What Are the Causes of Stomach Pain & Burning?
Stomach pain can often be debilitating and difficult to treat. There are many different diseases that can be attributed to stomach pain, making a diagnosis a bit elusive.
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Types
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Doctors will consider what type of stomach pain the patient is experiencing, in order to make the correct diagnosis. Cramping of the stomach is different than burning or a sharp pain.
Considerations
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There are some important points to consider when it comes to treating stomach pain. A few of these are:
1. Does the pain occur in the daytime or at night?
2. Does consuming food help relieve the pain?
3. Is the pain intermittent or does it stay the same?
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Causes
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Some of the most common causes for stomach pain and burning are peptic ulcer disease, kidney stones, gallbladder disease, appendicitis and diverticulitis
Prevention/Solution
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There are some things that can be done at home to relieve stomach burning and pain. Over the counter medications such as Tums, Maalox, or Pepto Bismal can at times help relieve symptoms temporarily. Tylenol may be helpful, but avoid the use of NSAID pain relievers such as Motrin or Aleve. These types of medications may make stomach pain worse.
Treatment
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Call your doctor if you experience stomach pain that lasts longer than six hours, pain that is increasing, instead of subsiding, pain accompanied with vomiting more than four times, pain that worsens upon movement or pain that wakes you up during the night.
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