Stomach Pain and Nausea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments - Healthline

Both stomach pain and nausea have many causes. But what about when you have both at the same time?

Although there are still many conditions that can cause stomach pain and nausea at the same time, some are more common than others.

Most of these conditions aren't an emergency, and will often go away on their own. But if your symptoms persist — especially if they return after you eat — or your stomach pain or nausea are severe, call a doctor.

Learn possible causes of concurrent stomach pain and nausea, and how the causes are treated.

Some conditions that cause stomach pain and nausea come on suddenly and may go away quickly, while others may be long-term. Some are also more severe than others. Your other symptoms may help you determine the underlying cause.

Indigestion

Indigestion is also called upset stomach. It can be caused by eating too fast or eating certain foods, drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, or stress. Sometimes, indigestion is a sign of an underlying gastrointestinal condition, such as acid reflux.

In addition to nausea and stomach pain, you may have:

• bloating
• an uncomfortably full feeling
• a burning feeling in your stomach or throat
• burping
• gas

Food poisoning

There are more than 250 types of food poisoning, and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Other symptoms of food poisoning usually include:

Symptoms can develop within hours or may take days, depending on which type of food poisoning you have. Most go away on their own within a few days.

Anxiety

Anxiety can cause stomach-related symptoms, especially in children. This is because anxiety can lead the body to think it's feeling pain signals, including stomach pain.

Other potential physical symptoms of anxiety include constipation and diarrhea.

Viral gastroenteritis

Viral gastroenteritis, commonly known as the "stomach flu," is an infection in your intestines. You can pick up the virus by sharing food or eating utensils, touching contaminated surfaces and objects, or coming in contact with bodily fluids of someone who has it. Most cases will go away on their own within a few days.

Other symptoms include:

• watery diarrhea
• stomach cramps
• vomiting
• fever

Norovirus

Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea in addition to nausea and stomach pain. The virus causes your stomach and intestines to get inflamed, which causes symptoms.

You usually get norovirus either through contact with someone else who has it, or by consuming contaminated food or water. In fact, it's the leading cause of foodborne illness.

Symptoms of norovirus usually develop 12 to 48 hours after you're exposed. They usually go away on their own in 1 to 3 days.

Gallbladder attack

Your gallbladder is an organ that makes bile. The substances in bile can stick together and form gallstones. These often don't cause any issues, but they can get stuck in your bile duct. This blocks the outflow of bile, which causes your gallbladder to spasm and leads to symptoms.

Pain from a gallbladder attack is knife-like and often occurs after eating. Other symptoms include:

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are made from chemicals in your urine, and form when there's too little liquid in your kidneys. They may stay in your kidney or move into your urinary tract.

Many kidney stones pass out of your system with no trouble, while others get stuck and may cause nausea, stomach pain and other symptoms, such as:

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is when your appendix gets blocked. This is usually caused by an infection, but it can also be blocked by stool or tumors.

Medical emergency

When the appendix is blocked, it swells and blood flow stops. This causes the appendix to die. It can then burst, which is a medical emergency. Seek emergency treatment if you have the following symptoms:

Abdominal adhesions

Adhesions cause your internal tissue and organs to stick together, and are common after abdominal surgery. They often resolve themselves, but may block part of your intestine or pull the intestine out of place.

Medical emergency

A complete intestinal blockage is a medical emergency. Go to the emergency room if you recently had abdominal surgery and have any of the following symptoms, in addition to nausea and stomach pain:

Heart attack

Heart attacks happen when something blocks your heart from getting enough blood, which causes damage to the heart muscle.

Chest pain is the most well-known symptom of a heart attack, but some people also have stomach pain and nausea. These symptoms are more common in women.

Medical emergency

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you are experiencing stomach pain, nausea, and other symptoms like:

Recurring causes of stomach pain and nausea include:

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal function disorder that affects how your gastrointestinal system works. It's not life-threatening, but may affect the quality of life of those who have it.

The main symptom of IBS is off-and-on pain. Most people have either diarrhea or constipation, as well as bloating. Nausea is also a common symptom, especially in women. Sometimes symptoms may actually be caused by conditions that often overlap with IBS, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Gastritis

Gastritis is when your stomach lining becomes inflamed. It may go away quickly, but can also last for years. Common causes include:

Other symptoms of gastritis include:

• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• black stools, or stools different in color from usual bowel movements

Cancer

Different types of cancer can cause stomach pain and nausea as a symptom. Additional symptoms of cancer include decreased appetite and sudden weight loss.

Stomach pain and nausea can happen at various times of day, in many situations. But some of the most common are after eating, at night, and in the morning. Here are some conditions that can cause stomach pains and nausea at those times:

Stomach pain and nausea after eating

• IBS
• gallbladder attack
• food poisoning
• norovirus

Stomach pain and nausea at night

• food poisoning
• gallbladder attack
• IBS
• anxiety

Stomach pain and nausea in the morning

• food poisoning
• anxiety

First, a doctor will take a full medical history. This includes asking you about:

• your symptoms
• when symptoms started
• what, if anything, makes symptoms better or worse
• when symptoms are at their worst

They'll also do a physical exam, focusing on your abdominal area.

A medical history and physical exam are often enough to diagnose the cause of stomach pain and nausea. But if a doctor still isn't sure what's causing your symptoms, or they want confirmation, they might order one of the following tests:

Which tests they order will depend on your other symptoms.

Different causes of stomach pain and nausea will require different treatments. However, there are some treatments that can be used for multiple underlying conditions of these symptoms. In addition, some conditions may have multiple treatments, depending on their severity.

Some of the most common treatments include:

Time

Some conditions that cause stomach pain and nausea will eventually go away on their own, including:

• norovirus
• food poisoning
• small kidney stones
• minor abdominal adhesions

Dietary changes

What you eat and drink can have a big impact on how your stomach feels. For example, your doctor might recommend that you reduce the amount of fat or salt in your diet. Making changes to your diet can help relieve symptoms of:

Medication

Some conditions that cause stomach pain and nausea can be treated with medication, including:

Surgery

Some conditions that cause stomach pain and nausea may require surgery, including:

If you have stomach pain and nausea at the same time, you should see a doctor if you:

• have been vomiting or have had diarrhea and have symptoms of severe dehydration (such as confusion, fainting, lack of urination, rapid heartbeat, and rapid breathing)
• aren't passing any fluids, gas, or stool
• have chest pain, especially on the left side of your chest
• have other signs of a heart attack (see above)
• feel severe abdominal pain, especially if it comes on suddenly
• have pain that doesn't go away after a few hours
• feel stomach pain and nausea after every meal

Although nausea and stomach pain are common, having both at the same time can help you narrow down what might be causing your symptoms. Many of these conditions will go away with time, but if you have severe pain or pain and nausea that last for a long time, you should see a doctor.

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