Stomach ache (abdominal pain)
Pending clinical review Educational information from public health sources, pending clinical review. It is not a diagnosis or medical advice.
Pain in the stomach area. Most stomach aches are not anything serious and go away after a few days.
Get emergency help now (call your local emergency number (112 in India)) if you have:
- Stomach pain that came on very suddenly or is severe
- It hurts when you touch your stomach
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like ground coffee
- Bloody poo, or black, sticky and extremely smelly poo
- Cannot pass urine, or cannot poo or pass wind
- Cannot breathe, or chest pain
- You have diabetes and are vomiting
Contact a doctor or clinician today if you have:
- The pain gets much worse, does not go away or keeps coming back
- Losing weight without trying, or problems swallowing food
When to see a clinician
- The pain does not go away or keeps coming back.
- You are pregnant.
- You have bloating that does not go away, or diarrhoea that lasts more than a few days.
What it can be associated with
This page cannot tell you what is causing your symptom. Many different things, minor and serious, can cause the same symptom, and only a clinician who can examine you can assess it. The list of things a symptom can be associated with is in alphabetical order, not in order of how likely they are.
- A stomach bug or food poisoning
- Appendicitis
- Constipation
- Gallstones
- Indigestion
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney stones
- Period pain
- Trapped wind
General self-care
- Rest, and drink plenty of fluids.
- A pharmacist can talk through what might help.
For medicines, ask a pharmacist or doctor; SuperHealthyAI does not advise on medicines or doses.
Check for warning signs
Tick any that apply now. This does not diagnose anything; it tells you how soon to get help.
Sources
- NHS (England): Stomach ache (retrieved 2026-10-19)
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Abdominal Pain (retrieved 2026-10-19)
This page is general education, not personal medical advice. For diagnosis, treatment or medicines, please talk to a qualified doctor, registered dietitian or pharmacist. Read our medical & AI disclaimer.