Abdominal Pain: Causes, When to Worry, and What Treatments Really Work

When you feel abdominal pain, discomfort or distress in the area between the chest and pelvis, often linked to digestion, organs, or inflammation. Also known as stomach ache, it’s one of the most common reasons people visit a doctor—and one of the most misunderstood. It’s not just "your stomach acting up." Abdominal pain can signal anything from harmless bloating to a life-threatening issue like appendicitis, a ruptured aneurysm, or bowel obstruction. The location, type, and timing of the pain matter more than you think.

Many people assume all abdominal pain is digestive, but it often comes from other systems. For example, gastrointestinal issues, problems affecting the stomach, intestines, liver, or pancreas like acid reflux or gallstones can cause sharp, burning pain after eating. Meanwhile, digestive disorders, chronic conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis lead to recurring cramps, diarrhea, or bloating that come and go over months. Then there are non-digestive causes: kidney stones, urinary tract infections, even heart attacks in women can mimic stomach pain. And let’s not forget menstrual cramps, ovarian cysts, or hernias—these are common, especially in younger adults.

What makes abdominal pain tricky is that the same symptom can mean wildly different things. A dull ache that’s been there for weeks? Could be IBS. Sudden, severe pain on the lower right side? Could be appendicitis. Pain that shoots to your back with nausea? Maybe pancreatitis. You can’t guess your way out of this. That’s why reliable information matters. The posts below break down real cases, from common triggers like food intolerance and stress to rare but dangerous conditions like mesenteric ischemia. You’ll find clear advice on when to wait it out and when to rush to the ER. You’ll see how medications like antispasmodics or proton pump inhibitors help—or don’t—and what natural approaches actually have evidence behind them. No fluff. No hype. Just what works, what doesn’t, and why.