What are abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain describes various complaints in the abdomen and is therefore a very general symptom. In order to be able to treat the pain properly, the causes should first be explored. In many cases these are rather harmless, but sometimes there are serious reasons for abdominal pain. The symptoms often appear together with other symptoms such as flatulence, nausea and vomiting.
Typical causes of abdominal pain
Frequent Triggers for stomach and abdominal pain are:
- Too much and / or too greasy food
- Too much alcohol
- period
- Gastrointestinal infections
- Food intolerance
- Irritable stomach
- stress
- constipation
What helps against abdominal pain?
The most of these symptoms are easily treated with home remedies for abdominal pain, for example by:
- Light food
- Plenty of water and / or tea (e.g. peppermint, caraway and fennel are good for digestion)
- Heat, e.g. B. with a hot water bottle or a cherry stone pillow
- Slight movement
- Relaxation
Important information for abdominal pain: when should I see a doctor?
Abdominal pain is not always harmless. As a precaution, you should go to the doctor for the following symptoms to clarify the cause of the pain:
- For very severe pain that does not subside
- With a hard and bloated stomach
- With blood in the stool
- With high fever
- In case of severe vomiting
Such symptoms can indicate a serious illness, for example an inflammation of the stomach or ulcerative colitis. Depending on the cause, the doctor may prescribe medication, in some cases surgery is also necessary.
Abdominal pain in children
Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in children. The causes are usually harmless, for example, the child may have eaten too much. Older children are also increasingly suffering from stress-related stomach complaints, because, for example, they have problems at school. A light abdominal massage, teas and warmth from a hot water bottle usually help against the pain, parental care also calms the child.
In some cases, however, there are also serious illnesses behind the pain, such as appendicitis or inflammation of the urinary tract. If the pain does not go away or gets worse, a doctor should therefore promptly look for reasons for the abdominal pain.