Stomach pain – what to do

Stomach pain is colloquially called pain in the left middle and upper abdomen. The cause of this pain can, but need not, be in the stomach. In most cases, stomach pain has no clear cause and can be improved by resting and putting on a hot water bottle.

Drinking fennel or anise tea, for example, can also help to calm the stomach. The medications MCP and Buscopan can also relieve stomach pain. Due to possible side effects and interactions with other medications, it is recommended to seek advice from a pharmacy.

Prevention

Anyone who suffers from stomach pain more frequently should ensure a balanced diet. You should not eat too much and especially not too fatty. Spicy food should also be avoided.

Overall, easily digestible foods should be preferred and flatulent foods should be reduced. Since alcohol, coffee and smoking can damage the stomach lining, this should be avoided as far as possible. Since stomach pain can also be caused by stress, you should take your time and enjoy your meal.

When to see a doctor

Since most stomach pains belong to the harmless variant, there is nothing wrong with self-medication if they occur occasionally. If your stomach pain lasts longer, i.e. it lasts for several days or recurs repeatedly, you should consult a doctor. A doctor should also be consulted in the event of particularly severe symptoms, such as massive cramps or if they occur together with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue or loss of appetite, in order to further clarify the symptoms. A simultaneous aversion to meat or other foods should also be discussed with a doctor.

Causal therapy

If the abdominal pain occurs a few hours after a meal and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, food poisoning may also be the cause. The character of the abdominal pain is often crampy, usually several people are affected. Food poisoning is caused by toxins produced by bacteria.

Typical affected foods are meat, fish and eggs. As in the case of an infection, the intake of water and salts should be taken care of, as they are lost through vomiting and diarrhoea. As a preventive measure, adequate food hygiene should generally be observed, as well as taking food as soon as possible after preparation.

If the abdominal pain always occurs in connection with the consumption of certain foods, food intolerance can also cause it. A frequent cause is lactose intolerance, which leads to abdominal pain, diarrhoea and flatulence after the consumption of dairy products. With a fructose intolerance, the same symptoms occur after fruit sugar consumption.

This can be proven by special tests, the therapy consists in avoiding these foods. If, on the other hand, there is an allergy to certain foods, the skin and respiratory tract are usually also affected. Often itching and a furry feeling in the mouth area occurs.

Another cause of stomach pain can be reflux. Various causes lead to reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus and cause a burning sensation due to the irritation of the mucous membranes. Stomach pain and swallowing disorders can also occur.

The problems usually intensify when lying down and can be provoked by ingestion of certain foods (fruit juices, hot drinks, alcohol). About 10-20% of the population is affected, the therapy consists primarily of reducing risk factors: weight loss, low-fat food, constricting clothing, as well as chocolate, smoking, alcohol and coffee. Depending on the stage and frequency of symptoms, the use of stomach-protective drugs (e.g. proton pump inhibitors) may be considered. If the disease cannot be treated conservatively (reduction of risk factors and taking medication), surgery must be considered.