How To Get Rid of A Stomach Ache Fast

Why does everyone get stomach pain or abdominal pain?

Stomach pain has many causes. Although it is one of the worst feelings, the pain is mostly harmless and will pass on its own.

But stomach pain could be a sign of a serious health problem. And sometimes, even mild stomach pain could be severe stomach pain could be harmless.

In this article, you’ll learn the causes of abdominal pain, when to see a doctor for abdominal pain, and how to get rid of a stomach ache with home remedies.

Table of Contents

What Is Abdominal Pain? (Stomach Pain)

Abdominal pain, or stomach pain, is discomfort in your belly area. Your belly area is from your ribs to your pelvis. Abdominal pain is common and most of the time it isn’t anything to worry about. But abdominal pain can also be a sign of a serious medical condition. The important thing is to know when to seek medical attention.
Abdominal pain has unique characteristics unlike heart rate or blood pressure:

Abdominal pain is subjective. There’s no test or measurement to record your pain. Your medical provider can only see your pain through your description.
Abdominal pain isn’t always a digestive problem. Although it feels like a stomach ache, abdominal pain could be caused by many other organs besides your stomach.
Abdominal pain can be serious regardless of how much it hurts. For example, stomach cramps and viral infections may cause bad stomach pain but are not serious. Although cancer or early appendicitis may cause mild or no pain, they could be fatal if left untreated.
Abdominal pain has many forms. It ranges from constant dull pain to occasional cramps and brief, sharp pain.

What Are the Types of Abdominal Pain?

Adnominal pain has several types, depending on how fast it starts and how long it lasts. The three main types of abdominal pain are the following (1):

Acute abdominal pain: Acute abdominal pain develops over hours or days and may have other symptoms. It ranges from minor problems that don’t need treatment to medical emergencies.
Chronic (intermittent or episodic): Chronic abdominal pain can be mild or severe and last for weeks or months. It comes and goes but doesn’t get worse necessarily.
Progressive: Progressive abdominal pain gets worse and usually comes with other symptoms. It’s usually a sign of a serious medical condition.

Other descriptions of abdominal pain that help with diagnosis include the following (2):

Generalized pain: You feel generalized pain in more than half of your belly. It’s usually caused by gas, indigestion, or a stomach virus.
Localized pain. Localized pain is in one area of your belly. It’s usually a symptom of an organ problem such as your appendix, gallbladder, or stomach.
Cramp-like pain. Cramp-like pain isn’t usually serious as it’s most likely caused by gas or bloating. It’s more serious if it happens more often, occurs with a fever, or lasts longer than 24 hours.
Colicky pain. Colicky pain is usually severe and comes in waves of intensity. Common causes are kidney stones and gallstones.

When To See A Doctor For Abdominal Pain

Whether to see a doctor for abdominal pain depends on the type of pain, the severity, and other symptoms. You should see a doctor for abdominal pain if the person has any of the following symptoms (3):

Dull abdominal pain that lasts longer than a week
Significant abdominal pain that doesn’t feel better within 24 to 48 hours
Abdominal pain that gets worse, more severe, or occurs frequently
Abdominal pain with bloating that lasts longer than two days
Abdominal pain with unexplained weight loss
Abdominal pain with a fever
Abdominal pain with diarrhea that lasts longer than five days
Abdominal pain with burning or painful sensation while urinating
If you’re searching the internet for answers to your stomach pain

Abdominal Pain That Requires Emergency Care

Get immediate medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms (3):

Sudden or severe abdominal pain
Abdominal pain with chest pain
Jaundice (Yellowing of your skin and whites of your eyes)
Severe or frequent diarrhea or vomiting
Abdominal pain and vomiting of blood
Intense or consistent bleeding from the bowels
Severe tenderness when touching your abdomen
Abdomen swelling
Abdomen pain with the inability to have a bowel movement (especially if you’re vomiting)
Gastric pain with difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Abdomen pain during pregnancy (or if you think you’re pregnant)
You’ve had a recent abdomen surgery or injury

Other abdominal pain symptoms that may require medical attention include (4):

Blood in stool, urine, or vomit
Difficulty swallowing
Fever
Loss of appetite
Pain that awakens you at night

Abdominal Pain You Can Treat At Home

Mild generalized stomach pain

What Causes Abdominal Pain?

Many health conditions can cause abdominal pain, but the main causes are indigestion, stress, infection, constipation, or abdominal organ problems. Understanding the causes helps you avoid stomach pain and get help for a serious medical condition early.

Causes of Sudden and Severe Abdominal Pain

Sudden or severe abdominal pain requires immediate medical attention. Causes include the following (5):

Appendicitis
Bowel obstruction
Kidney stones
Gall stones
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
Heart attack
Injury
Pregnancy problems

Next section, stomach ache location meaning.

