stomach pain

and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologist

Dr. Andrea Bannert has been with since 2013. The doctor of biology and medicine editor initially carried out research in microbiology and is the team's expert on the tiny things: bacteria, viruses, molecules and genes. She also works as a freelancer for Bayerischer Rundfunk and various science magazines and writes fantasy novels and children's stories.

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Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

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Stomach pain can feel stabbing, sharp, burning, pressing, or cramping. They are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Stomach pain is often harmless. Then there is, for example, a too lavish meal or stress behind it. Pain in the epigastric region can also have a serious cause such as inflammation of the stomach lining, stomach ulcer or stomach cancer. They can even be a symptom of a heart attack! Read everything you need to know about the symptom of "stomach pain" here.

Brief overview

Causes: wrong or too lavish meals, hectic eating, stress, grief and worries, stomach inflammation (gastritis), gastric ulcer, gastrointestinal infection, food poisoning, intolerance (such as lactose intolerance, histamine intolerance), irritable stomach, stomach cancer
Attention: In addition to stomach diseases, diseases of other organs can also trigger stomach pain or upper abdominal pain, e.g. heart attack, inflammation of the pancreas, etc.
Diagnostics: taking the medical history (anamnesis), physical examination, ultrasound, gastroscopy (gastroscopy), blood tests, etc.
Treatment: depending on the cause of the stomach pain, e.g. adjusting the menu and eating habits in the event of an unhealthy lifestyle, relaxation methods for chronic stress and gastric ulcer, medication, surgery (for stomach cancer), etc.

Stomach pain: description

The term stomach pain (medical: gastralgia) summarizes a variety of different pains in the epigastric region. In contrast to general abdominal pain, it is upper abdominal pain that is localized to the left to the center and usually feels burning, pressing, piercing or stinging. They can appear briefly or persist over a longer period of time. Stomach cramps are stomach pains that occur suddenly and often at short intervals.

People who suffer from stomach pain often have additional symptoms, depending on the cause: These can be, for example, loss of appetite, belching, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bloody stools or abdominal and abdominal complaints.

Stomach pain: causes and possible diseases

Stomach pain has a wide variety of causes. Basically, they can be organic or triggered or intensified by diet and lifestyle. Here you will find an overview of the most important causes of stomach pain or upper abdominal pain:

Stomach pain as a result of illness

Sometimes stomach pain is caused by illness. These often affect the stomach itself, for example in the case of an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, a stomach ulcer or an irritable stomach.

But stomach pain is not always actually caused by the stomach. There are a number of other diseases that also cause gastric discomfort. These primarily include other digestive tract diseases. The intestines are particularly often affected. But diseases of the pancreas, liver and even the heart can cause pain in the upper abdomen, usually accompanied by other symptoms.

The most common and most important diseases that can trigger stomach pain or upper abdominal pain are:

Inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis): Acute or chronic gastritis causes stomach pain and often other symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Possible causes of the inflammation are irritants (alcohol, drugs such as ASA etc.), stress, an infection with the stomach germ Helocobacter pylori and autoimmune reactions.
Gastric ulcer (Ulcus ventriculi): Typical symptoms are burning or pressing pain in the upper abdomen, which often occurs in connection with eating or drinking. Loss of appetite, bloating, nausea and vomiting, and weight loss are other common signs of a stomach ulcer.
Gastrointestinal infections: They are often associated with stomach pain or abdominal pain, as well as vomiting and diarrhea. The trigger is an infection with bacteria or viruses, more rarely with parasites. In children, gastrointestinal infections are often triggered by rotaviruses, in adults often by noroviruses. Colloquially, gastrointestinal flu is often used.
Food poisoning: The consumption of food that is contaminated by pathogens or toxic substances usually causes severe stomach pain with cramps and vomiting. Mild food poisoning heals on its own within a few days. In severe cases, hospital treatment is necessary.
Irritable stomach: The term includes various complaints in the upper abdomen for which no organic cause can be identified. These can include upper abdominal / stomach pain, pressure and fullness, loss of appetite, aversion to certain foods, acidic belching, gas and heart pounding. Possible causes of irritable stomachs include a disorder of gastric mobility, an over-sensitive nervous system in the upper digestive tract and psychological factors.
Intolerance: Some people are intolerant of certain ingredients of food, such as milk sugar (lactose intolerance), fructose (fructose intolerance) or gluten (gluten intolerance, celiac disease). In addition to other symptoms, consumption of the substance in question can also trigger stomach pain.
Stomach cancer: At first, gastric cancer often shows symptoms similar to gastritis or a stomach ulcer.In the further course, there is a sudden aversion to certain foods (often meat, coffee, fruit). Vomiting of blood and tarry stools also indicate stomach cancer.
Reflux disease (reflux esophagitis): This is a pathologically increased backflow of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus. This usually manifests itself as a painful burning sensation behind the breastbone or in the upper abdomen. If this heartburn occurs repeatedly, the mucous membrane of the esophagus can become painfully inflamed by the acid (reflux esophagitis). When swallowing, pain in the upper abdomen occurs. Vomiting and severe diarrhea are also possible.
Duodenal ulcer (Ulcus duodeni): The duodenum is the part of the small intestine that connects directly to the stomach. An ulcer in this area causes abdominal pain (typically on an empty stomach), pressure and bloating, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, gas, and acidic belching, among other things.
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis): Inflammation of the pancreas causes severe pain in the upper abdomen, often accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
Heart attack: Not every heart attack triggers the classic acute pain in the chest that radiates into the left arm. In women in particular, there is often a different symptom, such as sudden pain in the upper abdomen.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can also be the cause of stomach problems.

Diet-related stomach pain

Harmless stomach pains are often caused by incorrect or excessive food intake. Because even the stretching of the stomach wall after an enjoyable feast can trigger discomfort in the stomach area. There are also various foods and beverages that irritate the stomach lining and can cause stomach pain.

Diet or eating habits can be responsible for stomach pain for the following reasons:

Food that is too fatty or too spicy irritates the stomach lining. It stimulates the secretion of stomach acid. Especially people with sensitive stomachs often react with stomach pain.
Alcohol and smoking can also be to blame for too much stomach acid.
Coffee, cola, onions and citrus fruits can also irritate the stomach lining.
Carbonated drinks cause stomach puffiness (especially if consumed quickly). Feeling full, heartburn or belching are the consequences.
Cabbage and beans are "explosive" foods that can also lead to (painful) gas.
Lush and fatty foods right before bed can trigger heartburn. Because stomach acid runs back into the esophagus more easily when lying down.
Eating hectic is also not advisable: Those who gulp down their meal quickly often have to atone for stomach upsets. This is especially true if you still eat while walking and / or the food is very fatty or spicy.

Stress & Co. as a trigger for stomach pain

Sorrows and worries hit the stomach. There is a lot of truth in this saying because stress is a common cause of stomach pain. Other accompanying symptoms such as heartburn, diarrhea or nausea can also occur with emotional causes. In the worst case, chronic stress can also cause organic diseases such as stomach ulcers.

Stomach pain from medication

There are also some medications that can cause stomach pain. These include the so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These are pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, some of which are also available from pharmacies without a prescription. Well-known representatives of this group of active ingredients are acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen and diclofenac. People with sensitive stomachs, in particular, often experience stomach pain when taking these drugs. The reason: NSAIDs cause less protective gastric mucus to be formed.

Stomach Pain: When Should You See a Doctor?

Often, stomach pains are harmless - namely if they only occur occasionally and you can assign them to a certain event: Perhaps you ate too fast, too much, too fat or hastily gobbled down your meal? These types of stomach complaints can be treated with simple home remedies (see: Stomach pain: What can you do yourself?) Or go away on their own after a while.

If this is not the case, you should see a doctor. A doctor's visit is also advisable if the stomach pain:

Persist or recur over a longer period of time, i.e. over several days.
occur for a short time, but are very violent (for example with strong cramps).
are accompanied by other symptoms (e.g. vomiting or blood in the stool).
are completely inexplicable from your point of view.

In such cases, stomach pain can be the result of serious stomach diseases. The tricky thing about these is that they often cause no symptoms for a long time or only cause unspecific symptoms such as bloating, nausea, epigastric pain or loss of appetite. These can easily be mistaken for a simple upset stomach.

Warning, emergency!

