Upper abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea
If diarrhea and upper abdominal pain are combined, this can indicate a gastrointestinal infection, for example. Flatulence can occur in connection with the diarrhoea. Often one feels and hears thereby also a “Bauchgluckern”.
Virus infections are particularly common. A further characteristic for a (viral) infection is the occurrence of fever and chills. If the (upper) abdominal pain lasts longer than 2-3 days and if there is an increase or even no improvement of the other symptoms in this period, a visit to the doctor is recommended in any case.
The doctor will then listen to and palpate the abdomen and, if there is a suspicion of a cause other than a viral infection, examine it with the ultrasound machine if necessary. In the case of a “simple” (viral) infection, the treatment usually consists “only” of rest and sufficient fluid intake. Also in the case of food intolerances, flatulence and diarrhoea can occur in combination.
This happens particularly in the case of lactose or fructose intolerance, but also in the case of coeliac disease (gluten intolerance). Abdominal cramps are often present as additional complaints. Food intolerances can be confirmed with medical tests, which are usually carried out by a gastroenterologist.
These include the H2 breath test, which is usually positive for lactose intolerance, bacterial colonization and short bowel syndrome, or the stool fat test to detect maldigestion (poor digestion) in the context of celiac disease. The same applies to allergic reactions to food, whereby additional symptoms such as skin rashes or itching are usually in the foreground here. Known foods to which an allergic reaction is frequently experienced are Cow’s milk, fish, nuts, legumes (especially peanuts) and soya.
Upper abdominal pain, flatulence and nausea
Nausea can also be one of the symptoms of food intolerance. Especially in the case of lactose intolerance, the absorption of lactose (milk sugar) leads to flatulence, pain in the upper abdomen and nausea. Otherwise, nausea in connection with upper abdominal pain is a rather unspecific symptom.
Another cause of the symptom complex upper abdominal pain and nausea can be acute or chronic gastritis.Here, however, additional flatulence is found rather rarely. In acute gastritis, the pain is usually very severe and there is also vomiting, as well as constant belching and a feeling of fullness. In chronic gastritis, the symptoms usually occur over a longer period of time and are often only slightly to barely noticeable.
In the case of an ulcer of the stomach (ulcus ventriculi) or duodenum (ulcus duodeni), pain in the upper abdomen is also rarely associated with flatulence, but all the more so with nausea and irregular bowel movements. If the pain and nausea occur immediately after food intake or are independent of food intake, this indicates a ventriculous ulcer. If they occur more often on an empty stomach (especially at night) or if they get better after eating, then this is more likely to be a duodenal ulcer. However, the symptoms are not necessarily specific, so that a diagnosis must be made before treatment can be started.
