Stomach Ache Information
Stomach Aches – Reasons & Remedies
Stomach pain has many varied causes and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. We will explore the types of abdominal pain that adults suffer and then the type of abdominal pain that children suffer and investigate some of the possible remedies for both. It’s important to remember however that when sudden unexplainable abdominal pain persists, you are encouraged to contact a physician for their advice.
So you have a stomach ache and you want immediate relief. Assuming you are not plagued by something more serious than intermittent stomach pain, there are some ‘quick’ fixes you might want to try.
You may want to try some non-medicine remedies such as ginger ale, peppermint (in the form of candy, gum, tea), a heating pad on your stomach, holding a cold facecloth over your forehead or a light snack (if you think it might be related to hunger). Medicinal remedies include Gas-X, or something like Pepto Bismol which may provide temporary relief of your stomach ache. If you think your stomach ache is caused by constipation, you may want to try such OTC medications as Immodium, or drink prune juice (some people can relieve this by drinking coffee or tea as well). Another old trick is to drink sugared salt water. To make this all you have to do is get a glass of water, and put about a teaspoon of salt and sugar in the water. It may not taste very good, but it can be very effective. Try a clear soda (7-Up, Sprite, etc.) as this may help, and as silly as this might sound, try pushing on your stomach to see if it gurgles and if so, you have gas, and may need to ‘force’ yourself to expel some of it from your body. Steam showers and baths are also believed by some to relieve gas and stomach pain, or at least reduce stomach pain inducing stress.
Stomach Pain in Adults
Fortunately, as adults, we have the ability to easily identify the location of stomach pain. Unlike a child who may have a non-specific pain and just say ‘my tummy hurts’, adults have the ability to more clearly identify the location of the pain.
Abdominal pain in adults can be from something as simple as irregular bowel movements, or as frightening as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, which can ultimately lead to liver failure, and many other causes in between.
Irregular bowel movements, one of the more common causes of stomach pain in adults, can be corrected easily by taking a psyllium additive (i.e. Fiber-All, Metamucil, etc.) with your regular diet or simply by increasing the amount of fruit and whole grains that you have in your diet, while PSC must be treated by a physician.
Let’s examine some of the common reasons for adult abdominal pains:
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
This is caused by a widening of a blood vessel (localized) that causes the aorta to bulge. They are typically spindle shaped and involve the aortic region below the kidney. 5% of men over 60 are at risk, the most common cause being arteriosclerosis. While surgery is recommended in these cases, non-surgical responses could be beta blockers (Inderal) as well as quitting smoking and controlling blood pressure. Clearly this is a serious disease (sometimes resulting in death) and you should see your physician regularly if you are diagnosed with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
Appendicitis
The difficulty with appendicitis (and its’ diagnosis) is that the pain is not localized. Many people cannot identify the exact location of pain and when they do they tend to identify the pain as being in the central part of the abdomen. Typically characterized by nausea (and possibly vomiting). There is typically rebound tenderness (that is the pain is worse after touching the area) and appendicitis is typically accompanied by a fever. While typically a diagnosis of appendicitis means an appendectomy (removal of the appendix) in small cases, the infection may be minor enough that it can be successfully treated with antibiotics and surgery may not be necessary.
Colitis
Colitis is broken out into a variety of ‘types’ including Ulcerative Colitis (chronic inflammation of the large intestine); Microscopic Colitis (inflammation of the colon visible only under a microscope); Clostridium Difficile Colitis (bacterium related colitis which can be caused by antibiotics); and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (which does not vary much from ulcerative colitis and may be caused by intestinal fistulas).
Colitis is often treated with sulfa based drugs, including Pentasa, Rowasa, Asacol and may be combined with antibiotics such as cefixime (a semi-synthetic compound available in both pill and liquid forms), or loracarbef (also similar to penicillin. Clearly if you have ongoing abdominal pain, you will want to see your doctor to rule out the possibility of colitis.
