Stomach pain: possible causes and ways of dealing

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Why does the stomach hurt? There may be many reasons for this. We suddenly feel discomfort, a sharp or dull pain, and life becomes not a joy … And yet we will try to figure out why there are pains in the abdomen and how to deal with them.

To begin with, it is worth remembering that doctors divide any pain into spastic and inflammatory.

Spasmodic pain appears as a result of spasm of smooth muscles of internal organs, biliary, digestive, genitourinary systems. This is such a strong pain that appears suddenly and lasts from 10 minutes to 3-4 hours. The pain subsides, then reappears, but eventually disappears. And if not, antispasmodics or heat help.

Inflammatory pain is of a growing nature: they walk with her, they endure her as long as there is strength … In the end, there is a strong muscle tension, and any touch to the stomach causes pain! At the same time, it is not recommended to use analgesics and apply heat, it is better not to delay the visit to the doctor. Such pain includes cholecystitis, appendicitis.

Well, now we will talk about exactly what ailments are associated with abdominal pain and what you should do if you have painful sensations.

Women's diseases

With the development of inflammatory processes in women, pain in the lower abdomen is observed. The sensations are rather unpleasant - pulling, aching pain, there may be discharge.

What to do? It is imperative to undergo an examination by a gynecologist, during which he will take tests and conduct all the necessary research. It is also important to exclude an ovarian cyst and ectopic pregnancy - they are usually accompanied by dizziness, severe pain, fainting.

Appendicitis

Pain with appendicitis treacherously rises and spreads to the navel, and then descends into the right iliac cavity. The feeling of pain comes during coughing, loud conversation, while walking. You can endure this for a long time and not even guess that urgent medical attention is needed!

As a result, the stomach hardens, the pulse quickens, the temperature rises to 37-38 degrees.

What to do? Call an ambulance immediately. Do not take any medicine until she arrives. And to make it a little easier, you need to put a heating pad with ice on your right side.

Stomach and duodenal ulcer

A peptic ulcer is a defect in the lining of the stomach or intestines. It is accompanied by acute pain between the sternum and the navel. A painful sensation appears when you are hungry - on an empty stomach, at night, or a couple of hours after eating. Heartburn or belching can also indicate the presence of an ulcer.

What to do? Undergo a complete examination by a gastroenterologist:

- to do gastroscopy and ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;

- to pass general and biochemical blood tests;

- pass a test for antibodies to the Helicobacter pylori bacteria that causes ulcers.

After that, the doctor will prescribe a diet and course of treatment.

Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas

With inflammation of the tissues of the pancreas, an aching, dull pain is felt in the left hypochondrium or in the navel. And after eating too spicy or fatty foods, these pains intensify.

In acute pancreatitis, the situation is complicated - the pain becomes very sharp, accompanied by bloating, constipation and vomiting. Aggravation most often occurs after overeating or alcohol abuse.

What to do? See a gastroenterologist. He will give a referral for a blood test and an ultrasound of the pancreas. Then he will recommend the necessary drugs and diet.

Cholecystitis, or inflammation of the gallbladder

A sign of cholecystitis is a dull pain in the right side or in the right hypochondrium after eating. Often it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, a bitter taste in the mouth. And if there are stones in the gallbladder or in the bile ducts, then severe pain can be simply unbearable!

What to do? Make an appointment with a gastroenterologist, who will send you for an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. If the disease worsens, then antispasmodic and analgesic drugs are prescribed, and during remission - choleretic drugs.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Studies show that 15-20% of the population of our planet suffer from IBS, moreover, women are 2 times more likely than men.

In the morning there is a sharp pain in the abdomen: a sharp spasm suddenly twists the body in half. IBS is accompanied by constipation or, conversely, diarrhea, but after bowel movement, the pain goes away and does not appear all day.

What to do? It is better to contact the same gastroenterologist for appropriate examinations. Peppermint helps well: it activates special analgesic channels, after which the sensitivity of tissues to pain decreases.

Myocardial infarction

Symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, bloating, weakness, sometimes vomiting, decreased blood pressure, and tachycardia may indicate a heart attack. In this case, the skin turns pale, hiccups and a feeling of stuffiness may occur.

What to do? Urgently call an ambulance and do a control ECG. People over 45-50 years old, who have a lot of stress in their lives, are especially susceptible to this disease. You cannot hope that myocardial infarction will go away on its own - you must definitely undergo a course of treatment!