At one point or another, an upset stomach is an ailment that affects all of us. For some, it happens more frequently than others. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments for upset stomach relief.
We’ll go over the causes and show you how to settle and upset stomach. You’ll also learn about some natural remedies for nausea and stomach pain relief.
Causes of an Upset Stomach
If your stomach is bothering you, it is most likely due to irritation or inflammation of your stomach lining. There are several different reasons why the lining could get irritated or inflamed.
One of the reasons could be from eating or drinking too much. Sometimes it’s as simple as that; you had too much food during you most recent meal. Instead of having two slices of pizza you ate seven.
Drinking too much of anything can also cause an upset stomach. That includes alcohol, soda, juice, sports drinks, and even water. Although you should drink plenty of water throughout the day, if you drink too much of it too fast it can cause your belly to hurt.
Food allergies are another cause of your problem. If you are unsure about foods you may be allergic to, you can consult with your doctor and get some tests run. Common food allergies include gluten, dairy, fish, or nuts. If certain foods bother your stomach every time you eat them, it’s best to avoid those and find out if you are allergic.
It’s also possible to get sick from food that you are not allergic to. Food poising occurs when bacteria, viruses, or parasites are in the food you’re eating. That can happen if your meal is not properly prepared. For example, undercooked meat or chicken can lead to food poisoning.
Indigestion is another common cause of stomach pain. It happens when your body cannot properly process the food you ate. Poor diet choices and dehydration can cause indigestion.
Sometimes a sickness or other underlying health issue is the source of your upset stomach. If you catch a virus that causes the flu or stomach bug, then you’ll suffer from uncomfortable symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, and fever are all signs of that you are sick from an illness.
If your stomach pain is chronic and won’t go away after various treatment methods, you should consult with your doctor to make sure it is not something more serious.
Natural Remedies
Rather than taking medicine for an upset stomach, try using some home remedies for nausea that will teach you how to stomach pain go away. Upset stomach remedies are safe and effective.
Most of these stomach ache remedies are already somewhere in your house or kitchen. If not, you can easily find them at a local grocery store to help with your upset stomach and diarrhea.
Bitters and Club Soda
Although ingredients from a may seem like a strange stomach ache remedy, you can use cocktail bitters as treatment. Mix five to seven drops of bitters into a glass with club soda. Sip on the drink and add a fresh lemon slice.
You can also add bitters to tonic water or ginger ale. Alternatively, you can sip on just the club soda as an effective upset stomach medicine.
Ginger
Ginger is a natural upset stomach remedy. According to WebMD, ginger contains chemicals that help reduce nausea and inflammation, which makes it a popular choice to treat stomach related ailments. These chemicals calm your stomach, but they also work with your brain and nervous system to regulate nausea.
Try using ginger chews or supplements for fast relief. You can also cut up the roots of fresh ginger and make tea with them. Ginger ale is another beverage you can consume for relief. Although soda contains lots of sugar, so only sip small amounts. Always buy all-natural ginger ale.
Chamomile
Chamomile tea is a soothing remedy if you need to know how to get rid stomach pain. Sip on some chamomile tea once or twice per day if you are feeling nauseous.
Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps the muscles in your abdomen relax. You’ll notice pain reduction from cramps and muscle spasms.
You can enjoy chamomile tea even when you are feeling great. It’s also a preventative measure for how to make your stomachs top hurting.
Peppermint
Peppermint leaves contain menthol, which is a natural analgesic and pain reliever. There are several different ways you can learn how to get rid of a stomach ache with peppermint.
First, you can make peppermint tea. Sip on peppermint tea at night before going to bed. You can also try sucking on peppermint candy to calm your nausea. A less conventional but effective method involves sniffing peppermint extract. Another option is buying fresh peppermint and chewing on the actual leaves.
BRAT Diet
Do you want to know how to help a stomach ache with BRAT? First, we’ll have to explain the acronym. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Whenever you’re hungry but not feeling well, go for one of these foods or a combination of the four.
These foods are low-fiber and high binding, which means they won’t aggravate your symptoms. The bland diet does not contain any salt or spices, so it settles your stomach and will not cause added pain.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is not tasty and does not always go down smooth. However, the natural acidic properties of apple cider vinegar can help neutralize your stomach when you are not feeling well. If drinking it straight it too strong, you can try alternative solutions.