Constipation
Constipation has many causes, including narcotic pain medications, certain anti-depressants, some anti-convulsive medications, iron supplements, and antacids. It can also be something very simple as your food passing extremely slowly through the intestine. There are many other things that can contribute to constipation, including suppressing the need to have a bowel movement (which are under voluntary control) – doing this too frequently can lead to a lack of an urge which results in constipation, lack of fiber in the diet, overuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders (including hypothyroidism and pregnancy). There are certain diseases that can contribute as well including diabetes, Chagas Disease, Parkinson’s disease; multiple sclerosis can also contribute to constipation as can pelvic floor dysfunction. Acute constipation (or constipation that is worsening) should always be evaluated before treatment begins. It is typically recommended that before you begin treatment at home you should try simple measures such as adding additional fruit, vegetables and whole grains as a way of adding fiber to your diet, but do not expect this to work overnight. Other mild methods include using milk of magnesia (one of the mildest laxatives on the market), adding such things as prune juice to your diet, or other herbal preparations (though some may contain stimulant laxatives and long term use does raise other concerns of possible colon damage) . If you do not find a simple solution, contact your physician for a thorough checkup to make sure that something more serious hasn’t occurred.
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a disease of the colon, which may have few or no symptoms other than abdominal pain and tenderness, though it may be accompanied by a slight fever. Diverticular disease is common, typically occurring in people over 40 and is seen in more than 50% of the population over 60 in the US. Maintaining a diet that is high in fiber decreases ones risk for Diverticulitis, and some doctors recommend avoiding nuts, corn and other seed type foods. Treatment is fairly simple, mild symptoms are typically treated with fiber supplements, mild anti-spasmodic medications and antibiotics. Surgery is typically not needed however, in severe forms may be necessary.
Gallstones
Occurring in approximately 20% of women in the US, Canada and Europe, most commonly among Scandinavians and Mexican-Americans, gallstones fall primarily into two categories: Cholesterol Gallstones which are primarily comprised of cholesterol as their name indicates comprise 80% of all gallstone issues. If the liver does not secrete enough bile to dissolve the cholesterol, it can stick together and grow in size to form gallstones. Pigment gallstones are the 2nd most common type, being more common in Southeast Asia – they can be a) black pigment gallstones (too much bilirubin in the bile) and b) brown pigment gallstones (combination of pigment that combines with fats in the bile to form particles). Other types of gallstones are rare, though one that is most interesting is the one that may form in people who are taking the antibiotic ceftriaxone which combines with calcium in the bile and becomes insoluble. Most gallstones are treated surgically, though it is possible to dissolve some cholesterol gallstones with medication. Ursodiol is the most common treatment, but it is only effective for cholesterol gallstones, and only works on small gallstones. It’s also important to note that it can take 1-2 years to dissolve and oftentimes they will reform. There is no proven prevention method for gallstones.
Intestinal Gas
The most common cause is from swallowed air which may cause belching. Any type of discomfort in the abdominal area may cause belching however, and bloating may occur causing intermittent distention of the abdomen. Flatulence oftentimes occurs, the result of a production of gas caused by bacteria within the intestines. Excessive production of intestinal gas can be caused by a variety of factors, including diet, medications and bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine. Perhaps the easiest treated disorder; it can be treated with enzymes such as Beano, or other over-the-counter treatments such as simethicone and activated charcoal. If belching or other simple remedies do not relieve the discomfort associated with intestinal gas, then you would be best advised to contact your physician as there are any numbers of abdominal diseases and conditions that can cause this discomfort.
There are several other causes of stomach pains in an otherwise healthy adult, however these are the most common. Treatments can range from something as simple as peppermint tea (or oils) to over the counter remedies or something as complicated as abdominal surgery. It is imperative that if you have unresolved stomach discomfort that you do contact your physician.
Having discussed major causes of stomach pain in adults, we will now discuss some of the issues that children may face when confronted with ‘belly-aches’.
As a parent, we’ve all heard at one time or another ‘mom I have a tummy ache’. As a mother (or father) your first instinct is to perhaps check for fever, press on the stomach area or simply to ask where does it hurt? Unfortunately, children may be less specific than an adult would be creating some confusion as to what is actually causing the pain.
