The pain may come in waves: sharp enough that you catch your breath,
then gone as quickly as it came. Or perhaps it's a dull,constant ache.
Maybe you're spending what seems like hours in the bathroom or Just wish you could.
What Causes Belly Pain?
Pain is the body's way of signaling that something is going on stomach pain alerts us to something that's happening inside us thatwe might not know about otherwise.
Some reasons for stomach pain are obvious - like when some one gets hit in the gut or eats spoiled macaroni salad. Often, though,belly pain might be hard to figure out. With so many organs in theabdomen, different problems can have similar symptoms.
Here are some of the things that cause tummy troubles:
Infection
When bacteria or viruses get into a person's digestive system, thebody reacts by trying to rid itself of the infection - often through vomiting or diarrhea.
• Bacterial infections cause what we call "food poisoning."Bacteria are also responsible for other conditions that may give aperson belly pain, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections,strep throat, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or the rarecondition toxic shock syndrome.
• Viruses, another type of infection, are behind what we call"stomach flu." Both bacteria and viruses can be easily passedfrom person to person.
The good news is you can often avoid them simply by washing
your hand sproperly and often and bynot sharing cups, straws,or
utensils with others.
Constipation
Being constipated is one of the most common reasons for frequentbelly pain. People usually become constipated because their diet doesn't include
enough fluids and fiber.
Irritation and Inflammation
When one of the body's internal organs becomes irritated or swollen,that can bring on belly pain. Pain from problems like appendicitis,ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is the body's way of telling us to get medical help.