Abdominal pain and nausea

introduction

Abdominal pain and nausea are often closely related, but they can also appear as individual symptoms.

Abdominal pain usually indicates a problem in the abdomen. This can range from a simple stomach upset in the sense of "eaten the wrong thing" to gastrointestinal infections and organ damage to malignant tumor diseases. Depending on the cause, the abdominal pain manifests itself in different areas of the abdomen and with different pain characteristics.

General

Nausea is often accompanied by abdominal pain, which in some cases leads to vomiting. This is to protect the body. It is not advisable to eat too much if the stomach is upset or if there is a gastrointestinal infection. The appetite for it is usually suppressed by the nausea anyway.

So nausea occurs in the brain. This signals to the body through the nausea that something is wrong or different. The brain can recognize this as it receives signals from all organs in the body. Also from the gastrointestinal tract. If it receives the information that the person concerned has upset their stomach, the vomiting center in the brain is activated. In addition, the sense of balance and the psyche can also send signals to the brain and trigger nausea. At the same time as causing nausea, the brain's vomiting center also activates other regions of the body. This explains why nausea is often associated with other symptoms, such as increased salivation, paleness, and sweating.

Read more on this topic on our main page: Vomit

Causes of Abdominal Pain and Nausea

The possible causes of abdominal pain and nausea are very diverse. Both are just symptoms that can be caused by various underlying diseases.

If the abdominal pain occurs in a certain part of the abdomen, organic causes may be the underlying cause. An irritable stomach, stomach ulcers, liver disease or gallstones are possible causes of abdominal pain in the upper abdomen.
Ulcers or inflammations in other parts of the intestine can also lead to symptoms. This also includes malignant tumors, for example in the stomach or the pancreas.
Appendicitis or chronic bowel disease are possible causes of abdominal pain in the lower abdomen.

If the abdominal pain occurs all over the abdominal area, it can be triggered by a gastrointestinal infection, which often occurs in conjunction with nausea. The stomach can also be irritated by certain influences such as alcohol or medication, which can lead to abdominal pain and nausea.

Motion sickness is a harmless cause of stomach ache and nausea. In addition, both of these can be early signs of pregnancy.

Read more on this topic at: Causes of abdominal pain

Concomitant symptoms

Abdominal pain and nausea can go along with various other ailments. These include:

• Diarrhea (medical: diarrhea)

• Flatulence (medical: meteorism)

• Vomiting (medical: vomiting)

• Weight loss

• Loss of appetite

• tense abdominal wall

• Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites)

diarrhea

Abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting can be caused by many clinical pictures. The most common underlying problem is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In most cases, this is caused by viral or bacterial pathogens. The infections and with them the symptoms usually subside by themselves. In the case of severe diarrhea, however, there is a risk of fluid and electrolyte deficiency, which should be compensated symptomatically with sufficient food and fluid.

The stool is often infectious when the intestine is infected, as the body excretes the pathogens in this way. Therefore, adequate toilet hygiene should be ensured. In rare cases, a dangerous intestinal obstruction can also be the cause of the symptoms. Triggered by tumors, intestinal infarcts or numerous other clinical pictures, an intestinal obstruction can lead to severe abdominal pain, nausea with vomiting, as well as constipation and diarrhea alternating.

Also read the article on the topic: Abdominal pain and diarrhea

Flatulence

Flatulence is a common symptom combined with abdominal pain and nausea. Often only normal digestive processes are behind the symptoms, which lead to increased gas formation in the intestine.
Some foods and behaviors can encourage gas build-up and make symptoms worse. Legumes, alcoholic and carbonated beverages, foods containing lactose or fructose, and products containing gluten, in particular, can lead to bloating and gas. Inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle, large-volume meals and inadequate chewing also promote the formation of intestinal gases.

Also read the article on the topic: Abdominal pain from gas

a headache

Headaches can go hand in hand with abdominal pain and nausea as part of several clinical pictures. Digestive problems and gastrointestinal tract infections can cause abdominal pain and nausea. If vomiting and diarrhea occur, an intestinal infection can be assumed, which can be accompanied by severe fluid loss.

Headache, dizziness, tiredness and loss of consciousness can result from the lack of fluids. Headaches can also occur with nausea and abdominal discomfort. The clinical picture of migraines can, for example, influence centers in the brain that cause symptoms of the stomach and intestines, for example nausea. This shows that headaches can be closely related to intestinal complaints.

The combination of stomach ache, nausea and headache can also trigger too much stress. Our psyche is closely related to our physical condition and can then trigger such unspecific symptoms. Therefore, in everyday life, make sure not to overload yourself and take enough breaks.

Find out more about the topic: migraine

dizziness

Dizziness often accompanies nausea. The abdominal pain can be added by the increased movements of the gastric mucosa associated with the nausea. The cause here can also be a migraine attack, for which nausea and dizziness are particularly typical.