When a child gets a belly ache, the problem could be as simple as too much (or not enough) food in their stomach. Rather than try to cover every possibility we’ll discuss some of the most common causes of child’s tummy troubles (and how to fix them!)
Constipation
This is one of the most common causes of tummy aches in children. Try to determine when your child had their last bowel movement and if it’s been more than 2-3 days, try fruit juice (especially prune juice), bran cereals, and fruits and vegetables. Contact your pediatrician for recommendation for a mild laxative. Make sure that your child gets plenty of exercise as well.
Diarrhea
Often times when a child develops the flu, they will have a stomach ache that is accompanied by diarrhea which can cause stomach pain. Feed your child easily digestible (not spicy) foods such as rice, bananas and similar foods while they have diarrhea. If symptoms do not lessen in 24-48 hours contact your pediatrician.
Vomiting
Typically also linked to the flu, monitor the child and make sure they get plenty of fluids during this time. Try something like Pedialyte to keep their electrolytes in balance which will help settle the stomach and also reduce the chance of dehydration.
Food
Children sometimes get stomach aches due to eating too much, food that’s too spicy, or even worse, foods that they have allergies to. The pain may be the child’s body’s way of telling you that they’re not having an easy time digesting something. If your child seems to get frequent stomach aches (particularly following meals) you may want to first keep a food diary for a couple of weeks and find out if there are specific foods that are triggering the event (they could be lactose intolerant, or just eating too quickly) and if so adjust their diet accordingly.
Appendicitis and Other issues
Tummy aches in children may also be caused by other medical issues such as appendicitis, a urinary tract infection, inflamed bowel or stress. It is important that you identify whether the child has a fever, vomiting, loss of appetite or other alarming symptoms that you address the pain immediately with your physician.
Try to encourage your child to wash their hands before eating, have them avoid eating just before bedtime, don’t allow over-eating, make sure they get sufficient sleep and do your best to ensure their diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, juices, and other fiber-rich foods.
Stomach pain has many varied causes and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. We will explore the types of abdominal pain that adults suffer and then the type of abdominal pain that children suffer and investigate some of the possible remedies for both. It’s important to remember however that when sudden unexplainable abdominal pain persists, you are encouraged to contact a physician for their advice.
So you have a stomach ache and you want immediate relief. Assuming you are not plagued by something more serious than intermittent stomach pain, there are some ‘quick’ fixes you might want to try.
You may want to try some non-medicine remedies such as ginger ale, peppermint (in the form of candy, gum, tea), a heating pad on your stomach, holding a cold facecloth over your forehead or a light snack (if you think it might be related to hunger). Medicinal remedies include Gas-X, or something like Pepto Bismol which may provide temporary relief of your stomach ache. If you think your stomach ache is caused by constipation, you may want to try such OTC medications as Immodium, or drink prune juice (some people can relieve this by drinking coffee or tea as well). Another old trick is to drink sugared salt water. To make this all you have to do is get a glass of water, and put about a teaspoon of salt and sugar in the water. It may not taste very good, but it can be very effective. Try a clear soda (7-Up, Sprite, etc.) as this may help, and as silly as this might sound, try pushing on your stomach to see if it gurgles and if so, you have gas, and may need to ‘force’ yourself to expel some of it from your body. Steam showers and baths are also believed by some to relieve gas and stomach pain, or at least reduce stomach pain inducing stress.
Stomach Pain in Adults
Fortunately, as adults, we have the ability to easily identify the location of stomach pain. Unlike a child who may have a non-specific pain and just say ‘my tummy hurts’, adults have the ability to more clearly identify the location of the pain.
Abdominal pain in adults can be from something as simple as irregular bowel movements, or as frightening as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, which can ultimately lead to liver failure, and many other causes in between.
Irregular bowel movements, one of the more common causes of stomach pain in adults, can be corrected easily by taking a psyllium additive (i.e. Fiber-All, Metamucil, etc.) with your regular diet or simply by increasing the amount of fruit and whole grains that you have in your diet, while PSC must be treated by a physician.