Severe stomach cramps with simultaneous vomiting are particularly worrying. This points to food poisoning, for example from poisonous mushrooms. Then you should contact a doctor immediately.

Alleged stomach pain with nausea can also be symptoms of a heart attack. If in doubt, it is better to alert the emergency doctor once too much rather than once too little! Many sufferers tend to have left-sided upper abdominal pain or chest pain, which often radiates into the left arm. Often there is also a feeling of constriction in the chest, shortness of breath and a strong feeling of fear or even fear of death. In women in particular, a heart attack can also manifest itself in other ways, for example with diffuse acute epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting as well as a feeling of pressure and tightness instead of pain in the chest.

Stomach Pain: What Can the Doctor Do?

In order to get to the bottom of your stomach pain, the doctor will first talk to you in detail. So he can collect your medical history (anamnesis). Possible questions from the doctor include, for example:

How long have you had stomach or upper abdominal pain?
Where exactly is the pain?
How bad is the pain?
Do the complaints arise in connection with the consumption of food or drink?
Do you have any other complaints such as bloating, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, etc.?
Do you take any medicine? If yes, which?
What is your diet like?
How often do you drink alcohol? Do you smoke?
Do you have a lot of stress at the moment?

The point in time at which the stomach pain occurs is particularly important for the diagnosis. For example, the pain of a stomach ulcer often becomes noticeable about an hour or two after you eat. In the morning on an empty stomach, on the other hand, patients are usually pain-free. In people with irritable stomach syndrome, stomach pain and other upper abdominal complaints usually occur independently of food intake.

Investigations

The anamnesis will be followed by a physical examination. Among other things, the doctor will palpate and tap your stomach.

Various apparatus-based examinations often follow in order to determine the exact cause of the stomach pain. This includes various imaging methods such as an ultrasound examination. This simple, quick and risk-free method provides the doctor with rough information about the condition of the stomach and other abdominal organs. In many cases, for example, the ultrasound makes a stomach ulcer visible.

Gastroscopy provides even more precise results. In addition to gastric ulcers, it can also be used to detect gastric mucosal inflammation and tumors of the stomach wall, for example. As part of this endoscopic examination, the doctor can also take tissue samples from (suspicious) areas of the gastric mucosa (biopsy) and send them to the laboratory for analysis.

Analyzes of blood, stool and urine samples sometimes also provide valuable information about the cause of stomach pain (such as an infection).

The doctor decides on a case-by-case basis which examinations are necessary and useful.

Stomach Pain: Treatment

What can be done about stomach pain depends on its cause. If the symptoms are due to an illness that requires treatment, the doctor will discuss the treatment plan with you. This often consists of the administration of medication. For example, the doctor often prescribes proton pump inhibitors for inflammation of the stomach lining. These inhibit the formation of aggressive stomach acid, so they act as a kind of stomach protection. Acid-binding drugs, so-called antacids, can also help with gastritis. Both drug groups can also be used for a gastric ulcer. In rare cases, the ulcer needs to be treated surgically.

Stomach Pain: Home Remedies

What to do with stomach pain Various home remedies can help against stomach pain and its accompanying symptoms such as nausea - even if there is not always a scientific explanation for this effectiveness. You can take action yourself, especially with diet and stress-related stomach pains.

Warmth for stomach pain

Heat is a tried and tested home remedy for stomach pain and stomach cramps. It relieves pain, promotes blood circulation and relaxes. You can try different methods.

Hot water bottle and grain pillow

Fill the hot water bottle with hot (not boiling!) Water and place it on the upper stomach. If the bottle is too warm, place a dishcloth or towel between your skin and the hot water bottle.

A warm grain pillow (cherry stone pillow) also works. Depending on the manufacturer's instructions, heat the pillow on the heater, in the microwave or in the oven and place it on the upper abdomen.

Let the heat work for as long as it is comfortable.

Belly pad with chamomile

The hot and humid belly pad with chamomile has a pain-relieving, antispasmodic and relaxing effect. To do this, pour half a liter of boiling water over one to two tablespoons of chamomile flowers. Let the tea brew, covered, for a maximum of five minutes. Then sieve off the plant components.

Place a rolled up (inside) cloth in a second cloth and roll the whole thing into a wrap. Let this soak through the hot chamomile tea with the ends hanging out and then wring it out. Caution hot! Then place the inner cloth around your stomach without creases and wrap a dry cloth around it.

