If the stomach hurts from above, it is not easy to independently determine the root cause of the phenomenon. Pain can be provoked by organs located in this zone, but sensations can spread here and from another part of the body. To understand exactly what causes them, it is recommended to visit a doctor who will examine the patient and prescribe tests and various instrumental studies. It is not worth pulling, especially if the pain is constant, perhaps the reason for this is a serious and intractable disease.
Relevance of the issue
At least once in their life, almost everyone has felt soreness in the abdomen. Many complain that it hurts constantly in this area, and the condition is especially felt somewhere in the upper part of the stomach. Perhaps the point is really that the stomach is sick, but in some cases such localization of pain indicates heart, oncological and other serious diseases. According to doctors, if the pain is constant or comes very often, so it seems that it does not go away, you need to contact the clinic asas soon as possible. Perhaps the cause of the phenomenon is a severe chronic or progressive disease, in which sooner or later a person will suddenly become very ill. Well, if the constant pain has changed to an acute attack, then there is nothing to pull at all - it's time to call an ambulance. Consider some of the causes of the phenomenon.
Gastroenteritis
To the layman, this condition is better known as the stomach flu. The pathological condition is such that the stomach hurts from above, it constantly pulls to the toilet - you have to visit it almost every five minutes. The cause of the problem is a virus infection. They can get sick if there is contact with a sick person. If the carrier of the infection prepares food, he can transmit the pathological agent with food. If a person is not responsible enough for hygiene rules and does not wash his hands after the next visit to the toilet, the likelihood of getting gastroenteritis increases significantly. The disease indicates itself not only with pain and frequent urge to empty the intestinal tract, but also with cramps in the stomach. Most people have a headache, muscles throughout the body respond with unpleasant sensations - this is due to intoxication due to the introduction of the virus. The patient vomits, vomits. The chair is plentiful, liquid. The temperature is usually above normal, but not significantly.
If gastroenteritis is the cause of your stomach pain, you need to give yourself as much rest as possible. To improve the condition of the body, they drink a lot, eat the most useful foods that are easily digested by the body. Good bananas. If aa day later, loose stools are still disturbing and the condition is bad, you need to call a doctor or come to the clinic. It is necessary to consult a specialist if the temperature rises to 40 degrees, blood inclusions are present in the discharge. Such symptoms indicate an aggravation of the case due to bacterial invasion.
Lactose and body characteristics
If the stomach hurts from above after eating, and among the products there was ice cream or other dairy products, lactose intolerance can be assumed. Recently, people are increasingly diagnosed with the inability of the gastric system to cope with milk sugar. On average, 65% of the entire human population suffers from such a problem, expressed to varying degrees. Most often, the maximum severity of symptoms occurs at a transitional age. You can assume intolerance to milk sugar if a person feels the urge to go to the toilet and stomach pains in the interval from half an hour to a couple of hours after consuming the corresponding food. Intolerance provokes active separation of gases, loose stools, bloating.
Cure such a pathological condition is not possible. The only way to get rid of abdominal pain is to eliminate dairy products from your diet. You can consult a doctor to determine what is the safe lactose level for a particular case. You can try to determine it on your own, observing the body's reaction to the inclusion of specialized products made from skim milk in the diet.
Stones ingallbladder
Another reason why the stomach constantly hurts from above is the appearance of stones in the gallbladder. This is the name given to small solid formations that appear in this organ. The condition is more commonly diagnosed in women, but it generally occurs in both sexes. The reason for the appearance of stones is excessive consumption of fats, regular intake of food enriched with cholesterol. You can suspect such a disease if an unpleasant sensation appears on the right from above, pain occurs, persists for a long time, spreads to the back, to the shoulder girdle. It is not uncommon for pain to become sharper at night, disturbing a person’s sleep. Some are vomiting, sick.
If the stones provoke even a constant, but mild discomfort, you can tolerate a visit to the doctor. If the soreness lasts for weeks, distracts from everyday life, if the vomiting is severe, you need to make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible. In some cases, emergency surgery is the only treatment option.
Constipation
Finding out why the stomach hurts from above, one should recall the features of the vital activity of one's body lately. If constipation is bothering you, it may be directly related to pain. The reason for this condition may be a lack of fiber. For some, a violation of the stool is due to too little physical activity, sedentary everyday life, a change in regimen. If a person goes on a trip, the likelihood of constipation increases greatly. Often such an unpleasant phenomenon, accompanied by constant pain in the areaof the abdomen, covering a rather large area of the body, is observed when a person begins to take medicines. With a greater degree of probability, such side effects are provoked by antidepressants, antacids. At the same time, a person feels the urge to empty the intestinal tract, but all attempts to cleanse the body lead to nothing, feces are either not excreted, or their volume is small, and the substance itself is dry and solid in consistency. In addition to soreness, there is bloating.
