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No one enjoys a stomach ache. They’re painful and there’s not much you can do to make them go away. Worse, however, is chronic stomach pain. People who are constantly afflicted with stomach aches might struggle to find relief or a cause. That’s because there are a number of different things that can cause trouble in your gut.
In this blog, we’ll look at some common reasons your stomach hurts and what you can do to help relieve the pain. Remember to always consult your doctor when experiencing stomach pain and before trying any of these methods.
1.) Inflammation
A leading cause of stomach upset is inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. This could be due to food intolerance, allergy or underlying illness. When your GI tract becomes inflamed, any food moving through it can irritate it further causing more pain. Some foods that are particularly irritating to an inflamed gut include grains, nuts, seeds and dairy.
To truly heal inflammation, you need to discover what’s causing it. One route to try is an elimination diet. You can spend a week or two without eating any gut-irritating foods and then slowly reintroduce them to your diet to see which foods you tolerate well and which might be upsetting your stomach. You can also read books about inflammation to learn more about how it affects your health.
2.) Ulcer
A stomach ulcer is not something you can ignore. These afflictions feel like a burning pain in your stomach, especially when you eat or drink. They’re often irritated by acidic things such as coffee, alcohol or even tomatoes. You also need to be careful about taking painkillers when you have a stomach ulcer because certain types can irritate the problem further.
Stomach ulcers need to be diagnosed by a gastroenterologist. If you suspect an ulcer, your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and may order an upper endoscopy. During this procedure, they’ll look in your esophagus and stomach to see if there is any evidence of irritation, excess acid or ulcers.
If they find problems, they’ll likely prescribe a medication to help coat your throat and stomach before you eat so the issue can heal.
3.) Gallbladder
Many different problems can occur with your gallbladder. However, the most common issue is gallstones. Gallbladder problems can be difficult to diagnose because sometimes the small organ will refer pain across your abdomen instead of localizing where it sits on the right side of your stomach beneath your rib cage.
A telling sign that you might have a gallbladder issue is if you struggle to eat fats and find yourself becoming nauseous often. These don’t always point to a gallbladder issue, but they typically reason enough for a doctor to order some tests.
If you have small gallstones, doctors can sometimes break them up without requiring surgery. However, significant issues often result in removing the gallbladder entirely.
4.) Celiac Disease
Celiac disease characterizes an allergy gluten to that causes a painful reaction in your small intestines. As the small intestines are inflamed by the protein in gluten, it slowly wears away at the lining of the organ, exposing delicate tissue to a harsh environment. When the gluten hits the bare intestine, it intensifies the irritation.
If you suspect you have celiac disease, try cutting gluten from your diet right away and make an appointment with your doctor. They can order tests to assess if Celiac disease is the problem or perhaps something else.
If you are diagnosed, then treatment is typically to stay away from gluten. Depending on your sensitivity level, you may have to be extremely careful about what and where you eat. However, as long as you can avoid gluten, you can typically lead an otherwise normal lifestyle.
These are just a few things that can cause stomach pain. The full list is exhaustive. Remember that only your doctor can diagnose health issues, so if you experience any unwelcome or abnormal symptoms, be sure to call them right away.
