Symptoms

Stomach pain is usually located in the left or middle upper abdomen, although the pain sensation may not always be the same: In addition to stabbing pain, stomach pain can also feel crampy, piercing, burning and sharp. Often patients with stomach pain are accompanied by other symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, so that a simultaneous presence of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and flatulence is quite possible. Flatulence (= intestinal wind; flatulence; meteorism) often correlates with the feeling of a strongly inflated or bulging abdomen and the increased release of wind through the anus.

They can always be accompanied by cramping, pressing abdominal pain when the intestinal gases are trapped in the digestive system. There are many different clinical pictures which simultaneously trigger stomach pain, flatulence and diarrhoea. Some are dangerous in the long term, others are completely harmless.

Among the most common causes are simple gastrointestinal infections. They are usually caused by viruses, start suddenly and disappear again after a few days. To speed up the healing of such gastrointestinal infections, only a small amount of solid food should be eaten until the diarrhoea improves significantly.

Especially “light food” is well tolerated. This includes, for example, cooked carrots and potatoes, rice and lye pastries. It is important to drink a lot during the diarrhea to compensate for the loss of fluid.In the case of severe diarrhea, an electrolyte solution can also be taken to stabilize the salt balance.

If stomach pain is the main symptom, an inflammation of the pancreas may also be the cause of the symptoms. This manifests itself particularly through pain in the area of the stomach, the flanks and the back. If the complaints have existed for a long time, a food intolerance or allergy can be the cause of the complaints.

In order to find out whether and which food causes the symptoms, a diary can be kept of the dishes eaten and the occurrence of the symptoms. An irritable bowel syndrome can also cause flatulence, abdominal pain and diarrhoea at the same time. While no physical cause for the symptoms can be found in irritable bowel syndrome, the disease is very stressful for many in the long term.

If stomach pain has been the main symptom for a long time, an inflammation of the gastric mucosa can cause the symptoms. In order to be able to initiate the right therapy and prevent consequential damage from such an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, a doctor should be consulted. and diarrhea and stomach painBursting of air in connection with stomach pain and flatulence can be an indication that either a lot of air is swallowed when eating or that a lot of gas is formed in the gastrointestinal tract.

This can be caused by a lack of exercise, malnutrition or eating too quickly. If the belching is sour and causes pain in the sense of heartburn, the symptoms can be an indication of an inflammation of the esophagus. This is usually caused by an excessive reflux of acid from the stomach.

Possible treatment strategies for such a reflux disease are taking the acid blockers that are very frequently prescribed today, or changing eating habits – after all, eating habits almost always play a major role in the development of heartburn: less fatty and more frequent small meals can already reduce the symptoms. After eating, the body position should be maintained for about 30 minutes. Very sweet, spicy or acidic foods can also increase the symptoms.

A feeling of fullness occurs in combination with stomach pain and flatulence, especially in 3 clinical pictures: gastritis, gastric ulcer and irritable bowel syndrome. All these illnesses should be clarified and treated by a doctor in order to prevent serious secondary diseases or psychological stress. A gastrointestinal infection or malnutrition can also cause a feeling of fullness, stomach pain and flatulence.

If the complaints last only a few days, a visit to the doctor is usually unnecessary. However, if they occur again and again or last a long time, a doctor should be consulted. Stomach pain and flatulence in connection with a feeling of fullness also frequently occur after a gastroscopy.

However, these complaints usually disappear within a few hours. Stomach pain, flatulence and nausea can occur together in different diseases. These complaints are not unusual in the case of food intolerances or after having eaten something bad before.

Common foods that are not well tolerated are milk and the lactose, fructose and gluten, a protein found in various types of wheat. A gastrointestinal infection caused by viruses can also be the cause. In all these cases the symptoms usually subside within a few hours or days without any consequences.

Nausea during pregnancy is not uncommon. Sometimes it can also occur in combination with stomach pain and flatulence. This is normal and usually has no dangerous consequences.

Only in the case of frequent vomiting should care be taken to supply the body with enough fluids and nutrients. Many patients with a so-called irritable bowel show this combination of symptoms. Usually the symptoms occur about 10 minutes to an hour after eating and improve after bowel movements.

The triggers for irritable bowel syndrome are not yet known, but the psyche and stress seem to play an important role. The treatment is complex due to the unknown causes and should be discussed with a doctor. Other possible causes of stomach pain, flatulence and nausea are inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, various cancers, hormonal disorders or vascular occlusion in the gastrointestinal tract.

They should be clarified in particular if the symptoms have appeared very quickly, are very severe or have already lasted for weeks or months. Back pain can occur, although rarely, in all painful diseases of the stomach, such as gastritis.Together with pain in the stomach and flanks, back pain typically occurs in the case of acute inflammation of the pancreas. This is often accompanied by irregularities in the stool or flatulence because the lack of digestive juices impairs digestion.

If the back and stomach pains have appeared suddenly, very strongly and are moving slowly downwards, the possibility of an illness of the abdominal artery should be considered and a hospital should be consulted immediately. Back and stomach pain as well as flatulence are among the most common complaints – they often occur side by side without being causally related. Heartburn is understood to be a pain behind the breastbone, which often rises from the upper abdomen to the neck or throat.

Heartburn is experienced as a burning sensation and often occurs due to excessive backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus in the context of reflux disease. Flatulence is not usually caused by this disease. Heartburn can not only cause stomach and chest pain, but in the long term can lead to ulcers or cancer in the esophagus. Therefore, frequent heartburn should definitely be presented to a doctor. In most cases the disease can be treated very easily by changing eating habits and taking an acid-blocking medication.