Acute stomach pain is one of the symptoms of many different diseases. And sometimes it is not associated with this digestive process, but indicates problems with other organs. So, what can the appearance of this symptom indicate, and how can you find out its cause, and, in addition, what should be taken to relieve this feeling?
What causes stomach pain?
The first question that the doctor will ask the patient will certainly concern the nature of acute pain in the stomach. The response of the patient can tell a lot about the disease that caused the pain. What could be the reasons?
- The onset of pain that occurs suddenly often indicates the presence of pancreatitis, cholecystitis and duodenal ulcers. The causes of acute pain in the stomach may be different.
- The onset of sharp and sudden pain can be caused by chemical burns of the mucous membranes. And besides, thismay be caused by poisoning. Also, acute pain and stomach ulcers are closely related.
- The presence of very severe sharp pain, which patients describe with the words "as if they had stuck a knife", is often the result of the development of ulcerative perforation. And what does acute pain in the stomach after eating mean?
- The occurrence of a burning sensation is especially characteristic of gastritis and ulcers. In turn, the appearance of dull and aching pain reports gastritis and ulcers, but already at the chronic or initial stage of the disease. Against the background of gastritis, a clear connection with nutrition can be traced. Pain appears either immediately after eating, or when the patient is pretty hungry. Spicy food causes stomach pain very often.
- The occurrence of spasmodic pain of a cramping nature is often a symptom of an ulcer or inflammation of the duodenum. Such sensations often disturb people at night or several hours after the last meal.
- The occurrence of acute pain in the stomach, but at the same time short-term, for a few seconds, manifested when inhaling or changing position, is a sign of the presence of spasms of the diaphragm, which appear due to the presence of inflammation or unhe althy blood circulation.
- The presence of constant weak aching pain in the stomach often accompanies the presence of malignant neoplasms. Also polyps. If the cancer spreads to the area of the pancreas, the pain can become girdle.
- The appearance of severe cramping pain is most characteristic of infections occurring in the digestive system.
- The occurrence of a sharp acute pain in the stomach or in the upper abdomen, which subsides after a couple of days, but remains constant, is a fairly characteristic symptom of the presence of pathologies in the large intestine. In particular, this happens against the background of colitis.
- The appearance of severe pain in the navel, moving for several hours to the upper abdomen on the right, may indicate appendicitis.
These are not all causes of acute stomach pain. Sometimes this symptom can accompany other diseases, for example, irritable bowel syndrome, along with thrombosis of its vessels, abdominal aortic dissection, intestinal obstruction, stomach injuries, coronary heart disease, certain nervous diseases and allergic reactions, and the like.
Most of the pathologies that are accompanied by this symptom are very serious, and therefore require immediate medical attention. It is worth noting that in some situations the word "immediate" carries a literal meaning, for example, against the background of appendicitis, ulcerative perforations and severe poisoning. Under such conditions, the clock counts, and a slight delay can be fatal.
What to do with acute stomach pain?
Whatever caused acute pain in the stomach, you can not be treated on your own. Even experienced doctors with many years of practice cannot make a diagnosis with complete certainty only on the basis of external symptoms and signs. And for people without a medical education, this is even more impossible.
Number of first aid options,which can be provided in the presence of acute pain in the stomach, is small. The best thing a person can do before the arrival of a doctor is to take some kind of antispasmodic or analgesic. For example, against the background of heartburn, antacids are taken, that is, drugs that reduce acidity. Antisecretory medications that inhibit acid production are also suitable. It should be noted that heartburn is not always associated with the presence of high acidity, so the use of such drugs can become not only useless, but also worsen an already unhe althy condition.
But not everyone knows what to do with acute pain in the stomach.
I must say that people should be careful with drugs, as any effect of drugs distorts the symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose. It should be realized that modern pain medications are very effective and therefore can completely eliminate stomach pain for a long time. This, in turn, will create a false impression regarding recovery, because the disease itself does not disappear anywhere. Removing acute pain in the stomach and vomiting with the help of pills, a person only loses his precious time, as he treats the consequence, and not the cause of the pathology.
It is important to emphasize that in no case should a heating pad be used to alleviate a painful condition in the stomach. In some diseases, heat can really help by relieving pain, but in other cases, such a measure greatly speeds up the process of pathology, even moreworsening the condition. For example, heat should not be used in the presence of purulent inflammation, as well as bleeding.
What should the patient tell the doctor about?
The patient can help his doctor in making a diagnosis. This may require you to provide as much information as possible regarding your condition. Therefore, immediately before the appointment at the clinic, you should try to formulate and remember the following in as much detail as possible:
- What were the circumstances of the occurrence of acute pain in the stomach area (whether discomfort appeared before or during meals, day or night). You should also remember about her character (whether she was sudden or gradually increasing, aching, sharp, burning, cramping). It is very important to report whether the source of the pain has moved and, if so, how.
- If there is often pain in the stomach after an acute one, the diet in recent days is very important (what and how much a person has eaten). In addition, it is worth talking about the list of medications taken the day before, including biological supplements along with vitamin complexes.
- Any additional symptoms. The doctor should know if the patient has experienced nausea with vomiting, bitterness in the mouth, diarrhea, or constipation. It should be remembered if belching was present along with bloating, blood or mucus in the stool, rash, fever, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and dizziness. And also any other sensations in the form ofheadache, muscle or joint pain.
