Learn what belly pain can be and what to do

Belly pain is usually caused by diarrhea, which is due to increased bowel activity and bowel movements. This problem is usually caused by infections by viruses or bacteria, but also by other conditions that cause irritation of the intestine, such as drinking alcohol, food intolerances and some medications, such as antibiotics.

This pain can be associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or fever and usually lasts between 3 and 7 days, and can be treated at home, with rest, hydration and medication to relieve symptoms, such as Buscopan.

Thus, the main causes of belly pain are:

1. Infections of the intestine

Infections caused by viruses, some bacteria, worms and amoebae cause inflammation of the intestine and usually cause stomach pain that is accompanied by many symptoms. These infections usually happen after travel, due to exposure to new microorganisms, or by eating poorly kept food from restaurants and snack bars.

• What it feels like: bellyache is accompanied by diarrhea with soft or watery stools, nausea, vomiting and low fever. Virus infection most commonly causes tummy pain, and usually heals alone in about 3 to 5 days. Some bacteria, such as salmonella and shigela, cause more serious infections, with the possibility of having stools with blood or mucus in addition to pain, more than 10 bowel movements a day, fever above 38.5ºC and apathy.

See more about the bellyache caused by virosis.

2. Use of some medications

Laxative medications and some medications, such as antibiotics, prokinetics, anti-inflammatories and metformin, for example, can speed up bowel movements or decrease the absorption of fluids, facilitating the onset of pain and diarrhea.

• What it feels like: mild stomach ache, which appears only before bowel movements, and improves after the remedy has passed. Belly pain caused by drugs is not usually accompanied by other symptoms.

3. Food allergy or intolerance

Allergy to foods such as milk protein, eggs, gluten or lactose intolerance, for example, cause abdominal pain and gas production because they are irritating to the intestine, which has difficulty absorbing food. The consumption of alcoholic beverages can also cause diarrhea in some people, because alcohol can have an irritating action in the intestine.

• What it feels like: belly pain, in these cases, arises after eating food and can be mild to moderate, depending on the severity of each person's allergy. It usually improves within 48 hours after ingestion, and may be accompanied by nausea and excess gas.

4. Inflammatory bowel diseases

Diseases that cause inflammation of the intestine, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, for example, can produce intense inflammation of this organ, which can present injuries and have difficulty performing its functions.

• What it feels like: in the initial stages, these diseases produce belly pain, diarrhea and excessive gas, but the most serious cases can be responsible for weight loss, anemia, bleeding and mucus production in the stool.

5. Stress and anxiety

These changes in psychological status increase the amount of adrenaline and cortisol in the blood, accelerating the activity of the intestine, in addition to decreasing the absorption capacity of food in the intestine, which can produce pain and diarrhea.

• What it feels like: belly pain that happens in cases of intense stress or fear, which is difficult to control, but which improves after the person calms down or after the stressful situation has been resolved.

6. Intestinal cancer

Bowel cancer can cause stomach ache by altering the intestinal rhythm or causing deformities in your wall.

• What it feels like: the symptoms depend on the location and severity of the cancer, but in most cases, there is a stomachache accompanied by bleeding in the stools, and alternations between constipation and diarrhea.

In addition, some people may experience stomach ache without being sick or having intestinal problems, such as after eating or waking up, and this is related to natural reflexes that induce the desire to defecate.

When to go to the emergency room

Belly pain can be accompanied by symptoms that indicate severity, which are usually caused by infections by bacteria, amoebas and stronger inflammatory diseases. The symptoms are:

• Diarrhea that persists for more than 5 days; Fever above 38.5ºC; Bleeding; More than 10 bowel movements per day.

In these cases, prompt attention should be sought to assess the need for antibiotics, such as bactrim or ciprofloxacin, for example, and hydration in the vein.

How to Treat Belly Pain

Generally, mild cases of belly pain resolve naturally in about 5 days, just with rest and oral hydration with water or homemade serum, made at home or bought ready at the pharmacy. The symptoms of pain and nausea can be controlled with medicines such as pain relievers, antispasmodics and antiemetics, such as dipyrone, Buscopan and Plasil.

The serum should be drunk while the diarrhea lasts, in the amount of 1 cup after each bowel movement. See easy recipes for making homemade serum.

In cases of infection by bacteria, the use of antibiotics prescribed by the general practitioner may be necessary, when they are infections with more severe or persistent symptoms. In cases of very severe diarrhea that cause dehydration, hydration in the vein may also be necessary.

The treatment of belly pain caused by diseases, intolerances or food allergies, is guided by the general practitioner or gastroenterologist, according to each type of disease.

Learn natural ways to make diarrhea go faster.

Belly pain in the child

In these cases, belly pain is usually caused by food poisoning or contact with viruses, and should be treated by the pediatrician, with medication to relieve colic, such as dipyrone and Buscopan, and hydration with homemade serum.

Belly pain is severe when it is accompanied by drowsiness, apathy, high fever, very thirst, the presence of very liquid stools and many bowel movements a day, and the child should be taken to the emergency room as soon as possible, for hydration in the vein and for the pediatrician to make the correct diagnosis of the cause.

Understand more about what to do when your child has diarrhea and vomiting.