About this symptom
Tummy pain is pain anywhere between the chest and the groin. Almost everyone has it at some point, and it is usually not serious.
Many organs lie in this part of the body, including the stomach, bowel, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and appendix, and in women the womb and ovaries. So the cause may be gas or a stomach bug, or a problem that needs treatment quickly. How bad the pain feels does not always show how serious the cause is: some dangerous problems cause only mild pain.
Where the pain is, whether it is constant or comes in waves, and what comes with it are the clues a doctor uses.
Possible causes
This is not a diagnosis. These are the causes doctors think about, with the ones that are most urgent to rule out first.
- AppendicitisPain that starts around the belly button and moves to the lower right of the tummy, getting worse, with loss of appetite, feeling sick or a fever.Read about it
- Ectopic pregnancyA pregnancy growing outside the womb. Sudden severe tummy pain with dizziness, fainting or looking very pale is an emergency; pain low on one side, with a missed period or bleeding, needs checking.Read about it
- GallstonesSevere pain lasting up to 8 hours in the middle of the tummy or just under the right ribs.Read about it
- PancreatitisSudden, severe pain that can spread to the back, often worse after eating or lying down and better when you lean forward, with fever, nausea and vomiting.Read about it
- Kidney stonesBad pain that comes in waves and can travel down to the groin, with feeling sick and pain when passing urine.Read about it
- Acid refluxBurning in the chest or upper tummy with a full, bloated feeling after eating, and sometimes feeling sick. Often called indigestion.Read about it
- Stomach bug or food poisoningCramping pain with watery stools, feeling sick or vomiting, often after food that may not have been clean.
- Irritable bowel syndromeCramps and bloating that keep coming back over a long time, with diarrhoea, constipation or both.Read about it
- ConstipationFinding it hard to pass stool, or passing it less often than usual.Read about it
When to get help
See a doctor soon if you have:
- Pain that has not eased within a day or two, or keeps coming back
- Pain with a fever
- Pain with burning or frequent urination
- Bloating that lasts more than 2 days, or a lump in the tummy
- Not being able to keep food or drink down, or diarrhoea that lasts several days
- Poor appetite for a long time, or weight loss you cannot explain
If the pain is mild, comes with gas, bloating or constipation, and is easing, it can wait for a routine visit.
What you can do at home
With any emergency sign, do not stay at home. For mild pain with none of the warning signs, these steps are usually safe while you see how it goes:
Do
- Sip water or other clear fluids often
- Skip solid food for the first few hours, then try small amounts of plain food such as rice
- Eat smaller meals, and note what seems to bring the pain on
- If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar often when you are not eating normally
Do not
- Do not take painkillers or other medicines for it without asking a doctor
- Do not drink alcohol, and avoid fatty or fried food, caffeine and fizzy drinks if the pain comes after meals
- Do not keep waiting if the pain is getting worse
Write down where the pain is, when it began and what changes it. It helps the doctor a great deal.
What the doctor will do
The doctor will ask where the pain is, whether it spreads to the back or groin, whether it is constant or comes in waves, and what makes it better or worse, such as eating, a bowel movement or lying down. They will ask about fever, vomiting, bowel and urine changes, medicines, any injury and, for women, pregnancy. Then they will examine your tummy.
Tests depend on the likely cause. They may include:
- Blood, urine and stool tests
- An scan of the tummy
- An X-ray or
- An or , which use a thin camera to look inside the digestive tract
Myths and facts
Things people often say about this. Open each one to see what is true.
Myth“If the pain is mild it is nothing, and if it is severe it must be serious.”What is true?
Fact
How bad the pain feels does not reliably show how serious the cause is. Some dangerous problems cause only mild pain, so go by the other signs, such as vomiting blood, black stools, fever, a hard tummy or pain that keeps getting worse.
Myth“Just take a tablet for it and the pain will go.”What is true?
Fact
Tummy pain has many causes, and a tablet that helps one may do nothing for another. Check with a doctor before taking medicines for it, and see a doctor if the pain has not eased in a day or two instead of trying one tablet after another.
Myth“Pain after eating is always gas or acidity.”What is true?
Fact
It often is, but pain after eating can also come from gallstones, an ulcer or the pancreas. If it is severe, lasts for hours or keeps coming back, have it checked.
Questions to ask your doctor
Tick the ones you want answered and take them with you.
Common questions
When is tummy pain an emergency?
Get emergency care for sudden, severe pain, or pain with vomiting blood, black or bloody stools, a hard tummy, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or when you are, or might be, pregnant. Do not drive yourself: call for an ambulance or ask someone to take you.
I have had mild tummy pain for two days. Should I see a doctor?
Yes. Pain that has not eased within a day or two, or that gets worse or keeps coming back, should be checked. Go sooner if you have a fever, burning when you pass urine, or you cannot keep food or drink down.
Why does my pain come in waves?
Pain that comes in waves, starts and stops suddenly and can be severe is called colicky pain. Stones in the kidney or the gallbladder are common causes. Pain like this needs a doctor to look for the cause.
Can I take a painkiller or an antacid for tummy pain?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist first, because the right medicine depends on the cause and a tablet can do nothing for some causes. If you have any warning sign, do not use medicines to see whether the pain settles: get help instead.