Let the belly pad with chamomile act for 20 to 30 minutes and then rest for at least half an hour. You can use this home remedy twice a day.

People with neurological or cardiovascular diseases should consult a doctor before undergoing heat treatment.

Abdominal rubbing

A belly rub with diluted fennel, lemon balm, chamomile or caraway oil warms, relieves cramps and pain, calms and stimulates digestion. Caraway seed oil is particularly suitable for stomach pain. The body absorbs the active ingredients through the skin.

To do this, warm a few drops of oil in your hands and rub it gently into your stomach in a clockwise direction for a few minutes. Don't work with too much pressure! Then rest well covered for about half an hour. You can rub your belly in several times a day as required.

Which tea for stomach pain?

Various medicinal plants can help against upper abdominal complaints. The following medicinal plants have proven to be effective as a tea for stomach pain:

Chamomile: soothes and reduces inflammation
Caraway seeds: helps with gastrointestinal cramps and flatulence
Peppermint: relieves stomach cramps
Melissa: helps with stress-related stomach pains
Fennel: relieves digestive problems such as stomach pain, bloating, gas
Ginger: absorbs acid and relieves nausea

You can find out more about the effects and preparation of the teas in the corresponding medicinal plant texts.

Roll cure with chamomile tea

During a roll cure, the medicinal herbal tea is distributed in the stomach in such a way that it comes into contact with the entire gastric mucosa. So the chamomile tea can act on all parts of the stomach wall. This reduces inflammation and calms the stomach.

To do this, drink two cups of chamomile tea and then lie on your back, left side, stomach and right side for ten minutes, one after the other.

Stomach Pain: What to Eat?

What calms the stomach? It is best to use light foods if you have stomach pain. Avoid lavish and fatty meals. The following foods are great for calming your stomach:

Honey: it contains substances that support the lining of the stomach. Ideally, eat a tablespoon of natural, cold-spun honey on an empty stomach in the evening before going to bed.

Bread: Eating a piece of bread can help with acid-related stomach pain. In addition, bread (just like pasta) is easy to digest. But be careful: This does not apply to fresh bread and coarse wholemeal bread!

By the way: When eating sour food such as salad with lots of vinegar or wine, make sure that it has a firm and “absorbent” base such as potatoes, bread or pasta.

Ginger: The ingredient gingerol absorbs acids. This can relieve acid-related stomach pain. In addition, ginger drives away nausea. Since this tuber is very hot, it is best to prepare a ginger tea. The best effect is achieved by grating the ginger.

Flaxseed: The mucilage in flaxseed helps with mild inflammation of the gastric mucosa. To prepare it, boil a tablespoon of flaxseed in a quarter of a liter of water for half an hour. The resulting mucus is strained. Take small amounts of it throughout the day. The linseed mucus lies on the stomach wall and protects it from acid.

Healing earth: In the case of acid-related stomach pain, healing earth can help internally. You can read how to properly consume healing earth in the article “Healing earth”.

Adjust lifestyle

Relaxation exercises: If stress is the trigger for your stomach pain, try autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, or similar relaxation techniques.

Avoid harmful influences: Also give your irritated stomach time to recover. Try to keep additional damaging influences away. You should therefore refrain from:

alcohol
nicotine
stress
Fat food

Home remedies have limits. If the symptoms persist over a longer period of time and do not get better or even worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.

Prevent stomach pain

Your stomach will be happy if you heed the following tips:

Eat healthy, varied and low-irritation. This means avoiding very fatty and / or spicy food and large portions. You should also eat irritating foods such as citrus fruits in moderation if you have a sensitive stomach. Be careful with foods that are difficult to digest, such as beans. Their bloating effect can be reduced if the vegetables are soaked in water for at least 12 hours before cooking.
For the sake of your stomach (and the rest of your body) you should avoid alcohol and nicotine.
You shouldn't eat too late in the evening: eat your last meal of the day at least two to three hours before you go to bed.
You should also avoid stress and anger.

Those who adhere to these recommendations can effectively prevent (renewed) stomach pain as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Tags: medicinal herbal home remedies Diagnosis anatomy