Not with every abdominal pain you need to see a doctor immediately – however, there are some alarm signs that you should pay attention to:
4 Alarm Signs of Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain persists or worsens and cannot be relieved with the usual home remedies – this may indicate acute inflammation of, for example, the appendix or gallbladder.
- Abdominal pain is accompanied by violent nausea, vomiting and fever. You feel weak and the pain is accompanied by a co-reaction of the circulation such as cold sweaty skin, increased heartbeat or dizziness – this accompanying symptomatology speaks for a serious event, such as an acute abdomen a pancreatitis or a ruptured appendix.
- You are not previously known to have any condition associated with abdominal pain. The pain occurs again and again. Let clarify whether you may have developed a food intolerance, porphyria or gallstone, also small intestinal protrusions (diverticula) or an intestinal tumor can cause abdominal pain.
- Also pay attention to your stool behavior – if the stool frequency or color changes, play it safe with a visit to the doctor.
What can you do for abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain is always a symptom and not a disease, which means that in addition to pain-relieving measures, the cause should always be investigated if the discomfort persists or recurs. Sometimes a hot water bottle, a stomach-soothing tea, a day of rusks or no food at all already helps, other people swear by exercise, herbal enzymes easily digestible or especially spicy food – try out what works for you.
