Synonyms
stomach pain, abdominal pain, upper abdomen pain, gastritis
Causes of stomach pain
Stomach pain can have many different causes. These can be harmless, self-limiting causes or diseases requiring treatment. Often stomach pain is caused by intolerant food.
Especially fatty food can lead to pain. Furthermore, lactose or fructose intolerance is not uncommon. Nausea and vomiting speak for the consumption of spoiled food.
Another frequent cause is irritation caused by excessive stomach acid. This can cause an inflammation of the stomach with heartburn and in the further course of time cause a stomach ulcer. Other forms of stomach inflammation (gastritis) are bacterial or caused by excessive use of certain drugs.
In addition, stomach pain is often caused by viral infections in the context of a gastrointestinal infection. This leads to cramp-like stomach pain, which is usually accompanied by diarrhea and nausea. In addition to these causes, diseases of other organs that cause upper abdominal pain interpreted as stomach pain also come into consideration.
The inflammation of the pancreas or duodenum must be mentioned here. Tumors are rarer causes of stomach pain. Long lasting or very severe stomach pain should always be clarified in case of doubt.
Stomach pain is often triggered by stress. Besides physical factors, it is a main cause of a variety of complaints. Stress activates various endogenous hormone systems.
Among other things, hydrochloric acid is produced more frequently, which causes or aggravates stomach pain. In addition, the blood circulation of the stomach lining is impaired. However, this is of crucial importance in the production of a mucus layer that protects against the acid.
Stress therefore causes increased irritation and damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach. This becomes noticeable with stomach pain. The consequences are gastritis or a stomach ulcer.
Stomach pain is usually a long-term complication of ongoing stress. Some people also react quickly to stress with stomach pain without the presence of organic damage. These are most noticeable before particularly stressful situations such as exams or presentations.
In all cases it is recommended to reduce stress as much as possible. Relaxation exercises, autogenic training or meditation can help here. If the stress is reduced, the stomach pain usually disappears as well.
On the one hand, medication can be a trigger for stomach problems, but on the other hand it can also act as an aid against such complaints. A group of drugs known to “strike the stomach” are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They are widely used as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen, diclofenac and indometacin.
The mechanism of action of these drugs causes the production of less protective mucus in the stomach area, which protects the stomach wall against the very aggressive hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach. If this happens over a longer period of time, there is a risk of ulcers developing in the stomach or adjacent small intestine. A combination of NSAIDs with glucocorticoids, i.e. steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as cortisone or prednisolone, increases the risk of developing an ulcer in the gastrointestinal tract once again.
Such ulcers are called ulcus ventriculi (in the stomach) and ulcus duodeni (in the small intestine). If the stomach pain occurs after eating, this indicates a local irritant cause in the stomach. Stomach pain after eating is a main symptom of inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis).
It can have various causes. Typically, stabbing or pressing pain in the middle upper abdomen occurs immediately after eating. Especially after large portions and fatty or acidic food, severe stomach pain occurs.
In some cases, the inflammation is already more advanced, so that a stomach ulcer (ulcer) is already present. This is also manifested by stomach pain after eating, which appears immediately until a few minutes after eating. In case of doubt, a stomach ulcer should be ruled out, since a malignant tumor can also develop from this.
However, harmless causes are often responsible for stomach pain after eating. Food intolerances can cause these symptoms. In this case, avoiding the corresponding food helps.If no cause is found for continuing stomach pain after eating, this is called irritable bowel syndrome. Here it helps to avoid coffee, alcohol and fatty foods. Stress worsens the symptoms, so that this should be avoided.
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