Dizziness can be a warning symptom of acute gastrointestinal disease.In many cases, dizziness is caused by a lack of electrolytes and fluids. This can occur particularly in the case of nausea with vomiting and diarrhea in the context of an acute gastrointestinal infection. If you are dizzy or threatened with fainting, you should drink and eat food as quickly as possible.

A stomach ulcer could also be the cause of the discomfort. The stomach lining is destroyed by the ulcer and attacked by the stomach acid. This can lead to abdominal pain and nausea, as well as poor circulation.

Dizziness can rarely be triggered by diseases of the inner ear. In these cases, dizziness is primarily caused by a malfunction of the equilibrium organs and can consequently cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, which are closely related to dizziness. However, the complaints mentioned are very unspecific. You should visit a doctor for a reliable clarification.

Read more on the topic: Dizziness with nausea

fatigue

Fatigue is a very unspecific symptom that can indicate many different clinical pictures. Fatigue can be a normal reaction of the body to various disease processes. Both temporary harmless infections of the intestine and chronic disease processes can strain the body and lead to fatigue.
Long-term tiredness, along with weakness, dizziness and fainting, can be a warning symptom for diseases that develop dangerously. This can also be gastrointestinal infections with severe water and energy loss, for example.

Digestive problems can lead to deficiencies and thus to fatigue, for example due to the impaired absorption and utilization of food. Diarrhea can be B. often lead to a potassium deficiency, which makes you tired. Furthermore, fatigue and exhaustion are accompanying symptoms of gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Crohn's disease or small intestine diverticula, on the other hand, often lead to anemia, which leads to a vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency, which then causes tiredness.

Read more about the: Cause of digestive problems

Back pain

In some cases, abdominal pain can be accompanied by back pain. The cause can be in the stomach area or in the back. Back pain can thus radiate into the abdominal cavity and mask an actually orthopedic symptoms on the back.
On the other hand, diseases in the abdomen can be mistakenly perceived as back pain. This is caused by the fact that changed organs such as a stool-filled intestine, bleeding, a tumor or diseases of the pancreas, spleen or liver can press on the spine and cause pain.

If the abdominal pain radiates into the back and is accompanied by nausea or digestive problems, this can also indicate an inflammation of the pancreas, a so-called pancreatitis. Furthermore, an inflammation of the stomach lining could cause the problems.

In the case of gallstones, stomach pain can also spread to the back to the right shoulder blade. In rare cases, back pain in the lumbar vertebrae can also occur with appendicitis.

Do you suspect inflammation of the pancreas as the cause of your symptoms? - Then read the following article: Pancreatitis - How Dangerous Is It?

fever

Fever with abdominal pain and nausea are typical symptoms of inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). The abdominal pain is colic-like and localized in the upper abdomen. In addition to the nausea, patients usually experience a feeling of fullness and loss of appetite.

Another cause of the fever can be the so-called "acute abdomen". It is usually also noticeable by a taut abdominal wall and is an umbrella term for various diseases. These include, among other things, an intestinal obstruction or the rupture of an organ through an ulcer. The acute abdomen is an urgent emergency and a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.

Would you like to recognize an intestinal obstruction? - Then read our article: This is how you can recognize an intestinal obstruction

heartburn

Heartburn is a very common and common symptom in the Western world that is due to overproduction of stomach acid with reflux into the esophagus. There can be various causes behind this, but in most cases gastric acid production is triggered by the consumption of luxury foods such as fatty foods, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol.

In the long term, damage to the esophageal sphincter can occur, which promotes permanent heartburn. If the heartburn occurs more than 2-3 times a week, a medical evaluation is strongly recommended. In the long term, the unpleasant heartburn can develop into a change in the mucous membrane of the esophagus with a significantly increased risk of cancer.

Find out more about the topic: Causes of heartburn

treatment

To treat abdominal pain and nausea, the first thing to do is to identify the cause. A temporary one Change of diet to light fare may be necessary. For serious gastrointestinal infections, one too Food break. If the nausea is very bad, so-called Antiemetics be taken as anti-emetic agents. Especially when signs of Dehydration present, such as a dry mouth, nausea should be suppressed so that the loss of fluids is kept as low as possible.

Home remedies for stomach ache and nausea

There are many home remedies for stomach ache and also for nausea. Not all of them work against both complaints at the same time; however, the remedies can be combined or, depending on the individual condition, the dominant symptom can be treated more strongly.

Warm compresses or a lavender bath can help against both complaints. The applied heat can relieve the stomach cramps and thus reduce the stomach pain and nausea.

Furthermore, ginger or chamomile tea help against both of the complaints. The ginger can be chewed in small pieces or taken as a tea. It has an effective effect against bacteria and viruses and thus protects the intestinal flora from unwanted pathogens.
Chamomile also has an antibacterial effect and prevents inflammation at the same time.

