Why does my stomach hurt when i breathe in the morning

Most stomach aches are not anything serious and will go away after a few days.

Índice Show

Common causes of stomach ache
You can ask a pharmacist about:
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
Other causes of stomach ache
Video: Abdominal pain
Alternative Names
Considerations
When to Contact a Medical Professional
What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Common causes of stomach ache

These are some common types of stomach ache and what may be causing them. But see a GP if you're unsure and worried.

You can ask a pharmacist about:

what might be causing your stomach ache
treatments that might help
medicines for constipation and indigestion

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

the pain gets much worse quickly
the pain or bloating will not go away or keeps coming back
you have stomach pain and problems with swallowing food
you're losing weight without trying to
you suddenly pee more often or less often
peeing is suddenly painful
you bleed from your bottom or vagina, or have abnormal discharge from your vagina
your diarrhoea does not go away after a few days

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

your stomach ache came on very suddenly or is severe
it hurts when you touch your stomach
you're vomiting blood or your vomit looks like ground coffee
your poo is bloody or black and sticky and extremely smelly
you cannot pee
you cannot poo or fart
you cannot breathe
you have chest pain
you're diabetic and vomiting
someone has collapsed

Other causes of stomach ache

Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.

Type of stomach ache

Type of stomach ache	Possible condition
Pain and cramps when you have your period	period pain
Sudden pain in the lower right-hand side	appendicitis
Ongoing cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation	irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Bad ongoing pain that can go down to your groin, nausea, pain when peeing	kidney stones
Severe pain that lasts for hours in the centre of your tummy or just under the ribs on the right-hand side	gallstones

Page last reviewed: 15 July 2020
Next review due: 15 July 2023

Definition

Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.

Video: Abdominal pain

Alternative Names

Stomach pain; Pain - abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps; Bellyache; Stomachache

Considerations

Almost everyone has pain in the abdomen at some point. Most of the time, it is not serious.

Abdominal organs

How bad your pain is does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain.

For example, you might have very bad abdominal pain if you have gas or stomach cramps due to viral gastroenteritis.

However, fatal conditions, such as colon cancer or early appendicitis, may only cause mild pain or no pain.

Other ways to describe pain in your abdomen include:

Generalized pain -- This means that you feel it in more than half of your belly. This type of pain is more typical for a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. If the pain becomes more severe, it may be caused by a blockage of the intestines.
Localized pain -- This is pain found in only one area of your belly. It is more likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ, such as the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach.
Cramp-like pain -- This type of pain is not serious most of the time. It is likely to be due to gas and bloating, and is often followed by diarrhea. More worrisome signs include pain that occurs more often, lasts more than 24 hours, or occurs with a fever.
Colicky pain -- This type of pain comes in waves. It very often starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe. Kidney stones and gallstones are common causes of this type of belly pain.

Causes

Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain. The key is to know when you need to get medical care right away. Sometimes, you may only need to call a health care provider if your symptoms continue.

Less serious causes of abdominal pain include:

Constipation
Irritable bowel syndrome
Food allergies or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance)
Food poisoning
Stomach flu

Other possible causes include:

Appendicitis
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (bulging and weakening of the major artery in the body)
Bowel blockage or obstruction
Cancer of the stomach, colon (large bowel), and other organs
Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
Decreased blood supply to the intestines (ischemic bowel)
Diverticulitis (inflammation and infection of the colon)
Heartburn, indigestion, or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis)
Kidney stones
Pancreatitis (swelling or infection of the pancreas)
Ulcers

Appendicitis

Sometimes, abdominal pain may occur due to a problem somewhere else in your body, such as your chest or pelvic area. For example, you may have abdominal pain if you have:

Severe menstrual cramps
Endometriosis
Muscle strain
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Tubal (ectopic) pregnancy
Ruptured ovarian cyst
Urinary tract infections

Home Care

You can try the following home care steps to ease mild abdominal pain:

Sip water or other clear fluids. You may have sports drinks in small amounts. People with diabetes must check their blood sugar often and adjust their medicines as needed.
Avoid solid food for the first few hours.
If you have been vomiting, wait 6 hours, and then eat small amounts of mild foods such as rice, applesauce, or crackers. Avoid dairy products.
If the pain is high up in your abdomen and occurs after meals, antacids may help, especially if you feel heartburn or indigestion. Avoid citrus, high-fat foods, fried or greasy foods, tomato products, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
DO NOT take any medicine without talking to your provider.

These additional steps may help prevent some types of abdominal pain:

Drink plenty of water each day.
Eat small meals more frequently.
Exercise regularly.
Limit foods that produce gas.
Make sure that your meals are well-balanced and high in fiber. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Get medical help right away or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if you:

Are currently being treated for cancer
Are unable to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting
Are vomiting blood or have blood in your stool (especially if bright red, maroon or dark, tarry black)
Have chest, neck, or shoulder pain
Have sudden, sharp abdominal pain
Have pain in, or between, your shoulder blades with nausea
Have tenderness in your belly, or your belly is rigid and hard to the touch
Are pregnant or could be pregnant
Had a recent injury to your abdomen
Have difficulty breathing

Call your provider if you have:

Abdominal discomfort that lasts 1 week or longer
Abdominal pain that does not improve in 24 to 48 hours, or becomes more severe and frequent and occurs with nausea and vomiting
Bloating that persists for more than 2 days
Burning sensation when you urinate or frequent urination
Diarrhea for more than 5 days
Fever, over 100°F (37.7°C) for adults or 100.4°F (38°C) for children, with pain
Prolonged poor appetite
Prolonged vaginal bleeding
Unexplained weight loss

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. Your specific symptoms, the location of pain and when it occurs will help your provider detect the cause.

LOCATION OF YOUR PAIN

Where do you feel the pain?
Is it all over or in one spot?
Does the pain move into your back, groin, or down your legs?

TYPE AND INTENSITY OF YOUR PAIN

Is the pain severe, sharp, or cramping?
Do you have it all the time, or does it come and go?
Does the pain wake you up at night?

HISTORY OF YOUR PAIN

Have you had similar pain in the past? How long has each episode lasted?
When does the pain occur? For example, after meals or during menstruation?
What makes the pain worse? For example, eating, stress, or lying down?
What makes the pain better? For example, drinking milk, having a bowel movement, or taking an antacid?
What medicines are you taking?

OTHER MEDICAL HISTORY

Have you had a recent injury?
Are you pregnant?
What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be done include:

Barium enema
Blood, urine, and stool tests
CT scan
Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy (tube through the rectum into the colon)
ECG (electrocardiogram) or heart tracing
Ultrasound of the abdomen
Upper endoscopy (tube through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine)
Upper GI (gastrointestinal) and small bowel series
X-rays of the abdomen

Images

References

McQuaid KR. Approach to the patient with gastrointestinal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 123.

Smith KA. Abdominal pain. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 24.

Squires R, Carter SN, Postier RG. Acute abdomen. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 45.

Reviewed By:

Michael M. Phillips, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.