Stomach pain, or gastric pain, is a common symptom that occurs in the upper abdomen, above the navel. Although usually mild, this abdominal pain can sometimes be a sign of illness.
Stomach aches, how to recognize them?
What is stomach pain?
Stomach pain, or gastric pain, is considered abdominal pain . Very frequent, abdominal pain can come from the stomach but also from other organs of the digestive system, the genital system, the cardiovascular system and the renal system.
How to spot stomach pain?
When experiencing abdominal pain, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish stomach pain. Stomach pain is characterized by pain in the epigastrium, that is, pain localized in the upper part of the abdomen . However, other organs, including the large intestine and the pancreas, are also present in the epigastric region, which makes the diagnosis of stomach pain difficult.
What are the different stomach ailments?
Stomach pain can manifest in different ways. Gastric pain can take the form of:
- stomach cramps, or abdominal cramps;
- stomach spasms, or gastric spasms;
- heartburn , or gastric burn;
- nausea ;
- stomach bloating, or abdominal bloating.
Stomach ache, what causes the pain?
is it a digestive disorder?
Stomach aches are often due to digestive disorders. Among these, we often distinguish:
- Functional digestive disorders : Also called functional dyspepsia, these disorders are characterized by the absence of lesions in the digestive system. They are mainly caused by poor digestion. This is for example the case during abdominal bloating.
- Non-functional digestive disorders: They affect the wall of the digestive system. This is particularly the case during gastroesophageal reflux , more commonly known as acid reflux or heartburn. A reflux of acidic contents from the stomach to the esophagus leads to inflammation with the appearance of a burning sensation.
Gastric pain, is it a disease of the stomach?
In some cases, stomach pain can be a sign of a disease affecting the stomach. This essential organ of the digestive system can be particularly affected by:
- Gasroenteritis: It corresponds to an inflammation of the digestive system of infectious origin. The germ responsible for this infection can be a virus or a bacterium. The development of these pathogens leads to an inflammatory reaction that can manifest as stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Gastritis: It refers to an inflammation that occurs in the stomach lining. Gastritis usually manifests as heartburn.
- A gastric ulcer: It is due to a deep lesion of the stomach. A stomach ulcer results in severe pain in the stomach.
- Stomash cancer: A malignant tumor can develop in the stomach. This tumor is manifested by various symptoms including nausea and heartburn.