Faced with this problem, you should reconsider the diet, increasing the amount of fiber. To do this, the menu includes more beans, grains, herbs, fruits, vegetables. Whenever possible, plant foods are eaten with the skin on. If this does not help, if the pain becomes stronger, you need to consult a doctor. This is indicated by the inclusion of blood in the secretions, as well as a sharp weight loss, spasms. Such symptoms may indicate that the stomach hurts a lot from above due to inflammatory processes.
Peptic ulcer
If the stomach constantly hurts from above, perhaps the reason for this was an ulcer. This is the name of an abscess that appears on the mucous membranes of the stomach, intestinal tract. The condition becomes noticeably worse if a person is exposed to stress factors. Among the causes of ulcers are the abuse of harmful and unnatural food, taking medications. The likelihood of an ulcer is especially high if it is necessary to receive non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs with a long program. The sensation due to the ulcer is described by many as burning. Paintorments constantly, comes from the depths of the abdomen. Features of the exact localization of pain are determined by where exactly the ulcer appeared. Possible aggravation of the condition after eating. Often, due to a peptic ulcer, people are satiated very quickly, suffer from heartburn, observe bloody inclusions in the discharge, and lose weight.
You can't cure an ulcer on your own. You can try to alleviate the condition by taking some pills, but the likelihood of harming yourself is greater than the hope of a successful cure. However, certain measures can be taken. If the stomach hurts from above under the ribs, it is reasonable to exclude caffeine and any alcoholic beverages from the diet. Avoid foods that have a spicy taste. The task of a person is to reduce the level of acidity of the gastric environment. You can not take painkillers, especially those sold without a prescription - they all only worsen the course of the ulcer. If after a couple of days after the onset of soreness the condition does not improve, you should definitely visit a doctor. If the discharge contains blood, see a doctor immediately.
Gluten and its tolerance
If an adult, a child has a stomachache from above, one possible explanation would be celiac disease. Gluten is a substance found in many foods. On average, 1% of humanity suffers from intolerance to this substance. Every third with such a diagnosis feels severe pain, covering different areas and parts of the abdomen. Increases gas production. If you eat food containing gluten, you will soon be worried about abundant loose stools. The substance is found in wheat,rye, barley products. Even more often than gastric symptoms, general symptoms are observed. So, a person suffering from celiac disease is lethargic, tired, immersed in depression, suffers from pain in the articular zones and bones. Parts of the body become numb, they ache, from time to time there are foci of rash, the cause of which cannot be determined.
If there is reason to assume such a pathology, you need to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. After confirming the diagnosis, exclude products containing gluten from the diet.
Irritable bowel (IBS)
If you turn to official medical reference books to find out why the stomach hurts on top of the navel, you will not be able to find out anything about IBS. Such a disease does not exist in official medicine, although there have been disputes over the need to recognize this phenomenon for several years now. Currently, doctors understand IBS as a chronic pain that bothers a person in the abdomen, as well as sudden disruption of the intestinal tract. There may be many reasons for this. IBS is observed with an abnormal structure of the internal organs, with a violation of the adequate nervous connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Cramps in the stomach, profuse gas formation, and bloating indicate IBS. Some suffer from profuse loose stools, while others suffer from constipation. There are cases when both of these stool disorders were observed in a patient in turn.
To determine IBS and identify the optimal strategy for correcting the condition, you need to visit a qualified doctor. At the receptionthe person explains that his stomach hurts on top of the navel, tells what are the characteristics of the body. The task of the doctor is to determine whether there is intolerance to any substances, as well as to conduct a differential diagnosis to determine inflammatory, oncological processes. If all of them are excluded, IBS is diagnosed, after which an individual program for correcting the condition is developed. You will have to eat right, avoid stress, establish a routine. In some cases, drugs are prescribed to relieve spasms.
Pancreatitis
You should not figure it out yourself if your stomach hurts from above, what to do when the pain is constant and strong enough. It is believed that the stronger and more unpleasant the sensations, the more important it is to get to the doctor as soon as possible. In some cases, pain is a symptom that speaks of pancreatitis. The disease threatens primarily those who consume alcohol excessively. The risk of inflammatory processes is higher if stones appear in the gallbladder. Pancreatitis is a term that refers to inflammation localized in the tissues of the pancreas. Without the normal functioning of this organ, high-quality digestion of food is impossible. In addition, the active ingredients secreted by the gland are responsible for controlling the concentration of glucose in the circulatory system.
Pancreatitis indicates itself with unpleasant sensations: in women, in men, the stomach hurts from above, to the right or to the left (depending on how the pain spreads, as well as individual characteristics), and the phenomenon also covers the back. Feelings are tolerable, but some are very strong. Stategets worse if you eat. Palpation shows the sensitivity of the part of the body where the diseased gland is located. Some vomit, vomit. A non-acute condition can occasionally go away on its own, but more often there is acute and prolonged pain, requiring immediate medical attention. It is known that a sharp deterioration is possible against the background of receiving solid food. Often the patient is immediately hospitalized.
