Beat the Bellyache

Stomach pain gets to all of us at least once in a lifetime, be it the after-effects of a couple of golguppas, or a mental issue you can’t handle. Diagnosing the cause of abdominal pain can often be difficult, which is why, serious issues often tend to go unnoticed. What’s surprising is that sometimes, stomach pain tends to get mis-diagnosed, mostly because it may also occur due to issues that are outside the stomach, like heart attacks and pneumonia. Though a 500-word write-up can’t be a replacement for medical knowledge, to make things a bit convenient and simpler, we’ve listed down a few common reasons for stomach pain.

Reasons for severe, sudden stomach pain: Sudden, severe and painful cramps are often a sign of diarrhea, one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases affecting people around the globe. A viral or bacterial infection of the stomach or the intestines, commonly caused due to ingestion of contaminated food or water, causes inflammation of the inner linings of the stomach or the bowels, leading to pain.

If the symptoms persist even after taking medication, it is possible that you may be suffering from a chronic gastrointestinal condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Trapped wind or bloating may also result in sudden, extreme pain in the tummy.

If the pain is specifically in the lower-right hand side of your stomach, it is possible that you may be suffering from appendicitis. Appendicitis is a serious, life-threatening condition, and if the pain is unbearable, seek medical advice immediately.

Gallstones, kidney stones, diverticulus and peptic ulcers are some other causes of sudden, severe pains in the abdomen, which fail to respond to medication.

Long-term abdominal pain: If stomach pain is recurrent, and persists for a very long time, it may possibly be a symptom of a serious condition. Irritable bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, peptic ulcers and urinary tract infections are a few causes of long-term abdominal pain. Menstrual pain and GERD may also cause recurrent pain in the stomach. Chronic stress and depression are also linked to abdominal pain. Most of these causes require medical attention, failure of which could prove to be fatal.

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Source-Medindia