Abdominal pain is generally a digestive condition in which your stomach can get upset due to infection or other reasons. It can lead to gas, diarrhea and pain.
The stomach pain can be caused by dozens of reasons but most of them are not serious.
The symptoms of your tummy ache may generally pass quickly. The condition gets resolved on its own. You can use some of the age old tested home remedies for your abdominal pain. If these remedies don't help and the tummy still hurts then consult a doctor to rule out any serious underlying condition.
Table of Contents
- What is Abdominal Pain?
- Treatment of Abdominal Pains
- Home Remedies for Abdominal Pains
- How To Prevent Abdominal Pains?
- Other Tips and Precautions
What is Abdominal Pain?
Abdominal pain is any pain in the front middle part of your body between chest and the pelvic region. Most people refer to it as stomach pain in common language.
We all occasionally suffer from it on one time or the other. Abdominal pain is usually not serious. But frequent and persistent pain may require medical intervention.
Causes
Abdominal pains are generally caused by infections and inflammations. Infections caused in the throat and respiratory system may push the bacteria in the digestive tract causing abdominal pain. Constipation, diarrhoea, Acid Reflux and even stress can cause stomach pain.
However if you have chronic pain in your stomach then there may be an underlying health condition that may require medical attention. Some of these conditions are
- IBS - irritable bowel syndrome
- GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Lactose intolerance
- Crohn's disease
- Kidney infections or stones
- Gallbladder stones
- Appendicitis
- Stomach ulcers
Symptoms
Symptoms of abdominal pain will depend on the underlying condition but generally you will feel
- Cramps
- Dull or intermittent pain
- Sharp pain
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nausea
You may get localised pain if any specific organ such as liver, kidney or gallbladder is affected. Even stomach ulcers give localised pain in the upper abdomen. The pain can also be colicky as in kidney stones. You may get stomach cramps if you have bloating constipation or diarrhea.
Diagnosis
Based on your symptom explanations and physical check up your doctor will decide whether your pain requires further investigations.
Sometimes simple tests as under may be done to identify the kind of infection if any.
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Stools tests
In most cases you may not be required to do any more tests but if your doctor wants to rule out any underlying condition then you may have to undergo some of the following tests.
- Ultrasound
- X Rays and CT scans
- MRI
- Endoscopy
- Colonoscopy
Treatment of Abdominal Pains
Generally they may not be any specific treatment required for your stomach pain. If there is infection then your doctor might give you some antibiotics.
Other underlying medical conditions that are causing stomach pain may require nausea medication and even surgery in some cases your doctor is your best guide.
We are focusing here basic kinds of occasional stomach pains that can generally be fixed with simple age old home remedies.
Home Remedies for Abdominal Pains
Following remedies will treat your upset stomach to ease your pain and give you relief.
1. Water
If your stomach pain is caused by constipation then water is one of the best constipation remedy to move your bowel and ease the pain.
- Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily
- Do not drink sugary soda water. It will worsen the condition
- Add lemon juice in one or two of these glasses of water during the day.
2. Exercise
If your abdominal pain is caused by irritable bowel syndrome then is IBS remedy works well to reduce e pain
- Walk for 45 minutes daily
- Take a swim for 30 minutes
- Ride a bike for 30 minutes
- Participate in any sport or athletic activity or
- Do any exercise of your choice daily
3. Psyllium Husk
Psyllium husk treats diarrhea and constipation both to give relief from tummy pain.
- Take 1 glass of slightly warm water
- Add one teaspoon of Psyllium husk and mix well
- Drink twice daily
4. Organic Yogurt
Organic yoghurt is probiotic. It can relieve you from stomach pain if it is caused by minor bacterial infection.
- Put 200 grams of unsweetened unflavored raw organic yogurt into a blender.
- Add 50 grams of water
- Blend at high speed for 5-7 minutes
- Eat it with spoon
- Do it daily until infection is gone
5. Fennel Seeds
If you are abdominal pain is caused by gases and bloating then fennel seeds will ease the pain.
- Chew a teaspoon of fennel seeds or
- Make tea from fennel seeds and drink
- Do it 2-3 times daily
How To Prevent Abdominal Pains?
All types of stomach pains may not be preventable, but normal stomach pains caused by different types of infections can be prevented as under.
- Drink lots of water daily
- Eat healthy food
- Engage in regular daily exercises
- Sleep well
- Avoid eating at unhygienic places
Other Tips and Precautions
- Avoid all kinds of junk foods
- Do not drink cold water. Always drink slightly warm water. It will keep your digestion tract clean
- Write a diary and eliminate those food items that cause constipation, diarrhea or bloating in your specific case.
- Avoid smoking
- Stop chewing gum
If after taking all the precautions and using above home remedies if abdominal pain still persists then you must consult your doctor to get relief.