What to do if your stomach hurts

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The life hacker figured out when you can ignore discomfort, and when you need to call an ambulance.

If it hurts in the left side, under the ribs, the stomach is most likely to blame. It can make itself felt for a variety of reasons - both safe and not so.

But there are often cases when pain signals problems with completely different organs.

When to see a doctor immediately

Call an ambulance if the pain in the stomach area is severe and accompanied by the following symptoms:

• you have chest discomfort and tightness;
• you suspect the pain may be related to a recent blow to the abdomen;
• your temperature is above 38 ° C;
• there is persistent vomiting or vomiting of blood;
• the skin on the body has acquired a yellow color;
• you have trouble breathing;
• You are pregnant.

An ambulance is not needed, but try to get an appointment with a therapist as soon as possible if:

• the pain is not severe, but lasts 2-3 hours or longer;
• the abdomen is sensitive to touch;
• in addition to pain, you notice that you feel like using the toilet more often than usual, or the pain gets worse when you urinate.

If there are no alarming symptoms, relax.

Most stomach pains are not dangerous and most likely yours is.

Nevertheless, it is worth understanding what exactly causes discomfort in the upper left abdomen, so as not to miss dangerous "calls".

Why does the stomach hurt?

Here are some of the most common reasons.

1. You have swallowed air

This often happens, for example, with people who like to chew gum. Excess air in the stomach can cause muscle spasms and pain.

What to do about it

Wait out. Pain due to stomach cramps is usually mild and goes away quickly. If they are repeated regularly, be sure to consult a therapist or gastroenterologist. He will figure out why the air enters the stomach and tell you what to do about it. For example, offer to give up chewing gum, change the diet, or take medication that reduces gas.

2. You have stomach (intestinal) flu

This is the colloquial name for gastroenteritis - an inflammatory process in the stomach. As a rule, its causative agents are viral infections. Stomach flu, in addition to abdominal discomfort, is accompanied by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever - sometimes insignificant.

What to do about it

If stomach flu is caused by a virus, it is treated only symptomatically: do not allow dehydration, prescribe antiemetic drugs. However, only a doctor can diagnose viral gastroenteritis and prescribe treatment. Do not try to engage in amateur performances - you can make a mistake and worsen your condition.

3. You ate something wrong

In addition to viral gastroenteritis, bacterial is also common. In this case, the inflammatory process in the stomach is caused by bacteria that have entered it with food - the same Salmonella.

There are other ways to get gastroenteritis:

• take a sip of water from a dirty reservoir, which is full of parasitic microorganisms;
• drink or eat something that contained heavy metals - arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury;
• getting too carried away with sour foods - citrus fruits or tomatoes;
• take certain medications - certain antibiotics, antacids (drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach), laxatives, chemotherapy drugs.

What to do about it

We repeat: with symptoms of gastroenteritis, be sure to contact a therapist. The bacterial form of the disease is treated only with antibiotics. Other types require their own treatment strategies. Only a qualified physician will be able to accurately diagnose and prescribe an effective therapy.

4. You have indigestion (dyspepsia)

This is the name of the feeling of fullness, discomfort that occurs in the stomach after eating. This is a common problem, and it is often impossible to establish its causes on the fly. And they can be different:

• binge eating;
• poorly chewed food;
• excessive alcohol consumption;
• chronic constipation;
• smoking;
• stress, fatigue;
• taking medications - the popular aspirin and some other pain relievers, birth control pills, certain types of antibiotics, steroids, thyroid medications;
• a disease known as irritable bowel syndrome;
• dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
• diabetes;
• stomach cancer.

What to do about it

As you can see, indigestion can have dangerous causes, so it cannot be ignored. If dyspepsia recurs regularly, be sure to consult a gastroenterologist.

5. You have heartburn

She is also gastroesophageal reflux. This is the name of a condition in which the contents of the stomach, along with acidic gastric juice, enter the esophagus. In addition to discomfort in the stomach, a person feels a burning sensation in the middle of the chest.

Most often, heartburn depends on the diet: for example, it appears after drinking coffee, carbonated drinks, fatty and spicy foods. But sometimes it is the first symptom of serious diseases - stomach or esophageal ulcers, cancer and even heart attack.

What to do about it

If heartburn is a one-time occurrence, you don't have to worry. But if it recurs, and besides, it is accompanied by other symptoms - nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, consultation with a gastroenterologist is required.

6. You have gastritis or stomach ulcers

Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. In the initial stages, it is accompanied by the same symptoms as indigestion, heartburn, or stomach flu, so only a physician can diagnose gastritis itself. Perceptible pain appears only if the mucous membrane is already severely damaged or gastritis has developed into a stomach ulcer.

What to do about it

Go with complaints to a gastroenterologist. The doctor will send you for tests that will help establish the correct diagnosis and will prescribe an effective treatment. It is not worth delaying with this in case of gastritis, as it increases the risk of developing stomach cancer.

7. You have stomach cancer

It is difficult to diagnose this most dangerous disease in the early stages. Like gastritis, cancer hides behind innocent symptoms, including:

• frequent and prolonged heartburn;
• feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating, as in dyspepsia;
• nausea, slight salivation;
• loss of appetite.

What to do about it

Understand that any regular symptoms cannot be ignored. If there is discomfort and pain in the stomach area (even if they do not seem serious to you), be sure to consult a doctor.

7. You have problems with other organs

In the left hypochondrium is not only the stomach. The pancreas, bile ducts, spleen, left lobe of the liver can hurt …

In addition, the organs in the abdominal cavity are closely related: pain in one radiates to another. Therefore, if there are strong cutting, stabbing sensations in the left side, it may be:

• appendicitis;
• pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
• cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder);
• cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts of the liver);
• cystitis (inflammation of the bladder);
• duodenal ulcer;
• kidney stone disease;
• colitis and other pathologies of the large intestine …

What to do about it

Do not tolerate. Any acute pain in the stomach area, especially if they recur or, then fade away, then reappear, last longer than a couple of hours, is a reason to visit a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. Your life may depend on this visit. Don't risk it.