Digestive Problems That Cause Abdominal Pain

Common digestive problems that cause stomach pain include (6):

Acid reflux
Constipation
Crohn’s disease
Food intolerances
Gas
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Indigestion
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Stomach flu
Stomach or peptic ulcers
Stress: stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, taking energy from digestion and healing to preparing for action.
Vomiting

Chest Problems that Cause Cause Abdominal Pain

Chest problems that can cause abdominal pain include (7):

Pulmonary embolism (blood clots that travel to the lungs)
Heart attack
Pneumonia (8)

Upper Abdominal Pain Causes

Causes of upper abdominal pain include (9):

Cancer
Gallstones
Gastritis
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Gastroparesis
Hepatitis
Hiatal hernia
Injury
Liver abscess
Peptic ulcer
Functional dyspepsia
Blind loop syndrome
Pancreatitis
Pneumonia
Enlarged or ruptured spleen
Shingles

Lower Abdominal Pain Causes

Causes of lower abdominal pain include (10):

Appendicitis
Colitis
Constipation
Cystitis
Diverticulitis
Gas
Injury
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Kidney infection
Kidney stones
Menstrual cramps
Acute urinary retention

Reproductive Organ Problems That Cause Abdominal Pain In Women

Reproductive organ problems that cause abdomen pain in women include (11):

Endometriosis
Menstrual cramps
Uterine fibroids
Ovarian cysts
Ovulation
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Ectopic pregnancy

Abdominal Pain Natural Remedies

You should only try to treat mild abdominal pain at home. The following remedies help prevent stomach pain caused by gas or indigestion:

Eat slowly
Eat smaller portions of more frequent meals
Give your body enough time to digest between meals
Stop eating at least two hours before bed
Chew your food thoroughly
Eat enough fiber
Eat more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes
Drink enough water every day for proper digestion
Avoid drinking alcohol
Don’t drink more than a few sips of anything with your meals. Water dilutes your stomach acid, making it harder to digest.
Stand or sit up straight after you eat if you have GERD. Lying down allows the stomach acid to move upward and causes heartburn.
Relax and avoid stressful activities before, during, and after meals
Exercise every day and take a quick walk after big meals
Try reducing or cutting out common problem foods such as dairy or gluten to see what’s causing your stomach problems
Avoid difficult-to-digest foods such as fried foods or heavily preserved foods

First, work with your medical provider to determine that a serious medical condition doesn’t cause your stomach pain. Then consider these home remedies for gas, indigestion, or an upset stomach (12):

Ginger for nausea and vomiting (13)
Peppermint for nausea and upset stomach
Apple cider vinegar
Basil
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cumin
Chamomile tea
Figs for constipation
Relaxation: Relaxation activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes digestion and healing.
Take a warm bath or use a heating pad for your stomach. The heat helps relax your stomach and relieve pain.
The BRAT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. The BRAT diet is rich in starches which help relieve diarrhea by binding up stools. And it also helps replace nutrients lost from diarrhea or vomiting (14).
Try lime juice in water. Some studies show that limes can help with digestive issues by neutralizing excess bile production by the liver and counteracting the effect of greasy food (15).
Activated charcoal
Do not take any medication without consulting your medical provider
Club soda for stomach pain and indigestion

What Your Stomach Pain Is Trying To Tell You

You’re concerned because your stomach pain isn’t going away on its own or is severe.

Now you know the common causes of stomach pain and when to seek medical help.

You’ve also learned natural remedies to prevent or relieve a stomach ache at home.

The main cause of all stomach or abdominal pain is physical, chemical, or emotional stress. Your pain is not only a sign of a physical health condition but a sign that something is wrong in your life. Work with your health provider to solve the health problem causing you pain and find the source of your stress.

Is your job, school, diet, or relationships causing stress?

Stress > Health problem > Stomach Pain

Further Reading:

Sources Cited

https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/abdominal-pain/basics/causes/sym-20050728
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003120.htm
https://www.verywellhealth.com/when-to-see-a-doctor-for-abdominal-pain-770762
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/digestive-disorders/symptoms-of-digestive-disorders/chronic-abdominal-pain-and-recurring-abdominal-pain
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/what-causes-abdominal-pain
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318286#When-should-I-seek-medical-attention
https://www.healthline.com/health/chest-and-abdominal-pain
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4471-pneumonia
https://www.healthline.com/health/upper-abdominal-pain#causes
https://www.verywellhealth.com/lower-abdominal-pain-5184279#:~:text=Lower%20abdominal%20pain%20can%20be%20acute%20or%20chronic.,as%20can%20urinary%20tract%20infections.
https://khealth.com/learn/symptom/abdominal-pain/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322047#Twenty-one-home-remedies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10793599/
https://familydoctor.org/brat-diet-recovering-from-an-upset-stomach/
https://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/2015/March-2015/1.pdf

How To Get Rid of A Stomach Ache Fast | Stomach Pain Causes