How do I know if my stomach pain is serious?
Most stomach pain is gas, indigestion, a passing bug or stress, and settles within hours to days.
The features that change the picture: pain that is severe and constant, wakes you from sleep, localizes to one spot especially the lower right, comes with fever, repeated vomiting, a rigid belly, blood in vomit or stool, or pain with a missed period. Those need same-day care.
For milder recurring pain, keep a one-line diary of timing, food and stress for two weeks. Patterns diagnose more bellies than scans do.
Source: NHS, stomach ache
See a doctor promptly if
- Food sticking or difficulty swallowing, or pain on swallowing
- Unintentional weight loss with indigestion or bloating
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Black tarry stools, or a new diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia
- Persistent vomiting, or a mass felt in the upper abdomen
- New persistent bloating on most days for three weeks or more, especially in women over 50
Try the symptom diary10 seconds a day, free, nothing to installGut symptoms travel with food, stress and timing, and nobody reconstructs that from memory.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
Unglamorous and well proven
Daily psyllium helps constipation, modestly lowers cholesterol, and steadies blood sugar after meals. Start small and drink water with it.
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