- Change in he alth status. It happens that a person has a stomachache with acute pain due to stress. It also includes pregnancy along with childbirth, lactation, menopause, and so on. It should be remembered about all the diseases suffered in recent times, nervous shocks, episodes of severe overwork. Very significant are such factors as, for example, a sharp weight gain along with unreasonable weight loss, the development of anxiety and depression, changes in the usual way of life.
Organization of this information will serve as the best help that a person can give himself. But the direct diagnosis with treatment should be carried out exclusively by a qualified specialist.
Diagnosis for stomach pain
Diagnosis of diseases that cause acute pain in the stomach begins, first of all, with a survey of the patient himself. Just in this case, all the above information is very useful. This is followed by an external examination, including palpation of the abdomen along with listening to the heart rate and lung function. Then the doctor without fail sends the patient to the delivery of biological material for laboratory analysis. Usually, this list includes a urine and fecal analysis, along with a general and biochemical blood test. Among other things, a study of gastric juice is required.
For accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct instrumental studies. For example, an ultrasound of the abdominal region is performed, an x-ray usingcontrast, and, in addition, computed and magnetic resonance imaging. Often the diagnosis is clarified immediately after the basic studies. More rarely, doctors require more serious measures in the form of laparoscopy, in which a microcamera on a flexible probe is inserted through a small incision into hollow organs, allowing the doctor to visually assess the patient's condition.
Treatment of this pathology
The treatment regimen for acute stomach pain directly depends on the causes that caused such discomfort. Consider the principles of treatment of the most common causes of acute pain in this organ.
Therapy for stomach pain: the fight against heartburn
Heartburn is a burning sensation behind the breastbone, in the upper abdomen. The reason for it is the ingress of contents from the stomach into the esophagus. Mostly it manifests itself thirty minutes after eating. Heartburn is not an independent disease, but is a symptom of such ailments as gastritis along with duodenitis, stomach ulcers, cholecystitis, and so on. Heartburn can be confused with manifestations of certain heart diseases - with angina pectoris and hypertension, in which there is also a similar sensation that is in no way related to digestion. But mostly heartburn is the result of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease.
Ways to eliminate heartburn are in the treatment of the underlying disease that caused it. In addition, a special diet is recommended. For example, against the background of any type of heartburn, you should eat often - five to six times a day.a day, but little by little, excluding completely fatty, spicy and smoked-s alty foods along with carbonated drinks, alcohol, legumes and vegetables containing fiber. In the event that heartburn is associated with acidity, antacids with antisecretory drugs are prescribed.
Therapy for stomach pain: the fight against gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Its development is provoked by frequent stress, pathological microflora, metabolic disorders, any chronic infectious pathologies, along with excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, autoimmune diseases, long-term use of certain types of medications, and so on.
As part of the treatment of acute stomach pain caused by gastritis, drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen should not be used. Such substances are effective pain relievers. But they significantly irritate the gastric mucosa. Usually, in these cases, patients are prescribed absorbents and agents that envelop the stomach from the inside. In the event that gastritis was caused by bacterial lesions, a course of antibiotics is necessary. Diet against the background of gastritis requires the rejection of spicy and fatty foods, and, in addition, from foods that are rich in fiber. You can not use gastritis and dishes that can cause fermentation processes, for example, such as milk and bakery products with some fruits.
Treatment of gastric ulcer
Without proper therapy, gastritis can lead to the development of an ulcer. A stomach ulcer develops due to a knownbacterium Helicobacter pylori. It can also be provoked by the regular intake of large dosages of drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid. Stress, as thought for a long time, is not capable of causing an ulcer on its own, but helps to accelerate the development of this disease. Against the background of an ulcer, acute and burning pain in the stomach occurs about four hours after eating, localized in the middle of the abdomen and accompanied by belching along with a feeling of heaviness. Vomiting or nausea is also likely.
A stomach ulcer is a dangerous disease that can lead to complications in the form of bleeding and peritonitis. Therefore, therapy for this disease should begin immediately. Patients are usually given antibiotics to kill dangerous bacteria. Anti-inflammatory medications may also be prescribed along with antacids to reduce acid levels. There are also complex drugs that simultaneously kill Helicobacter pylori and protect the gastric mucosa.
Diet on the background of a peptic ulcer consists of low-fat foods. At the same time, you need to take food only in a grated form, since chewing in itself stimulates the production of gastric juice.
This unpleasant symptom cannot be tolerated
It must be taken into account that acute pain in the stomach cannot be tolerated. Moreover, one should not suppress it with pills and try to cure it with folk remedies. Many diseases that cause such pain are characterized by a very rapid development. In this regard, the sooner a person applies formedical care, the better his chances of recovery.
For example, appendicitis is one of the most common diseases faced by doctors in the emergency surgery department. A timely operation to remove the appendix is a relatively simple procedure, and the immediate prognosis after such an operation is usually favorable.
Conclusion
Thus, acute pain in the stomach area indicates minor malfunctions in the body or the presence of extremely serious pathologies. In any case, it is unacceptable to ignore such pain.
So, in this article we looked at the main causes of acute pain in the stomach.