Add apple cider vinegar to a cup with water and mix in some honey as well. Sip on the potion slowly to feel the effects. Apple cider vinegar helps get starch to your intestines and fight bacteria that may be the culprit of your pain.
A daily shot of apple cider vinegar is also a preventative measure for upset stomach remedies.
Heating Pad
Direct heat sources on your stomach can soothe pain in the affected area. Use a heating pad or electric blanket to sooth your stomach when you are under the weather. If you don’t have either of these, you can use a bottle of hot water as an alternative source.
Heat will relieve cramps and relax your muscles, which minimize nausea and related symptoms. Just don’t use a heating pad for extended periods of time. The hot pad can damage your skin from prolonged exposure.
Burnt Toast
Burnt toast has always been a top home remedy for stomach ache. When you are sick or suffering from nausea, it’s often difficult to eat and hold down food. Bread is bland, tolerable, and won’t make your symptoms worse.
Toast or even burnt toast will make you feel better. The char from burnt toast help absorb the toxins that are causing your pain and discomfort.
If you burnt toast is too dry or unpleasing for your palate, you can add a small layer of jelly or peanut butter, which will add some flavor. You should also consume water whenever you have burnt toast.
Rice Tea
If something you ate is the cause of your upset stomach, rice tea is one of the best upset stomach home remedies. The distinct flavors are soothing and help settle your pain.
First, boil water and add a half cup of rice. Let the rice boil for about 15 minutes. Next, strain the rice but keep all the water from the pot. The water that the rice was boiling in has become the rice tea.
Slowly sip on the warm tea. If you don’t like the flavor, you can always add a little bit of honey for taste. Do this whenever your stomach hurts from food that didn’t agree with you.
Yogurt
Choose a yogurt that contains live bacteria cultures. Look for Lactobacillus on the ingredients label when you search for yogurt at the store. These live bacteria will improve the good bacteria in your stomach, which will aid in the digestive process and make you feel better.
Do not buy flavored yogurts or yogurt that contains high quantities of sugar. Get some plain yogurt and some fresh fruit if you need to add some flavor to it. Eat about two or three cups per day.
You can also incorporate yogurt as part of your daily diet regimen, even when your stomach feels healthy.
Fennel
Fennel seeds help ease pain caused by indigestion. Chewing these seeds will aid digestion and let your body process foods faster. There is an organic substance in fennel called anethole, which helps produce digestive juices.
Fennel seeds are also anti-inflammatory. Scoop a teaspoon of seeds into your mouth and slowly chew on them. Do not take fennel seeds if you are pregnant.
Caraway Seeds
Caraway seeds help relieve heartburn, gas, loss of appetite and bloating. They are also used to treat stomach spasms and other digestive problems. The oil from caraway can relieve constipation and kill harmful bacteria in the body.
Slowly chew on a teaspoon of caraway seeds, so the oil gets released into your system. You can do this once or twice daily for a few days until your symptoms pass.
Warm Lemon Water
Lemons create the best sour stomach remedies. The acids in lemons help break down food in your stomach, which causes pain from indigestion.
Take a whole lemon, clean it, cut it, and squeeze the fresh juice into a cup or glass. Add warm or room temperature water to the glass. Slowly sip on the liquid to relieve your upset stomach symptoms.
You can add lemons to water daily, even when you feel fine. Lemons have other properties that are great for natural health. They also add flavor to your water, which can encourage you to drink more and stay hydrated.
Banana
Always make sure that a banana is ripe before you eat it. If you eat one that’s not ripe, it can make your stomach pain worse. Mash up an extra ripe banana in a bowl. Add buttermilk to the bowl and eat it with a spoon. You can do this twice each day when your stomach is ill.
Continue doing so for about three or four days. You will notice that your bowel movements are more regular and stomach pain has subsided. You can also eat bananas normally, several times throughout the week as part of your diet plan.
Cinnamon
Although cinnamon is commonly used as an ingredient in desserts, it is also a spice used for stomach ache remedies. It stimulates the digestive tract and helps you with regular bowel movements. These regular movements will ease your discomfort and other symptoms.