Herbal tea or various scented oils in a fragrance lamp or as scented candles can help against nausea. Lavender or citrus scents are particularly suitable for this. The fragrance oils should be handled carefully at first.

Use a small amount of the oil at the beginning and watch how you get the intense smell. Depending on the individual's condition, an overly intense odor can also increase nausea.

On the other hand, peppermint tea, which has a relaxing effect on the gastrointestinal muscles, can help against stomach pains. However, the relaxation of the muscles can also lead to an increased backflow of gastric acid into the esophagus, thus increasing nausea or triggering heartburn.

So if you suffer more from nausea than from stomach ache, you should do without the mint tea. A fennel-anise-caraway tea can also help. It leads to increased gastrointestinal activity, which is why you should initially proceed with caution in the event of accompanying nausea.

Homeopathy for stomach pain and nausea

In homeopathy, too, not all remedies work against both symptoms at the same time. For this purpose, individual drugs must be combined or, depending on the individual condition, the more dominant symptom must be treated.

As a classic example of homeopathy, globules can be used here. Above all, Nux vomica Globuli help against nausea in connection with abdominal pain. Nux vomica is the so-called vomit that contains the neurotoxin strychnine.

In low concentrations, it works well against nausea as it inhibits stomach activity.

Arsenicum album globules are also derived from the poison arsenic. In low doses in the form of globules, they are primarily effective against nausea, but also against burning abdominal pain.

Cocculus globules, the so-called Kockelskorns, also help against nausea. These are particularly effective for nausea during pregnancy or travel sickness.

Duration of abdominal pain with nausea

The duration of the complaints depends on the underlying cause of the abdominal pain and nausea.

In the case of food intolerance, for example, the pain lasts almost the whole day. Although they are only triggered by the intake of a certain food component such as histamine, wheat or fructose, these components are found in most basic foods.
If the person concerned is not yet aware of his or her illness, the pain hardly diminishes due to the almost constant supply.

Read everything about the following intolerances here:

• Histamine intolerance
• Wheat allergy
• Fructose intolerance
• Lactose intolerance

However, if the symptoms are the result of ovulation, the pain can be localized much better and last for 2 to 3 days.

Chronic diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, run off in bouts, during which the pain and nausea can last for weeks to months.

The pain associated with an ulcer is mostly dependent on food intake. A stomach ulcer is most noticeable as pain after eating, whereas an ulcer in the duodenum gets better after eating. On the other hand, after a long period of sobriety, such as B. at night, with an ulcer in the duodenum, severe pain.

Abdominal pain and nausea after eating

The leading cause of nausea and Abdominal pain after eating are flatulent foods or poor or too much nutrition. Fatty foods in particular or eating very quickly can quickly lead to stomach pain. Ailments that can be traced back to these causes can be easily combated by the Diet changed and a balanced diet is observed. However, food intolerance can also be behind it. In this case, it is important to find out which foods trigger the abdominal pain and nausea and to avoid them.

Even more serious illnesses like a Inflammation of the stomach lining or a Gastric ulcer can lead to these complaints. Likewise, a Tumor in the stomach or cause abdominal pain and nausea after eating in other areas of the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the type of illness, the stomach pain occurs immediately after eating or with a delay.

Abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating

Abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating can have different causes. Regardless of the underlying condition, if they occur frequently, they can cause food anxiety and loss of appetite, leading to malnutrition. Because this can have lasting negative effects on health, it is important to have recurring symptoms clarified by a doctor early after eating.
A common condition that causes such symptoms is food intolerance. In the western world, the intolerance of lactose in milk and gluten in wheat products as well as the allergic reaction to proteins such as histamine mainly occur.
Another important disease that can lead to gastrointestinal complaints after eating is irritable bowel syndrome. Although it is a harmless, complex and often very stressful disease. The cause of irritable bowel syndrome has not yet been fully clarified, and the therapy is very diverse, depending on the form.
If the abdominal pain and diarrhea persist for several months or are unusually severe, serious and possibly life-threatening diseases can be responsible for the symptoms.
This includes, for example, the calcification of vessels in the intestine, which progresses slowly and intensifies the symptoms mentioned over the years. Chronic, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis as well as a stomach ulcer can also cause gastrointestinal complaints after eating and without appropriate therapy can be life-threatening.

Read more on the topic: Abdominal pain after eating

Abdominal pain and nausea when defecating

Abdominal pain when defecating is called defecation pain. Most of the time, these pains express themselves as stabbing and burning and indicate increased intestinal activity. The reasons for this are very different. Since the mucous membrane of the anus is very sensitive, severe pain often occurs when small damage or cracks appear here.

