Causes of Stomach Pain

Appendicitis

Most people who have appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix, experience sudden pain that’s bad enough to warrant an emergency room trip. Appendicitis is more common in children and young adults (though it can happen to older adults) and usually starts with pain in the mid-abdomen, progressing into the lower right part of the abdomen. "A telltale sign is a pain when you bend your leg because it’s pulling a muscle near your appendix as you make that motion," says Dr. Raymond. If you think you could have the condition, If the appendix isn’t removed, it can burst, leading to long-term hospitalization and potentially life-threatening peritonitis. Head to the emergency room right away if you think appendicitis is causing your tummy pain. Raymond says it's extremely normal to have your appendix removed and is a routine procedure.

Constipation

Constipation causes stomach pain because blocked fecal matter stretches the colon in a manner it doesn't want to be stretched, says Dr. Raymond. If you're experiencing stomach pain and notice you have to strain to have a bowel movement or your trips to the bathroom aren't regular, constipation is a likely culprit for your stomach aches.To better move stool through your system, drink more water and consume more fiber. However, if you've been constipated for more than a few days or get constipated often, Dr. Raymond suggests eating milk of magnesia. "They're relatively gentle and help when consuming fiber could just give you the extremely hard stool," Raymond says her patients with defecation disorders also benefit from the use of squatting toilet devices.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammation inside the small or large intestine, Dr. Alaradi explains. It includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The inflammation from IBD can cause scarring and blockage, which can lead to abdominal pain along with diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Symptoms are chronic but can flare up and subside in cycles, making it sometimes hard to diagnose.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning from viruses or bacteria can cause abdominal pain, along with diarrhea and vomiting. Many outbreaks of food poisoning have been seen in recent years in the U.S., including 20 people in 7 states who picked up Salmonella from contaminated beef in 2011. In rare cases, food poisoning can be serious or fatal. In general, the symptoms from food poisoning usually last about 1-2 days, says Dr. Alaradi. However, if you have viral gastroenteritis, a stomach bug from food or another person, it may last a bit longer.

 

Stress

Stress can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia and, yes, tummy trouble. Depression has been linked with digestive problems (including loss of appetite and weight loss) as well as irritable bowel syndrome. In other words, depression may be causing the stomach aches but constant abdominal pain may just as easily lead to depression and anxiety.

Too much sugarless gum

If you consume too much sorbitol, which is found in some sugar-free products, it can cause pain and diarrhea. According to a 2008 article in BMJ, a 21-year-old woman had an 11-pound weight loss, abdominal pain, and diarrhea (as many as 12 bowel movements a day) from chewing about 16 sticks of gum a day. A 46-year-old man had similar symptoms after chewing about 20 sticks of sugarless gum and eating sorbitol-containing sweets daily. "Sorbitol goes into your GI tract and since your body can't absorb it, it gets to the bacteria in your colon, which eat it and produce gas and fluids that contribute to diarrhea," explains Dr. Raymond.

Appendicitis

Most people who have appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix, experience sudden pain that’s bad enough to warrant an emergency room trip. Appendicitis is more common in children and young adults (though it can happen to older adults) and usually starts with pain in the mid-abdomen, progressing into the lower right part of the abdomen. "A telltale sign is a pain when you bend your leg because it’s pulling a muscle near your appendix as you make that motion," says Dr. Raymond. If you think you could have the condition, learn more about  9 Symptoms of Appendicitis.
If the appendix isn’t removed, it can burst, leading to long-term hospitalization and potentially life-threatening peritonitis. Head to the emergency room right away if you think appendicitis is causing your tummy pain. Raymond says it's extremely normal to have your appendix removed and is a routine procedure.

Thyroid problems

Even though the thyroid gland is located in the neck, it can cause problems lower down in the body. The thyroid regulates several functions in the body and the digestive tract is one of the systems.
If the thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), it speeds up the digestive tract, resulting in diarrhea and abdominal cramps. On the other hand, an underactive thyroid(hypothyroidism) slows down the digestive tract, potentially leading to pain from constipation and gas.

Medication side effects

No drug is without side effects and sometimes that includes abdominal pain. "A medication itself can be caustic or slow the stomach's emptying, causing pain," says Dr. Raymond. Pain medications known as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin have this caustic property and can cause swelling in the stomach lining and may even lead to ulcers. Oral bisphosphonates, a popular class of drugs that helps preserve bone density and prevent osteoporosis, can cause swelling and therefore pain in the lower esophagus, says Dr. Kaul. Also look out for antibiotics, specifically those containing azithromycin, and take them after a meal to give the stomach a proper lining for the drug. 

Lactose intolerance

Millions of people around the world have lactose intolerance. In fact, in some areas of the world, the lactose intolerant outnumber those who can digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products. This type of food intolerance causes mild to severe abdominal pain depending on where you place on the tolerance scale, says Patricia L. Raymond, an assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School. "I advise everyone who thinks they have an intolerance to take a lactose tolerance test," she says. "It’s not a yes or no answer because severity comes into play." Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, burping, gas, and indigestion and vary based on your level of sensitivity. 

Pancreatitis

Inflammation of the pancreas can cause burning pain in the upper or middle abdomen. Some people even have shooting pain that drives right through to their back. You may lean forward or lie on your back to try to relieve the pain, which may subside into a dull ache, nausea, and vomiting, says Osama Alaradi, MD, a gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Too much alcohol can be a culprit, says Dr. Kaul, as are gallstones (the gallbladder and pancreas deliver their digestive juices into the intestine via the same duct). It often requires hospitalization.