Stomach aches are one of the most common health problems that people experience. They can be triggered by a wide range of factors, including stress and changes in your diet. However, they aren’t always due to external factors. In fact, some people experience frequent stomach aches as a result of internal issues. The lower part of your stomach is called the bowel, so it’s colloquially known as the colon. This is where most stomach aches originate from. It can become irritated when its natural microorganisms are disturbed or if you constantly eat spicy foods or take non-sterile drugs (e.g. antibiotics). Stomach aches that radiate from your lower back to your upper abdomen, known as epigastric pain, might also be caused by an ulcer in the wall of your small intestine or narrowing of one of the small or large intestine‘s branches (e.g. ileocecal valve). However, this may not always be the case. Some people have no obvious cause for their abdominal pain and there is no single reason why everyone experiences them at different times and in different places simultaneously.
Contents
- Causes of Stomach Aches
- Stress and Anxiety
- Food intolerances and allergies
- Digestive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Problems
- Clothing Tightness and Knots
- Risk Factors for Stomach Aches
- Summary
Causes of Stomach Aches
There are many factors that can cause stomach aches. Some of the most common causes include:
– Caffeine
– Alcohol
– Infections (e.g. bacterial, viral, or fungal)
– Foods like raw fruits and vegetables and undercooked meat
– Non-sterile drugs (e.g. antibiotics)
– Emotional stress When you experience lower abdominal pain along with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and/or a headache, it’s important to see a doctor for evaluation. The initial exam will help your doctor determine what is causing your pain and help you find effective treatment options accordingly.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are two of the most common causes of stomach aches. When you’re experiencing a lot of stress, your body releases chemicals that cause your muscles to tense up and contract. This can lead to a number of health problems, including abdominal pain.
Food intolerances and allergies
Food intolerances and allergies are two of the most common causes of stomach aches. A food intolerance is when your body has an adverse reaction to a certain food, while an allergy is when you have an immune system response to a food. The most common foods that people experience gastrointestinal problems from include milk, wheat or gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy products, oranges and other citrus fruits, coffee, chocolate and other types of caffeine. Food intolerances usually develop at a young age. These reactions may be mild or severe. Some reactions can even result in life-threatening conditions such as anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) or systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease). For example, lactose intolerance is caused by the inability to digest the sugar found in milk and drinking milk can cause abdominal pain and cramping which many people experience as stomach aches.
Digestive Disorders
Many people believe that digestive disorders, including stomach aches, are caused by improper digestion. In fact, only about 10 percent of your stomach aches are caused by this. The rest are likely to be due to internal issues such as an ulcer in your small intestine or a narrowing of one of the small or large intestine‘s branches (e.g. ileocecal valve) and others have no obvious cause for their abdominal pain and there is no single reason why everyone experiences them at different times and in different places simultaneously. Although they aren’t always linked to external factors, a doctor can diagnose many digestive disorders with a simple exam and blood tests. There are treatments available that help alleviate some symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. Some people experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like stomach aches after eating something spicy or taking non-sterile drugs (e.g. antibiotics). This is because the GI tract can become irritated when its natural microorganisms are disturbed or if you constantly eat spicy foods or take non-sterile drugs (e.g., antibiotics). Stomach aches from these causes can occur at any time of day, but most commonly happen in the evening hours between dinner and bedtime when food remains in the stomach for too long without adequate digestive enzymes being released into it.
Musculoskeletal Problems
One of the most common causes of stomach aches is musculoskeletal problems. These problems can often be caused by sitting at a desk for long periods, whether it be at school or work. In addition to this, they are sometimes caused by improper body mechanics. For example, if you twist your spine too far backward while lifting, you can strain your back and throw off your natural equilibrium. This in turn makes it hard to move with any degree of freedom and can lead to pain in your lower abdomen. Another type of musculoskeletal problem that may cause stomach aches is joint disorders, like arthritis or bursitis. These conditions make it difficult for people to move their joints freely, which can result in muscle spasms that cause abdominal discomfort. Some individuals may also experience these symptoms as a result of an overuse injury. If you lift something repeatedly without taking breaks for adequate recovery between sets, you might wind up with a strain or tear in one of your muscles that causes pain due to inflammation. The last kind of musculoskeletal problem that may cause stomach aches is injuries sustained from sports and other physical activities. You might have experienced these injuries before but didn’t realize they were causing stomach ache until after the fact. Any time there is trauma to muscles and joints while they are active and not moving freely (e.g., running), muscles could become inflamed which leads to pain in the abdomen region as well as other
Clothing Tightness and Knots
Garments that are too tight can also cause a stomach ache. The pressure on your abdomen caused by the restrictive clothing could lead to muscle tension in your abdomen, which can also lead to pain. Another factor that might cause a stomach ache is knots in your clothing. Knots create pressure points on your body and may lead to discomfort around your waistline and lower back. It’s common for people to experience this type of pain when wearing clothes with tight knots like ties or belts. If you want relief from these problems, try loosening the clothing or removing the knot that’s causing you pain. You can also take ibuprofen or naproxen if it’s an acute problem (e.g. after eating spicy food).
Risk Factors for Stomach Aches
There are a few risk factors that increase your likelihood of experiencing stomach aches. Intestinal problems, such as ulcers or narrowing in the small or large intestine, are one of the most common risk factors for stomach aches. Some people experience abdominal pain despite having no underlying problems with their intestines. This is because certain conditions can cause your intestines to become sensitive to different stimuli, like spicy foods or non-sterile drugs. Vitamin B12 deficiency is another risk factor for stomach aches. Vitamin B12 helps produce red blood cells and regulate your mood, so it’s important to maintain healthy levels of this vitamin in your body. However, some people aren’t able to absorb enough food sources of this vitamin due to an underactive thyroid gland or digestive tract diseases (e.g. Crohn’s disease). Other conditions that increase your odds of experiencing stomach aches include:
Summary
Stomach aches are one of the most common health complaints that people experience. There are many possible causes, including external factors and internal issues. You can reduce your chances of experiencing these pains by eating healthy and avoiding spicy foods.