Many people have occasional digestive issues caused by the flu or something they ate, but others are plagued with chronic stomach symptoms that are a sign of a more serious condition. While normal cases of an upset stomach can be easily treated at home without the intervention of the doctor, more serious conditions require more extensive diagnosis and testing.
Treating An Upset Stomach
As a result of foodborne illnesses, food related allergies, parasites, viruses, bowel inflammation, or even eating too much, you may find yourself with a case of the intestinal flu or gastroenteritis. You may feel symptoms such as nausea, headaches, body aches, chills, cramps, abdominal pain, and perhaps even diarrhea.
Usually a diet of clear liquids and bland food will nurse you back to health. Usually an over-the-counter remedy such as Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) or Immodium A-D (loperamide hydrochloride) can help your symptoms subside.
If your upset stomach continues past 48 hours, you should consult a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms along with your stomach problems:
- No urination for six or more hours
- Lightheadedness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Inability to pass gas or have a bowel movement
- Diarrhea or vomiting that occurs more than three times an hour for more than 24 hours
- Fever of over 101° that acetaminophen does not lower
- Abdominal pain that remains after vomiting or having a bowel movement
- Blood in the stool or vomit
- Pus draining from the anus
What Are Chronic Stomach Symptoms & Problems?
If your problems are more serious than gastroenteritis, you may have one of the following conditions, which may not be due to your stomach at all but due to some other organ:
Gastroesophageal Refluxs Disease (GERD)
When you have a burning sensation in the middle of your chest, stomach acid may be backing up into your esophagus, which produces a condition called acid reflux.
Gallstones
When hard deposits form in your gallbladder from too much cholesterol, waste in the bile, or inability of the gallbladder to empty properly, the resulting gallstones can block the ducts between the gallbladder and the intestines and cause you sharp pain in the upper right abdomen.
Celiac Disease
As a result of a serious sensitivity to gluten, a protein commonly found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, your intestine is damaged so that it cannot properly absorb nutrients. The disease may be symptomless, but common symptoms in children include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss. Adults might experience, anemia, fatigue, bone loss, depression, or seizures.
Crohn’s Disease
A type of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s Disease is an autoimmune disease that most commonly affects the small end of the intestine, the ileum. Symptoms include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever.
Ulcerative Colitis
Another inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, has symptoms similar to Crohn’s Disease, but the large intestine is the affected area.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Triggered by stress or a diet that includes foods such as cabbage, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, dairy products, or alcohol, irritable bowel syndrome produces bloating and symptoms that range from diarrhea to constipation from day-to-day.
Diverticulitis
When small pouches (diverticula) form in your colon or in the lining of your digestive system, they may be harmless (diverticulosis), or bleed or become inflamed (diverticulitis). The problem may be due to a low fiber diet.
Diagnosing Your Chronic Stomach Problems
Determine if you have any of these conditions. Your doctor is likely to take the following steps in order to properly diagnose you:
- Take a thorough health history.
- Ask for detailed descriptions of your symptoms.
- Give you a physical exam.
- Test to see if you have an ulcer with a blood, breath, or stool sample test for Helicobactor pylori
- Order upper GI tests after a barium swallow.
- Endoscopy.
The treatment for regulating any of these conditions may involve changing your diet, medication, or in some cases, surgery.
Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center Can Help You
Your primary care provider at Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center can help you determine the cause of your chronic stomach problems. For information, call us at 816-623-3030 or set up an appointment online.