How To Choose The Right Over-The-Counter Medication For Your Abdomen Pains + How To Identify Different Types Of Stomach Pains And What They Mean



When it comes to abdominal pain, it can be difficult to determine the cause and find the right over-the-counter medication to treat it. Knowing what type of stomach pain you have and understanding what it means can help you make an informed decision about which medication is best for your needs. In this article, we’ll discuss how to identify different types of stomach pains and what they mean, as well as how to choose the right over-the-counter medication for your abdomen pains.

The first step in determining which type of abdominal pain you have is identifying its location. Common locations for abdominal pain include the upper abdomen just below the rib cage, lower abdomen below the navel, left or right side of your abdomen, and back. Knowing where your pain is located will help narrow down what type of stomach ache you may be experiencing.

Once you’ve identified where your pain is located, consider its intensity and duration. If your stomach ache lasts more than a few hours or becomes increasingly intense over time, it could be a sign that something more serious is going on and should be checked out by a doctor immediately.

Now that you know where and how intense your stomach ache is, take note of any other symptoms that accompany it such as nausea or vomiting, fever or chills, bloating or gas, constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms will help further narrow down what type of abdominal issue you may have so that you can choose an appropriate over-the-counter medication for relief.

Common types of stomach pains include cramping caused by colic in infants; indigestion caused by eating too quickly; gastritis caused by excess acid in the digestive system; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which causes cramping; heartburn caused by acid reflux; gallstones which cause sharp pains on either side of the body; food poisoning from contaminated food; appendicitis which causes sudden extreme pain on one side near the navel area; urinary tract infections (UTIs) which cause burning sensations when urinating; kidney stones causing sharp pains in either flank area near waistline level; hernia causing bulging sensation around belly button area when lifting heavy objects; diverticulitis causing tenderness on left side near hip bone area with fever & nausea present ; constipation causing bloating & hard stools ; Crohn's disease causing severe inflammation throughout GI tract resulting in weight loss & fatigue ; ulcerative colitis resulting in bloody diarrhea & fatigue ; celiac disease resulting in gas & bloating after consuming gluten containing foods ; pancreatitis resulting in severe upper abdominal burning with backache .

Once you’ve identified what type of abdominal issue you may have based on location intensity duration , accompanying symptoms ,and other factors ,you can then choose an appropriate over-the counter medication . Common OTC medications used to treat milder forms of these conditions include antacids like Tums for heartburn , ibuprofen for cramps , Maalox for gastritis , Imodium for diarrhea . For more serious conditions like kidney stones UTIs appendicitis hernias gallstones etc., consult with a physician before taking any OTC medications .

In conclusion , determining what kind of stomach ache one has requires careful consideration regarding location intensity duration accompanying symptoms etc., Once this information has been determined one can then select an appropriate OTC medication accordingly . It's important however not to self diagnose but rather seek medical advice if needed before taking any OTC medications especially if dealing with more serious conditions like kidney stones UTIs appendicitis hernias gallstones etc..

Tags:

abdominal pain, over-the-counter medication, location, intensity, duration, symptoms, cramping, indigestion, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heartburn, gallstones, food poisoning, appendicitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, hernia, diverticulitis, constipation, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, pancreatitis,

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