Stomach ache and abdominal pain
Overview
Most stomach aches aren't anything serious and will go away after a few days.
Common causes of stomach ache
Use these links to get an idea of how to ease the most common causes of stomach ache. See a GP if you're worried.
Types of stomach ache and possible conditions:
- Type: Feeling bloated, farting a lot. Possible condition: Trapped wind
- Type: Feeling full and bloated after eating, heartburn, feeling sick. Possible condition: Indigestion
- Type: Can't poo. Possible condition: Constipation
- Type: Watery Poo, feeling sick, vomiting. Possible condition: Diarrhoea or food poisoning
How a pharmacist can help with stomach ache
A pharmacist can:
- help you find out what's causing your stomach ache
- suggest a treatment
- recommend medicines for constipation and indigestion
Find a pharmacy
See a GP if:
- the pain gets much worse quickly
- the pain or bloating won't go away or keeps coming back
- you're losing weight without trying to
- you suddenly pee more often or less often
- peeing is suddenly painful
- you bleed from your bottom or vagina, or have abnormal discharge from your vagina
- your diarrhoea doesn't go away after a few days
Call 999 or go to A&E if:
- your stomach ache came on very suddenly or is severe
- it hurts when you touch your stomach
- you're vomiting blood or your vomit looks like ground coffee
- your poo is bloody or black and sticky and extremely smelly
- you can't pee
- you can't poo or fart
- you can't breathe
- you have chest pain
- you're diabetic and vomiting
- someone has collapsed
Other causes of stomach ache
Don't self-diagnose - see a GP if you're worried.
Type of stomach ache and possible condition
- Type: Pain and cramps when you have your period. Possible condition: Period pain
- Type: Sudden pain in the lower right-hand side. Possible condition: Appendicitis
- Type: Ongoing cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation. Possible condition: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Type: Bad ongoing pain that can go down to your groin, nausea, pain when peeing. Possible condition: Kidney stones
- Type: Severe pain that lasts for hours in the centre of your tummy or just under the ribs on the right-hand side. Possible condition: Gallstones
The information on this page has been adapted by NHS Wales from original content supplied by
NHS website nhs.uk
Last Updated:
18/11/2021 15:01:19