According to Dr. Douglas Drossman, co-director of the University of North Carolina’s Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders, stomach pain is part of life.
Often, a stomachache is just a stomachache. But if you’ve had pain for six months, or experienced serious symptoms such as blood in the stool or unexplained weight loss, better see a doctor.
There are more than 100 possible causes for your pain. So, how do you know if your stomachache is the result of pathogen, overindulgence, stress, an allergy or some rare disorder?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is one of the toughest disorders to diagnose and treat. Once diagnosed, doctor may suggest dietary changes, such as eating more fiber. It is important to note that the increase of fiber must be gradual, since an excess can cause bloating. Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics—to reduce bacteria in the intestinal tract, or probiotics—to shore up healthy bacteria.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a sensitivity or allergy to gluten—a family of proteins found mostly in grains, including wheat, barley and rye. Some sufferers also have trouble with oats.
It may cause:
It may cause:
- Stomach pain
- Bloating
- Just a vague not-so-good feeling.
According to Dr. Amy Foxx-Orenstein, president of the American College of Gastroenterology, the healthy intestine is lined with villi, fingerlike projections that absorb nutrient and fluids. In celiac disease, the villi get lost or damaged, so your body doesn’t absorb much of anything.
Eliminating gluten from your diet will help the villi return and your symptoms go away over time. If you think you have celiac disease, see your doctor before you cut out these foods.
Stress Connection
When you’re stressed, there are an abnormal number of signals firing away, which can cause discomfort on your stomach. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS)—the gut’s brain—has its own muscles, nerves, neurotransmitters, which tell the gut to move its content through the body. The ENS is always communicating with your brain, sending signals back and forth.
According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and co-author of the “You” health books, there’s a very close connection between our brain and our gut, so it’s not surprising to think that if our brain is overstressed, the same thing is happening to our gut.
Tips to Reduce Stress and Ease Stomach Pain Symptoms
- Deep Breathing
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Yoga
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, a group of conditions in which the GI tract is chronically inflamed. Crohn’s symptoms are similar to those of IBS, but unlike IBS, there’s no detectable damage to the digestive system, Crohn’s causes intestine to be inflamed.
According to Dr. Howden, the inflamed intestine can narrow the end of small intestine, so it has to work harder to push waste through, causing:
- Stomach Pain (especially while eating)
- Weight Loss (tend not to eat much cause it hurts to do so)
It is diagnosed in several ways:
- Doctor may feel a mass in abdominal cavity
- May have abnormal blood tests
- Other tests may reveal nutrient deficiencies or ulcers
Endoscopy, X-rays, or an intestinal biopsy can confirm the diagnosis.
Some Tips to Help Avoid the Pain
- Eat more protein
- Avoid foods that take a long time to break down
Food Poisoning
Gastrointestinal disorders tend to start slowly and gradually worsen, but food poisoning hits from four to 24 hours after eating, and comes with a lot of symptoms:
- Stomach Pain
- Nausea
- Fever
If more than 12 to 24 hours and you can’t keep fluids down and have watery diarrhea, or too much discomfort, see a doctor or go to the ER for pain relief and hydration.
What about Gas Problem?
The average person passes gas between 14 and 23 times a day. When you’re struck with painful bloating gas try taking an antacid or Pepto-Bismol to coat your stomach, or probiotics to ease your symptoms.
Tips To Avoid Gas Problem
- Chew food thoroughly and eat leisurely
- Avoid overeating
- Don’t lie down after eating; get up and take a 20-minute walk
- Don’t drink water with meals
- Avoid gaseous foods, including soda, gum, mints, candy, Brussel sprouts and cabbage
Note: For more lists of Gaseous Foods See Gas-Forming Foods and For More Tips on Digestion Efficiency See The Suggested Meal Pattern
Reference: Patricia Curtis, Quit Your Belly Aching, p. 65-69, Reader’s Digest, February 2008