Let’s examine some of the common reasons for adult abdominal pains:
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
This is caused by a widening of a blood vessel (localized) that causes the aorta to bulge. They are typically spindle shaped and involve the aortic region below the kidney. 5% of men over 60 are at risk, the most common cause being arteriosclerosis. While surgery is recommended in these cases, non-surgical responses could be beta blockers (Inderal) as well as quitting smoking and controlling blood pressure. Clearly this is a serious disease (sometimes resulting in death) and you should see your physician regularly if you are diagnosed with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
Appendicitis
The difficulty with appendicitis (and its’ diagnosis) is that the pain is not localized. Many people cannot identify the exact location of pain and when they do they tend to identify the pain as being in the central part of the abdomen. Typically characterized by nausea (and possibly vomiting). There is typically rebound tenderness (that is the pain is worse after touching the area) and appendicitis is typically accompanied by a fever. While typically a diagnosis of appendicitis means an appendectomy (removal of the appendix) in small cases, the infection may be minor enough that it can be successfully treated with antibiotics and surgery may not be necessary.
Colitis
Colitis is broken out into a variety of ‘types’ including Ulcerative Colitis (chronic inflammation of the large intestine); Microscopic Colitis (inflammation of the colon visible only under a microscope); Clostridium Difficile Colitis (bacterium related colitis which can be caused by antibiotics); and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (which does not vary much from ulcerative colitis and may be caused by intestinal fistulas).
Colitis is often treated with sulfa based drugs, including Pentasa, Rowasa, Asacol and may be combined with antibiotics such as cefixime (a semi-synthetic compound available in both pill and liquid forms), or loracarbef (also similar to penicillin. Clearly if you have ongoing abdominal pain, you will want to see your doctor to rule out the possibility of colitis.
Constipation
Constipation has many causes, including narcotic pain medications, certain anti-depressants, some anti-convulsive medications, iron supplements, and antacids. It can also be something very simple as your food passing extremely slowly through the intestine. There are many other things that can contribute to constipation, including suppressing the need to have a bowel movement (which are under voluntary control) – doing this too frequently can lead to a lack of an urge which results in constipation, lack of fiber in the diet, overuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders (including hypothyroidism and pregnancy). There are certain diseases that can contribute as well including diabetes, Chagas Disease, Parkinson’s disease; multiple sclerosis can also contribute to constipation as can pelvic floor dysfunction. Acute constipation (or constipation that is worsening) should always be evaluated before treatment begins. It is typically recommended that before you begin treatment at home you should try simple measures such as adding additional fruit, vegetables and whole grains as a way of adding fiber to your diet, but do not expect this to work overnight. Other mild methods include using milk of magnesia (one of the mildest laxatives on the market), adding such things as prune juice to your diet, or other herbal preparations (though some may contain stimulant laxatives and long term use does raise other concerns of possible colon damage) . If you do not find a simple solution, contact your physician for a thorough checkup to make sure that something more serious hasn’t occurred.
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a disease of the colon, which may have few or no symptoms other than abdominal pain and tenderness, though it may be accompanied by a slight fever. Diverticular disease is common, typically occurring in people over 40 and is seen in more than 50% of the population over 60 in the US. Maintaining a diet that is high in fiber decreases ones risk for Diverticulitis, and some doctors recommend avoiding nuts, corn and other seed type foods. Treatment is fairly simple, mild symptoms are typically treated with fiber supplements, mild anti-spasmodic medications and antibiotics. Surgery is typically not needed however, in severe forms may be necessary.
