Abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting

The symptom triad consisting of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting is typical for a gastrointestinal infection. In addition there is usually nausea, which eventually leads to vomiting. Under certain circumstances, the symptoms can also have another cause, for example food intolerance or a specific disease of the stomach (for example gastritis). With a common gastrointestinal infection, the symptoms subside within a few days, even without specific therapy. Longer-lasting complaints should always be clarified by a doctor, so that a timely therapeutic response can be made if necessary.

Abdominal pain and diarrhoea in the child

Children suffer more often from abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting than adults. This is due to the fact that the child’s immune system has to establish itself first and in this way undergoes many infections. Gastrointestinal infections with various pathogens, usually viruses, are therefore the most common cause of abdominal pain and diarrhoea in children.

It should be noted, however, that physical complaints of children are very often reported in the abdominal area, but are often not justified there at all. For example, children with otitis media often report abdominal pain, although the cause of their discomfort is in the ear. Other causes of abdominal pain and diarrhoea in children can be food intolerance or celiac disease, for example.

As diarrhoea can lead to a considerable loss of fluid, it is all the more dangerous the smaller the child is. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted at an early stage if the symptoms do not improve. If necessary, electrolyte infusions must then be administered to the child to compensate for the loss of fluid and minerals.

Abdominal pain associated with diarrhoea and fever usually indicates an infectious gastrointestinal disease. Fever is a particularly good indication of this, as it is produced by the body to kill off pathogens. A gastro-intestinal infection is usually overcome after a few days.

If the symptoms are very pronounced and do not improve, a doctor should be consulted. There is a risk of dehydration if the fluid losses due to diarrhoea are too great. At home you should therefore make sure that you have an adequate supply of fluids.

Black tea is particularly recommended for this purpose, which has a calming effect on the intestines due to the tanning agents it contains. Fennel or chamomile tea can also help. To compensate for the loss of minerals, a pinch of salt and one or two teaspoons of dextrose should be added to the tea in case of severe diarrhoea.

Abdominal pain, diarrhoea and blood in the stool

If blood in the stool occurs in addition to abdominal pain and diarrhoea, this can have various causes. The colour of the blood can provide a clue. Light-coloured deposits of blood in the stool indicate bleeding from the lower sections of the gastrointestinal tract, for example through haemorrhoids or tears in the anal mucosa, which is well supplied with blood.

In the case of severe diarrhoea, this can happen because the mucous membrane is attacked by the frequent, fluid and often burning bowel movements and then tears more easily. If the stool is very darkly discoloured by the blood, it is called melena (tarry stool). This is usually caused by bleeding in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract.

For example, strong vomiting there can lead to tearing of the mucous membrane and thus to bleeding. However, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and blood in the stool can also have other causes. For example, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) can manifest themselves through these symptoms.

Bowel cancer, on the other hand, is less often the cause of visible blood in the stool. Much more frequently, bowel cancer merely causes blood deposits in the stool that are not visible to the naked eye (occult blood in the stool). For this reason, a stool sample is taken during colorectal cancer screening in order to examine it specifically for blood deposits. In general, if there is blood in the stool, a doctor should be consulted to rule out more serious causes. The same applies to abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which do not improve of their own accord after a few days.