Often there is pain after defecation in connection with the so-called irritable bowel syndrome. As the name suggests, this syndrome is irritation of the intestines. This is often accompanied by other symptoms such as diarrhea or flatulence, which can also be the cause of the abdominal pain. Other chronic inflammations of the bowel, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can lead to abdominal pain when defecating.

In addition, this pain can also occur with decreased bowel activity. Abdominal pain caused by constipation is quite common. Tumors in the intestinal area can also be the cause.

If the diagnosis cannot be made immediately, a rectoscopy or colonoscopy is often necessary.

In order to avoid painful bowel movements as much as possible, it is important to ensure regular and soft bowel movements. This can be achieved through proper nutrition, sufficient exercise and, above all, sufficient amounts of water.

If the abdominal pain occurs when defecating in connection with nausea, either an inflammatory disease or an intolerance to, for example, histamine or lactose.

Please also read our article on this Painful bowel movements

Abdominal pain and nausea with diarrhea

Diarrhea can very often occur in addition to stomach pain and nausea.

With diarrhea, the abdominal pain often manifests itself in the form of abdominal cramps. This combination usually occurs with viral or bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract.

The cause of the diarrhea can also be a food intolerance to lactose, histamine, wheat or fructose. In the case of lactose intolerance, for example, the body lacks the enzyme lactase, which is required to break down lactose.

As a result, the undigested lactose accumulates in the intestine and is broken down by bacteria. This creates acids and gases, which then lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Another cause can be irritable bowel syndrome. Here phases with mushy, watery diarrhea alternate with those with hard stool.

The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not yet known. Many factors such as stress, previous infections or genetic predisposition are likely to play a role in the disease.

Read more on this topic at: Abdominal pain and diarrhea

Abdominal pain and nausea in the evening

If abdominal pain and nausea only occur in the evening, this is often an indication of a Digestive problem. It comes to Fermentation of foodthat were eaten throughout the day and also in the evening, creating a lot Air in the abdomen arises. This can lead to abdominal pain or even nausea. If a similar dinner is always eaten in the evening, one could too Food intolerance exist. Histamine, wheat, Fructose or Lactose intolerance are common and can trigger these symptoms.

Abdominal pain and nausea in woman

Abdominal pain and nausea during pregnancy

Abdominal pain during pregnancy and nausea during pregnancy are some of the typical first signs of pregnancy, even if they are very unspecific. The nausea usually occurs in the morning and for many women lasts all day. Others do not feel nauseous or just feel a queasy feeling in their stomach.

This nausea is usually not a cause for concern. However, should it lead to the pregnant woman vomiting several times a day, a doctor should be consulted to prevent excessive fluid loss.

The pain in early pregnancy usually manifests itself as more or less strong pulling. In some cases cramp-like abdominal pain can also occur.These are triggered by the heavy use of the ligaments and muscles of the uterus, which expand more and more. The same applies to these pains that they are generally harmless. However, if they are very severe or if they occur in conjunction with other symptoms such as bleeding, this may indicate complications and a doctor should be seen. It could be an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage.

Read more on this topic at: Abdominal pain in pregnancy such as Nausea in pregnancy

Abdominal pain and nausea before your period

If the woman regularly experiences symptoms before her period, these are summarized under the term "premenstrual syndrome" (menstrual disorder). In addition to abdominal pain and nausea, it also includes headaches, a feeling of tension in the breasts, mood swings and other psychological symptoms.

Find out more about the topic here: Abdominal pain before your period

All of these symptoms are triggered by changes in the woman's hormonal balance during the menstrual cycle. If the egg cell does not fertilize and it dies, the lining of the uterus is shed and expelled with the menstrual bleeding. The process begins about two to three days before your period occurs and can manifest as stabbing, pulling, or cramping pain caused by the contracting of the uterus. In conjunction with this pain, nausea may also occur during this time. Young women and girls in particular often experience pain when they first bleed because the uterine muscles are still very tight.

Placing a hot water bottle on the lower abdomen often helps to relieve the pain. If the pain and nausea are very severe and restrict the affected woman very much, a gynecologist should be consulted in order to possibly initiate therapy.

Read more on this topic at: Abdominal pain and ovulation

Abdominal pain and nausea after ovulation

Abdominal pain and nausea can also occur as part of ovulation during the woman's menstrual cycle. When ovulation occurs, an egg cell, the most developed one, is expelled from the ovary and passes into the fallopian tube. This is where the path to the uterus begins, where the egg can be fertilized if it encounters a sperm cell within the first 24 hours after ovulation.

Expulsion from the ovary is triggered by certain hormones that cause the muscles of the ovary to contract. This muscle pulling can be felt by the woman as pulling in the abdomen (middle pain), which can be more or less painful.

This pain can cause nausea if it is severe. On the other hand, nausea can also occur independently of pain and be the sign of ovulation. Both symptoms can appear, but not necessarily every woman. Some people do not even notice they are ovulating due to a lack of symptoms.