Stomach pain: What could be causing my stomach ache? 16 problems you may be missing

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Stomach pain is usually caused by a problem in the gut, which is the entire area from the mouth to the bowel, and there are a number of different types of stomach pain. When should you consider speaking to a doctor about abdominal pain?

Stomach pain is incredibly frustrating, as you may find it difficult to get comfortable.

You could develop a sharp, stabbing pain in your gut, or it may feel more like a general dull ache.

Some people find the pain gets gradually worse, or it may simply come and go.

Either way, the best way to treat stomach pain is to resolve the root cause of the problem.

What could be causing stomach pain?

There are dozens of different reasons why you might have an ache in your stomach.

But, there are 16 key problems that you should be aware of, and some are more easily treated than others.

One of the most common causes of stomach pain is indigestion, according to GP Dr Jan Sambrook.

Indigestion describes pain after eating certain types of foods, and it may be accompanied by belching, or a nasty taste in the mouth.

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Stomach aches may also be caused by trapped wind, which could be relieved by using the toilet.

Appendicitis could be triggering a pain in the gut, whereas some patients may also have kidney stones.

The pain might be caused by gastritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach lining.

On rare occasions, stomach aches may be a sign of something more serious, including bowel cancer.

The most common causes of stomach pain

  • Indigestion
  • Trapped wind
  • Constipation
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Diverticular disease
  • Appendicitis
  • Kidney stones
  • Urine infection
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Gallstones
  • Period pain
  • Food poisoning
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Gastritis
  • Cancer

Dr Sambrook told medical website Patient: “Doctors have different words to describe the different types of pain you can feel in the gut.

“Very broadly, pains may be sharp or stabbing, crampy, colicky or a general dull ache. Colicky means gradually becoming worse, then easing off again. This may happen repeatedly.

“Doctors may also be interested in where the pain is and whether the pain seems to be travelling (radiating) in a certain direction.

“Having this information and putting it together with other information, such as whether you have been being sick (vomiting) or have had diarrhoea, will help the doctor work out what is wrong.

“If you have a pain that is not going away quickly [within a few hours] or that you cannot cope with, you should see a GP.”

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