GERD
This is an acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as heartburn. The patient has a stomachache from above (on the left side, on the right), nausea worries, vomiting is possible. A distinctive feature of the pathological condition is the reflux of the acidic gastric environment into the lumen of the esophagus. Sometimes the condition is observed against the background of overweight, may accompany drug therapy. More often GERD worries those who receive antidepressants, analgesics. It is possible to assume such a disease if a burning sensation appears behind the sternum. However, some do not. In addition, the patient feels sick and vomits, and the person's mouth smells bad. Swallowing is usually painful. Perhaps a change in voice, the appearance of hoarseness. For some, GERD causes asthma-like symptoms.
If the stomach hurts on the left side from above, if other symptoms of GERD are observed, it is necessary to exclude the root cause of the condition. If you are overweight, you should consult a nutritionist for a safe program. Food that can provoke an acute attack is excluded from the diet. Refuse fatty, spicy, do not cook fried foods. To relieve the acute periodantacids are used. If the condition is stable, the pain is constant, you need to consult a doctor. In especially severe cases, surgery is indicated. Without adequate treatment, GERD can cause malignant processes in the esophagus.
Diverticulitis
Diverticula are protrusions that appear on the intestinal walls. If such areas become the area of localization of the inflammatory process, diverticulitis is diagnosed. Like any other inflammatory disease, it causes pain, the localization of which is determined by the characteristics of the case. For example, some people have a stomach ache on the top left under the ribs. More often the disease occurs in people over the age of forty. Increased risks are inherent in people who are obese, as well as those who consume very fatty foods. The less fiber in the diet, the greater the risk of getting sick.
Diverticulitis indicates acute pain. Most often this occurs on the lower left. But it can have atypical symptoms, in which the stomach hurts from above on the left under the ribs. Feelings can spread to different areas nearby. At the same time, the patient feels sick and vomits. Usually, diverticulitis is accompanied by fever, impaired stool. The inflammatory process leads to a deterioration in intestinal peristalsis. Suspecting such a disease, you need to contact the clinic. The doctor will prescribe an x-ray, CT, ultrasound to clarify the condition and determine the location of the inflammatory focus. If the course is mild, bed rest and antibiotics are sufficient. If the case is severerefer the patient to the surgeon.
Appendicitis
If your stomach hurts from above and you feel sick, there is a possibility of inflammation of the appendix. An acute inflammatory process in the appendix is a condition requiring urgent medical intervention. The pain is initially dull, appears unpredictably, gradually becomes stronger. Usually, at first, sensations are fixed on the right lower abdomen. Perhaps non-standard placement of the process, for example, on the left. The pain covers a fairly large area, so it is difficult for the patient to say whether the lower or upper abdomen hurts. The longer the process lasts, the stronger and more pronounced the pain, the larger the area covered by it. The sensations are especially strong if you cough, move, if the person is shaking. Many feel sick and vomit. It is possible to increase the overall body temperature to critical levels. Often, against the background of inflammation, bloating is observed.
If your stomach hurts from above and you feel sick, while there is reason to assume inflammation of the appendix, you need to call urgent medical care. Such a disease cannot be cured on its own, the only measure in most cases is urgent surgery. If you delay with an appeal to the doctor and the focus of inflammation breaks through, the infection will cover the gastrointestinal tract completely, which can be fatal.
Adenocarcinoma
This condition is relatively rare. If in women, in men it hurts from above in the middle of the abdomen, this condition is constant, it worries for a long time, you need to consult a doctor to determine the root cause of the phenomenon. Among allgastric oncological processes, most often there is a case of malignant degeneration of the glandular epithelial gastric layer. People over 65 are more likely to have cancer.
You should not immediately take medicines of your choice if your stomach constantly hurts from above. Of course, the pharmacy has a large selection of various products that relieve sensations, but it is much wiser to consult a doctor in time to determine the root cause. So, if it turns out to be cancer, then the patient will be prescribed a complex long-term treatment. The sooner a person goes to the clinic, the better his prognosis, while self-treatment at home only worsens the condition. Ulcer-like symptoms, bloating and tenderness, loss of appetite, and weight loss may indicate cancer. The patient is sick. The focus of pain is determined by the location of the pathological process. Perhaps the appearance of blood in the discharge, some vomiting. Usually the patient constantly feels tired.
Hernia and pain
If the stomach hurts from above on the right during pregnancy, with excess weight, in some cases, the symptoms suggest a hernia. At the same time, sensations cover not only the stomach, but also the sternum, they become stronger if you eat liquid. Many are concerned about heartburn at the same time. The condition is aggravated if you lean forward or lie down. The reason for this is the gastric protrusion through the diaphragmatic opening.
Pills can't cure this condition. Pregnant women should be especially careful. If the hernia is confirmed by specialized studies, the coursecorrection will be determined by the attending doctor.
