Stomach pain is a symptom that can be indicative of any digestive system disorder. Many people tend to take over-the-counter medications just to control pain, but if you don’t know the cause, taking these medications can cause many problems. Many doctors recommend trying other remedies besides pain medications because most of the time, people have the wrong idea of what is causing their discomfort. Continue reading this article and find out why you should be careful when you experience stomach pain.
There are a variety of conditions that can cause stomach pain to appear and this can range from the most basic to the most severe. Some of the simple causes of abdominal discomfort would be gas pain or flatulence. This can be easily alleviated by placing a hot water bottle on the stomach area or by walking and passing out. You should try to avoid eating foods that also cause gas buildup in the stomach, such as sprouts, beans, peas, and fruits such as apples and bananas.
Stomach pain, as mentioned above, could also be indicative of a very serious condition. Let’s take appendicitis as an example. A sudden stinging sensation would be felt near your belly button and it would slowly move to the right side of your mid-region. As time goes by, the pain will get even worse and will be unlike any other pain you’ve ever felt. Now this is where I stress the importance of not taking any pain medication. For your doctor to diagnose appendicitis, he or she should check for rebound tenderness and Rovsing’s sign. Rebound tenderness is when he applies pressure to your mid-region, and when he lets go, the pain intensifies. Rovsing’s sign is when you press on the substandard left side of your mid-region and a responsive pain is felt in the substandard right quadrant of your midsection. Now, if you’ve taken pain medications for the office, the medication could mask any pain you feel in the area, leading to a misdiagnosis. This can be very critical as your appendix could burst and cause death if it is not removed immediately.
There are many ways to deal with stomach pain without resorting to drugs. One way would be to place a pillow in your stomach area and splint it with your arm. This puts pressure on your mid-region and would lessen the pain. For some people, lying on your stomach with a pillow in the mid-region also works.
Another method to control abdominal discomfort would be to do deep breathing exercises. This is very basic. Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This relaxes the abdominal muscles.
Placing a warm compress or hot water bottle on the mid-region is also another very effective method. It is usually used by women who suffer from abdominal cramps caused by menstruation. This could also help with gas pain.