What To Do When You Have A Stomach Ache? Essential Guide

A stomach ache is your body telling you something is off in your digestive tract. Most stomach aches are short-lived and improve on their own within a day or two. The right steps — resting your gut, staying hydrated, and watching for warning signs — help you manage the discomfort and know when to get medical help.

What To Do When You Have A Stomach Ache: First Steps

Start by giving your stomach a break. Stop eating for a few hours to let the digestive tract settle. Sip small amounts of clear fluids like water or an oral rehydration solution to prevent dehydration, especially if you have diarrhea or vomiting.

When you feel ready to eat, start with bland foods. The BRAT approach — bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — is a common starting point. These foods are low in fiber, fat, and acid, so they are easy on a sensitive stomach. Some clinicians recommend this approach; it is widely used but not strongly supported by large clinical trials. The main goal is to avoid foods that irritate the gut, such as spicy dishes, fried foods, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol.

Rest helps. Physical activity can jostle a queasy stomach. Lie down or sit comfortably. A heating pad on low setting over the abdomen may ease cramping. Do not fall asleep with a heating pad on — burns can happen even at low settings.

Avoid over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen. These are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and can irritate the stomach lining or make an ulcer worse. Acetaminophen is generally gentler on the stomach, but check with a doctor or pharmacist before taking anything if you are unsure about the cause of your pain.

What Causes a Stomach Ache?

The causes range from minor to serious. Most short-term stomach aches come from something you ate, a mild infection, or temporary indigestion.

Common causes include:

• Viral gastroenteritis — often called the stomach flu. It causes cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It usually resolves within a few days.
• Food poisoning — from contaminated food or water. Symptoms often start within hours to days of eating the culprit food.
• Indigestion — from eating too much, eating too fast, or eating greasy or spicy foods.
• Gas and bloating — from swallowed air, certain foods, or constipation.
• Constipation — hard stools can cause cramping and discomfort.
• Food intolerance — such as lactose intolerance, which causes cramping and diarrhea after dairy.
• Menstrual cramps — can cause lower abdominal pain that feels like a stomach ache.

Less common but more serious causes include appendicitis, gallstones, pancreatitis, ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, and bowel obstruction. These conditions need medical attention. The location and pattern of your pain can help tell them apart, but only a doctor can diagnose them properly.

When Is a Stomach Ache Serious?

Most stomach aches are not emergencies. But some symptoms mean you should seek medical care right away.

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have:

• Severe pain that comes on suddenly and feels unbearable
• Pain that starts near your belly button and moves to the lower right side — this can be a sign of appendicitis
• A rigid, board-like abdomen that hurts to touch
• Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Bloody or black, tarry stools
• Inability to keep any fluids down for more than 12 hours
• Signs of dehydration — dry mouth, no urination for 8 hours, dizziness on standing
• Fever above 101°F (38.3°C) with severe abdominal pain
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
• Pain that makes it hard to breathe or move

Call your doctor the same day if the pain lasts more than 24 to 48 hours, keeps getting worse, or keeps coming back. Also call if you have unexplained weight loss, trouble swallowing, or a change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days.

Trust your instincts. If something feels seriously wrong, get checked. It is better to be seen and sent home than to wait too long.

How to Treat a Stomach Ache at Home

Home care works for most mild stomach aches. The goal is to ease symptoms and avoid making them worse.

Hydration matters most. Vomiting and diarrhea drain fluids and electrolytes fast. Water alone may not replace lost electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions — available at drugstores — contain the right balance of salt and sugar. Sports drinks are not ideal because they contain too much sugar and too little sodium for rehydration during illness. If you cannot find an oral rehydration solution, a doctor or pharmacist can advise you.

Bland foods are easier to digest. Try crackers, plain toast, white rice, bananas, applesauce, and plain chicken or broth. Eat small amounts. Stop if nausea returns.

Ginger has some evidence for easing nausea. A cup of ginger tea may help. The evidence is modest, but ginger is generally safe in food amounts. Large supplemental doses can cause heartburn or interact with blood-thinning medications, so keep it to food-level amounts unless a doctor says otherwise.

Peppermint may relax gut muscles and ease cramping. Peppermint tea is a common home remedy. People with acid reflux should be cautious — peppermint can worsen reflux in some people.

Over-the-counter medications can help in specific situations. Antacids neutralize stomach acid and may ease indigestion. Bismuth subsalicylate can help with diarrhea and nausea. Loperamide slows diarrhea but should not be used if you have a fever or bloody stools — it can trap the infection in your gut. Check with a pharmacist before using any of these if you take other medications or have ongoing health conditions.

Do not take antibiotics unless a doctor prescribes them. Most stomach aches are viral or caused by something you ate. Antibiotics do not help viral infections and can make diarrhea worse.

Stomach Ache in Children and During Pregnancy

Children and pregnant women need extra care. The stakes are higher and the causes can differ.

In children, stomach aches are common. Most are mild and pass quickly. But call a pediatrician if a child has:

• Pain that is severe or lasts more than a few hours
• Pain in the lower right side of the belly
• Vomiting or diarrhea with signs of dehydration — fewer wet diapers, dry lips, no tears when crying, unusual sleepiness
• Fever with abdominal pain
• Blood in vomit or stool

Do not give children aspirin. It can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be appropriate for children, but dosing depends on the child’s weight. Follow the label or a doctor’s instructions exactly. No clinical guidelines support giving herbal remedies to children for stomach aches.

During pregnancy, stomach aches can come from normal changes like constipation, gas, or the growing uterus pressing on organs. But some causes are serious — ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, preterm labor, or infections. Call your doctor right away if you have severe pain, bleeding, fever, or regular cramping before 37 weeks. Do not take any medication, including over-the-counter drugs, without checking with your doctor first.

How to Prevent Stomach Aches

You cannot prevent every stomach ache. But some habits lower your risk.

• Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after using the bathroom. This is the single best way to prevent infections that cause stomach aches.
• Handle food safely — cook meat to safe temperatures, refrigerate leftovers within two hours, and avoid unpasteurized dairy and raw or undercooked meat and eggs.
• Eat slowly and chew your food well. This reduces swallowed air and helps digestion.
• Limit trigger foods if you know certain foods bother you. Keep a simple food diary if you are not sure what causes your symptoms.
• Stay hydrated throughout the day.
• Manage stress. Stress does not cause ulcers, but it can worsen gut symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions. The gut and brain are connected through the vagus nerve, and stress signals can change how the gut moves and feels.
• Get regular checkups if you have recurring stomach issues. A doctor can look for underlying conditions.

One common myth: stress causes ulcers. Most ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori infection or long-term use of NSAIDs. Stress can make ulcer symptoms feel worse, but it does not cause the ulcer itself.

Frequently Asked Questions