Associated symptoms

As already mentioned, stomach cramps and diarrhea occur in the context of many diseases. Consultation with a physician is not always strongly recommended, but there are some accompanying symptoms that should be considered. If the symptoms persist over a long period of time and are accompanied by a marked loss of appetite and weight, a medical examination should be carried out to rule out a serious illness that may require treatment.

Vomiting of blood or coffee grounds is considered an absolute emergency. Immediate treatment in hospital is indicated. Even the withdrawal of very dark, tarry stool or fresh blood makes medical diagnosis and treatment unavoidable.

If the abdomen is tight as a board and/or if there is a high fever, the affected person should also seek medical treatment immediately in order to recognize and treat a possibly life-threatening illness in good time.Common and less threatening accompanying symptoms of stomach cramps and diarrhea are nausea, vomiting and moderate fever. Even a slight loss of appetite without significant weight loss is considered tolerable. Most infectious gastrointestinal inflammations are accompanied by these symptoms.

The occurrence of fever in connection with stomach cramps and diarrhea means that the body raises its temperature to defend itself against pathogens. In a specific case, this indicates the spread of infectious agents or their toxic substances in the body – in this case from the gastrointestinal tract via the blood into the rest of the body. As a result, this constellation of symptoms can occur particularly in infectious causes of stomach cramps and diarrhea, e.g. gastrointestinal infections caused by noroviruses or food poisoning.

If fever occurs, it is generally always advisable to consult a doctor – especially if the person affected is a child! The physician can then clarify the cause of the symptoms with the help of examinations, such as taking a blood sample, and, if necessary, initiate an adequate therapy. In addition, even before the visit to the doctor, it is recommended to take antipyretic medication (as long as there are no contraindications; please refer to the package insert) and to use well-known “home remedies” to lower the fever, e.g. moist calf compresses.

The most obvious explanation, because the most frequent cause of a combination of symptoms diarrhea or stomach cramps and flatulence, is the so-called irritable bowel syndrome, from which 10 to 20 percent of adults in Germany suffer. It is often difficult to diagnose, which is why it is only diagnosed late or not at all. In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, constipation, nausea or a feeling of fullness often occur.

The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is still unclear, and food intolerances and a low-fiber diet are assumed to be risk factors. Due to the not exactly known cause also the therapy is directed toward the Linderung of the complaints, not on the causal removal of the triggers: Cramp-relieving medicines or household remedies (camomile tea or heat treatment) are recommended, just like sufficient movement and relaxation as well as the renouncement of food, after whose consumption the complaints arise increased. Which food it concerns thereby, is however from person to person differently, why here selfinitiative is demanded with the observation of the releasing food.

Common triggers are coffee, alcohol and fatty foods, but also dairy products and raw fruit. Irritable bowel syndrome always requires medical clarification in order not to overlook other, more dangerous causes for the symptoms. Other possible causes for this constellation of symptoms are fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance (see above) and gluten intolerance (see above) or infectious diseases.

The latter can be divided into acute infections such as gastroenteritis and chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. To get to the bottom of the causes, the doctor should first take a detailed medical history of accompanying symptoms, medication, eating habits and previous illnesses. This should be followed by a physical examination of the abdomen, laboratory tests, ultrasound and, if necessary, X-rays.

If there is still any uncertainty, there is also the possibility of a colonoscopy or an MRI of the abdomen or a CT scan. Most diseases of the digestive system are accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The nervous system of the stomach and intestine reacts very sensitively to inflammatory processes and disturbances of the normal digestive process.

The body first tries to eliminate potential disturbing factors by increasing intestinal activity and water secretion into the intestine (diarrhea) and by contracting the stomach (vomiting). Toxins or pathogens that have been absorbed are thus very effectively transported out of the digestive tract and normal activity can be resumed after a recovery phase. Vomiting is a very non-selective reaction to disturbances in gastrointestinal function.

In addition to the absorption of toxins or pathogens, vomiting is triggered by a variety of diseases of the abdominal cavity. These include, for example, inflammation of the gall bladder, which does not directly affect the stomach. Nausea and vomiting are frequent accompanying symptoms of stomach cramps and diarrhea and do not necessarily require medical clarification.

If the general condition of the person affected is severely restricted by nausea, herbal preparations or so-called antiemetic, vomiting-preventing drugs, such as dimenhydrinate, are available in any pharmacy without prescription.Blood in the stool is an alarm sign, which makes a visit to the doctor unavoidable. Highly visible red blood in the stool usually comes from bleeding hemorrhoids, which are usually harmless and easy to treat. Nevertheless, a thorough examination for other possible sources of bleeding should be performed.

These include malignant diseases such as colon cancer, whose prognosis can be significantly improved by early detection and treatment. Blood in the stool is not always clearly visible. Even a rather thin, deep black, tarry stool is usually due to bleeding of the digestive system, which in this case is usually to be suspected in higher, i.e. closer to the mouth, sections of the gastrointestinal tract.

Here, too, urgent clarification of the presence of a bleeding stomach or small intestine ulcer is required. Non-visible, so-called occult blood in the bowel movement, can occur in the context of colorectal cancer. In this case, the hemoccult test is used, usually from the age of 50 years.

This test is able to detect occult blood in the stool through a simple test system. Besides nausea, diarrhoea and especially stomach cramps are among the most common unpleasant side effects of pregnancy. The reason for the occurrence of these symptoms, especially in the initial phase of pregnancy, is the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, which also “upset” the hormonal balance of the gastrointestinal tract.

In the further course of the pregnancy, the growing child and the displacement it produces in the mother’s abdomen also contribute to the symptoms. Especially when the baby moves, cramp-like pain in the stomach area can occur. If the cramps occur in the pregnant woman mainly during her own movements, such as coughing or getting up, the cause is usually the increasing stretching of the mesenteries, i.e. the holding bands of the abdominal organs.

Finally, in advanced pregnancy, incipient contractions can also be misinterpreted as stomach cramps. In general, stomach cramps triggered by pregnancy are usually unpleasant but harmless. Taking medication during pregnancy should always be considered with caution, but if the symptoms are minor and do not last too long, camomile tea and warmth can often work wonders. Nevertheless, if the symptoms occur frequently, especially if diarrhoea or fever are added, a doctor should be consulted so that other possible causes such as gastrointestinal infections or infections of the stomach lining or pancreas are not overlooked.