Gallstones
Occurring in approximately 20% of women in the US, Canada and Europe, most commonly among Scandinavians and Mexican-Americans, gallstones fall primarily into two categories: Cholesterol Gallstones which are primarily comprised of cholesterol as their name indicates comprise 80% of all gallstone issues. If the liver does not secrete enough bile to dissolve the cholesterol, it can stick together and grow in size to form gallstones. Pigment gallstones are the 2nd most common type, being more common in Southeast Asia – they can be a) black pigment gallstones (too much bilirubin in the bile) and b) brown pigment gallstones (combination of pigment that combines with fats in the bile to form particles). Other types of gallstones are rare, though one that is most interesting is the one that may form in people who are taking the antibiotic ceftriaxone which combines with calcium in the bile and becomes insoluble. Most gallstones are treated surgically, though it is possible to dissolve some cholesterol gallstones with medication. Ursodiol is the most common treatment, but it is only effective for cholesterol gallstones, and only works on small gallstones. It’s also important to note that it can take 1-2 years to dissolve and oftentimes they will reform. There is no proven prevention method for gallstones.
Intestinal Gas
The most common cause is from swallowed air which may cause belching. Any type of discomfort in the abdominal area may cause belching however, and bloating may occur causing intermittent distention of the abdomen. Flatulence oftentimes occurs, the result of a production of gas caused by bacteria within the intestines. Excessive production of intestinal gas can be caused by a variety of factors, including diet, medications and bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine. Perhaps the easiest treated disorder; it can be treated with enzymes such as Beano, or other over-the-counter treatments such as simethicone and activated charcoal. If belching or other simple remedies do not relieve the discomfort associated with intestinal gas, then you would be best advised to contact your physician as there are any numbers of abdominal diseases and conditions that can cause this discomfort.
There are several other causes of stomach pains in an otherwise healthy adult, however these are the most common. Treatments can range from something as simple as peppermint tea (or oils) to over the counter remedies or something as complicated as abdominal surgery. It is imperative that if you have unresolved stomach discomfort that you do contact your physician.
Having discussed major causes of stomach pain in adults, we will now discuss some of the issues that children may face when confronted with ‘belly-aches’.
As a parent, we’ve all heard at one time or another ‘mom I have a tummy ache’. As a mother (or father) your first instinct is to perhaps check for fever, press on the stomach area or simply to ask where does it hurt? Unfortunately, children may be less specific than an adult would be creating some confusion as to what is actually causing the pain.
When a child gets a belly ache, the problem could be as simple as too much (or not enough) food in their stomach. Rather than try to cover every possibility we’ll discuss some of the most common causes of child’s tummy troubles (and how to fix them!)
Constipation
This is one of the most common causes of tummy aches in children. Try to determine when your child had their last bowel movement and if it’s been more than 2-3 days, try fruit juice (especially prune juice), bran cereals, and fruits and vegetables. Contact your pediatrician for recommendation for a mild laxative. Make sure that your child gets plenty of exercise as well.
Diarrhea
Often times when a child develops the flu, they will have a stomach ache that is accompanied by diarrhea which can cause stomach pain. Feed your child easily digestible (not spicy) foods such as rice, bananas and similar foods while they have diarrhea. If symptoms do not lessen in 24-48 hours contact your pediatrician.
Vomiting
Typically also linked to the flu, monitor the child and make sure they get plenty of fluids during this time. Try something like Pedialyte to keep their electrolytes in balance which will help settle the stomach and also reduce the chance of dehydration.
Food
Children sometimes get stomach aches due to eating too much, food that’s too spicy, or even worse, foods that they have allergies to. The pain may be the child’s body’s way of telling you that they’re not having an easy time digesting something. If your child seems to get frequent stomach aches (particularly following meals) you may want to first keep a food diary for a couple of weeks and find out if there are specific foods that are triggering the event (they could be lactose intolerant, or just eating too quickly) and if so adjust their diet accordingly.
Appendicitis and Other issues
Tummy aches in children may also be caused by other medical issues such as appendicitis, a urinary tract infection, inflamed bowel or stress. It is important that you identify whether the child has a fever, vomiting, loss of appetite or other alarming symptoms that you address the pain immediately with your physician.
Try to encourage your child to wash their hands before eating, have them avoid eating just before bedtime, don’t allow over-eating, make sure they get sufficient sleep and do your best to ensure their diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, juices, and other fiber-rich foods.
posted by S Peterson at
2:09 AM
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