due to a kidney problem. The pain typically happens every day in the morning. After several bowel movements, the pain subsides and will recur the next morning after waking up.
If the pain is at the right side of your stomach, and it subsides after having gas, the pain may be due to gallstone or a urinary tract infection. This pain delivers a burning sensation at the center of your stomach but is actually occurring at the right portion of it.
There is a type of stomach pain, which produces a feeling of fullness. If you have this type of pain, you may notice that you feel a sort of comfort whenever you burp. This type of pain is common to people who experience constipation.
Treatment and Remedy
There is no medicine that actually eliminates stomach pain permanently since it can be associated with various conditions that are all treated differently. The only treatment for stomach pain is antacids, which are taken to provide temporary relief. This is because all types of stomach pains are triggered by an excessive amount of acids, and antacid pill may temporarily suppress them. Mega-dosage of calcium such as 1000mg can provide fast relief as calcium is a strong anti-acid.
For long-term treatment, a change of lifestyle is necessary. If you have a recurring stomach pain, you should avoid eating or drinking anything that triggers it. Coffee has a low pH level that triggers hyperacidity. Soda is also a common culprit of abdominal pain. Although fruits are good for health, some of them are not good for people with stomach ulcers. These are citrus, pineapple, and green mangos. Refined white sugar has a high pH level that can hurt your stomach if you ingest too much. Lastly, smoking and drinking alcohol are the things to avoid the most as this also has negative effects associated with low pH levels.
Stomach Aches in Urgent Medical Services
When to see a doctor? According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor immediately if your stomach pain "is so severe that you can't sit still or need to curl into a ball to find relief" and "is accompanied by bloody stools, persistent nausea and vomiting, skin that appears yellow, severe tenderness when you touch your abdomen, or swelling of the abdomen."