Stomach pain - Warning symptoms of many dangerous diseases

1. Causes of stomach pain

1.1. Due to pathology, bacterial invasion 

Pathological effects or bacterial invasion can be the cause of stomach or gastric pain. 

• Acute inflammation of the duodenal mucosa: Tends to appear suddenly after a period of drinking a lot of alcohol, beer, spicy food or the effects of certain medications. 
• Stomach ulcers: This is a condition in which the stomach lining is damaged, causing a feeling of prolonged or dull pain, intermittent pain, and often pain in the epigastric region. As the ulcer grows larger, the patient may also experience gastrointestinal bleeding. 
• Esophageal stomach cancer: Dangerous diseases can cause stomach pain. Middle-aged people, smokers and heavy drinkers are at high risk of getting the disease. 

HP bacteria can cause stomach pain and many other digestive diseases.

1.2. Irregular living for a long time

In addition to pathological factors, unscientific living habits are also the cause of stomach pain. Specifically: 

• Tobacco abuse: The habit of smoking can stimulate the secretion of HCl and Pepsin, causing the stomach lining to gradually erode. In addition, smoking also negatively affects other organ systems in the body. 
• Unhealthy diet: Eating at irregular times, eating a lot of spicy food, etc. can easily cause stomach pain. 
• Chronic stress: Long-term stress can easily cause stomach cramps, stimulating intestinal motility, making the pain worse. 

Prolonged stress can easily cause stomach pain.

1.3. Side effects of medication

When using certain medications, the stomach can be affected such as:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Many pain relievers such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen,… often cause heartburn and stomach irritation. 
• Antibiotics: Antibiotics have the effect of killing bacteria, supporting the treatment of infections, etc. However, during the use of drugs, patients are prone to side effects such as stomach and abdominal bloating. 
• Cholesterol control drugs: These drugs will affect the digestive tract causing constipation, diarrhea, and bloating. 
• Opioid pain relievers: Can easily cause side effects such as abdominal cramps, constipation, vomiting. 
• Functional foods to support iron supplementation: The mineral iron participates in the process of transporting oxygen to cells. However, iron in many functional foods is the cause of stomach irritation. 
• Cancer treatment support drugs: Many cancer drugs often cause side effects such as stomach upset. 

Many medications often cause side effects such as stomach pain. 

1.4. Other causes

Besides the three basic groups of factors mentioned above, stomach pain also comes from other causes such as:

• Food allergy or poisoning. 
• Effects of gallstones. 
• Effects of pancreatic or biliary tract tumors. 
• Bowel obstruction. 
• Acute pancreatitis,… 

2. Common locations of stomach pain

Stomach pain or stomach pain mainly appears in three main locations. Including the epigastric region, the middle abdomen and the left epigastric region. 

• Epigastric region: The area of ​​the abdomen below the sternum, above the navel. The pain that appears in this area tends to be dull, causing tension and discomfort. In particular, the pain spreads quite quickly, affecting the chest and back. 
• Mid-abdomen: Is where a series of digestive organs are concentrated. Therefore, if the pain does not subside, you should quickly go to the doctor to determine the cause and get the right treatment. 
• Left epigastric regionStomach pain in this area often occurs when the stomach is empty. However, you should not be subjective but go to a medical facility for examination. 

Stomach pain can appear in many different areas.

3. Methods of diagnosis and treatment of stomach pain

3.1. Diagnosis

During the diagnosis of a person with stomach pain, the doctor will check the symptoms by asking about the painful area, frequency of pain, urination habits, etc. In addition, the doctor may order the patient to do diagnostic imaging tests such as abdominal ultrasound, esophageal endoscopy, X-ray, CT scan, MRI. 

In which, esophagogastroduodenoscopy is one of the golden criteria in diagnosing gastric diseases. 

3.2. Treatment

Specific treatment regimens for stomach pain depend on the cause of the pain. In most cases, patients will be prescribed antibiotics, anti-acid drugs, acid neutralizers, etc., depending on the results of clinical examination and gastroscopy. 

Along with taking medication, people with stomach pain need to combine a healthy diet and lifestyle. Specifically: 

• Never skip meals. 
• Don't eat too much. 
• Avoid consuming unsanitary food and spicy food. 
• Maintain the habit of eating slowly and chewing thoroughly to stimulate saliva secretion, helping to balance the acidic environment in the stomach and reduce pain. 
• Limit eating cold foods, because cold foods will cause the stomach to contract more strongly, causing pain. 
• To help the digestive system absorb better, you should drink warm water. 
• Do not do strenuous activity immediately after eating. 
• Prioritize adding good foods such as yogurt, coconut water, bread, apples, etc. 

4. How to prevent and relieve stomach pain? 

To prevent stomach pain, you should adopt some good habits for your body such as:

• Drink plenty of water every day. 
• Maintain the habit of eating slowly and chewing food thoroughly. 
• Avoid consuming foods that are easily allergenic and spicy. 
• Work and rest regularly, reduce stress. 
• Exercise moderately and regularly every day. 
• Avoid consuming foods high in fat and processed foods. 

Drinking plenty of water every day is a way to prevent stomach pain. 

If you notice pain, you can try to relieve it by doing the following: 

• Lie down and rest, stop all activities. If the pain occurs on an empty stomach, you should not drink any drinks to let your stomach rest effectively. 
• Warm compress on abdomen, drink warm ginger tea. 

However, if the pain persists and does not subside, you should go to a medical facility to be examined and treated by a doctor to avoid complications in time. 

Basically, there are many causes leading to this situation. stomach ache. In any case, you should not be subjective when you notice this symptom in your body. To proactively detect the disease early and treat it promptly, you should have regular health check-ups. A reputable medical address you can choose is the Gastroenterology department of MEDLATEC Healthcare SystemTo make an appointment, please call 1900 56 56 56 of MEDLATEC.