Ah, the stomach ache! We all get them. They run the gamut from annoying to debilitating. Why do we get them? Whatcauses them? What causes yours?
To begin with the term “stomach ache” reveals nothing more than well, that your stomach aches. It is a very general and generic term. Stomach aches can be constant and chronic or they can come on very suddenly.
For women the cause of stomach aches can be gynecological conditions such as menstrual pain, ovarian cysts, fibroids and other tumors including cancer.
Cancer alone can present in a number of ways including colon, liver, bladder, stomach and pancreatic cancer. None of these are good to have.
Another dimension and breadth of illnesses occur in the bowel or gastrointestinal system. These might include irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
The aforementioned are physical conditions that cause stomach aches.
However many of us bring the problem of stomach pain on ourselves.
Huge causes of stomach aches include depression, anxiety and stress to name a few mental and emotional causes. In fact the pain can be every bit as from a physical reason. Obesity also can cause problems with abdominal pain.
As a person that takes daily medication I can assure you medication causes stomach aches.
Often we make the mistake of taking medication on an empty stomach. We should eat something first.
The very first thing you should do if you are having severe or constant or frequent stomach aches is to get a medical exam.
In fact it would be best for all of us if we would get regular exams perhaps once a year or every other year. People forget that seeing your doctor can be useful for planning a healthy life as well as dealing with illness.
Once you have checked things out then you deal with the illness if there is one.
Also you deal with emotional and/or mental stress with medication and counseling.
Other things you can do to help yourself is to utilize antacids or use an acid suppressor like an H2 blocker.
Eat small meals and avoid caffeine where possible.
One of the most valuable things I have found is to keep a food diary.
One thing that I employed that turned out to be helpful was accidental and I would not recommend it but you may discuss it with your doctor.
I was taking a diabetes medication that was giving me terrible cramps and ultimately diarrhea. Since this was a daily medication it was quite inconvenient.
One day I accidentally forgot to take it. I did not have problems.
I called the doctor and got the medicine changed. However it is not at all safe to omit medications one at a time to see if they are causing problems.
My point is if you have constant problems and you cannot find a reason and you take medication that may be the culprit perhaps that is something you could bring up to your doctor.
Stomach aches are not something to be absorbed and endured. They are a sign of a problem. You have a physical problem or an emotional problem or you are putting something in your body that is not good for it.
It may take some detective work but stopping the simple stomach ache at times is paramount.
References:
“What Causes Stomach aches?” Article, “Quality Health,” Cavallo, Jo
Personal Experience
