treatment for painful stomach

The most common reasons why upper stomach pain occurs can be anything from indigestion or food poisoning to something as serious as an internal stomach infection which can be very painful.

Causes of upper stomach pain range from normal to serious, so it’s important to speak with your GP if you are experiencing severe stomach pain that doesn’t go away within a few days.

Most common types of stomach pain can cause mild to severe discomfort, but the good news is that there are several OTC medications you can take to relieve upper stomach pain fast! Most medications can kick-in and provide relief within 15 minutes.

When stomach pain sets in, all we want is fast relief! Find out what causes stomach aches and how to treat them in this article.

What Causes Upper Stomach Pain?

Whether you've got intense cramps or a mild bellyache, the possible reasons are too many to count on one hand! The list of potential causes is pretty long and can be a bit of a mystery until you really examine all your symptoms and can describe the type of pain you’re experiencing.

The most common causes of stomach pain are:

  • Stomach viruses
  • Food poisoning
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Constipation
  • Gas
  • Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
  • Indigestion.
  • Gastritis
  • Indigestion
  • Muscle damage or strain
  • Obstruction of the bowel
  • Food allergies
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Urinary tract infection.

Other potentially serious causes of stomach pain are bowel blockage, cancer, appendicitis, and gastroesophageal reflux – all of which require medical attention from a GP.

While stomach pain has many causes, the nature of your discomfort — sudden or gradual, sharp or aching — can give your GP a clue as to what is causing your upper stomach pain.

Types of Stomach Pain

The type of stomach pain you feel can indicate what the underlying problem may be.

It may feel:

  • Mild or severe.
  • Dull or sharp.
  • Burning or achy.
  • Crampy or colicky.
  • Constant (chronic)
  • Intermittent (acute).
  • Localised (in one spot).
  • Generalised (all over).
  • Progressive (gets worse in time).

Treatment

The over-the-counter (OTC) medication treatment for painful stomach symptoms will depends on the cause:

For cramping from diarrhoea:

  • Imodium
  • Kaopectate
  • Pepto-Bismol

For sour stomach, gas, acid indigestion, and heartburn:

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):

For other types of stomach pain:

  • Acetaminophen: Aspirin-free Anacin, Liquiprin, Panadol, Tylenol.

As one of the leading online pharmacies in the UK, you can count on Online4Pharmacy to provide the best OTC and prescription pain-relief medicine. You can also find a variety of skincare products, health supplements and branded perfumes on our website.

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