Add cinnamon powder to a cup of hot water. Let it steep for five or ten minutes, and then stir it thoroughly. Slowly sip the warm cinnamon water up to four times per day. You can do repeat this for a few days in a row to alleviate pain.
Activated Charcoal
Like burnt toast, activated charcoal helps absorb toxins in your stomach that are the root of your discomfort. It works best if your stomach pain is due to something you ate.
Do not use activated charcoal for more than three consecutive days. Consult with your doctor or family physician about a safe dosage of activated charcoal.
Prevention
Now that your stomach pain is cured from natural upset stomach remedies, there are ways you can avoid getting a stomach ache in the first place. We’ll cover some helpful tips and tools, so you prevent an upset stomach in the future.
Analyze Your Diet
One of the first things you need to do to assess the root of your stomach pain is to check your diet habits. Make sure you eat a healthy and nutritious diet that is well balanced. Consume plenty of green leafy vegetables, fruits, and high fiber foods to ensure regular bowel movements.
You need to eat three meals per day. Often, people skip breakfast because they are in a rush and don’t think they have time. Although eating in the morning can be difficult, it is an imperative part of your day.
Skipping your morning meal can cause you to be lethargic and not as functional. Your body needs fuel, and without breakfast, you’ll suffer from stomach pain, headaches, and nausea until you fulfill and satisfy your hunger. Eat something simply like oatmeal, cereal, or egg whites.
Try to bring lunch to work as often as possible. Eating out for lunch every day can lead to stomach pain. Restaurants add too much butter, salt, and seasonings to food, so the flavor gets enhanced. However, these extra ingredients can cause discomfort in your belly.
For dinner, you can have a mix of protein and carbohydrates. You should also mix in some vegetables with your last meal of the day. Avoid eating dinner too close to bedtime. Allow yourself plenty of time to digest before lying down and going to sleep.
If you eat right before bed, you can suffer from stomach pain during the night as well as the following morning. When you’re hungry at night, eat something light and bland. You can also drink water to help satisfy your hunger.
How much water do you drink daily? Chances are, it’s not enough. Dehydration is another culprit of your stomach pain. Water also helps keep your digestive system functional and healthy.
Dr. Michael Greger M.D. at the Nutrition Facts Organization recommends that women drink eight to 11 cups of water each day. He continues explaining that men should drink ten to 15 cups of water per day to stay hydrated.
Stay away from foods that aggravate your stomach. You may discover that you are lactose intolerant if you feel sick every time you cheese, drink milk or have other dairy products. Spicy foods, shellfish, and certain ethnic foods may also be the cause of your painful abdomen region.
Limit Coffee, Alcohol, and Smoking
The caffeine found in coffee does not directly cause stomach pain if you consume it in moderation. However, if you have too much caffeine by drinking coffee in excess, it can lead to dizziness, anxiety, irritability, and problems sleeping. Ultimately, these side effects also cause nausea and stomach pain.
Don’t rely on coffee to keep you awake or functional throughout your day. If you want to indulge in coffee, try to limit yourself to one cup per day. Coffee is a diuretic, so it causes you to urinate more frequently. Make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which leads to nausea and stomach aches.
Smoking is detrimental to your health, but it also causes stomach pain. Tobacco, nicotine, and smoke damage your vital internal organs. These digestive organs can have a problem processing the food you consume, which leads to inflammation in your stomach lining.
If you have an ulcer in your stomach, smoking will irritate it and could prevent it from healing properly. Stomach ulcers are extremely painful and can cause serious damage if they don’t heal. Just like smoke, caffeine also irritates stomach ulcers.
Drinking alcohol in excess will cause stomach problems. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse damage your liver and kidneys, which cause stomach pain and other problems in your body.
However, alcohol can lead to stomach pain in the short term as well. If you drink too much in a given period of time, you can feel sick and throw up. You should have at least one glass of water with every alcoholic beverage to limit stomach problems.
Take a Look at Your Medications
Certain over the counter medicines like ibuprofen can cause stomach pain, especially if you take them on a regular basis. Always read the recommended dosage on over the counter pill bottles to ensure you can safely use them.
Prescription medication can also be a problem. Often, your prescription will come with instructions for the time of day to take a pill. If you are instructed to take your medicine before, during, or after a meal, make sure you follow those directions to avoid stomach problems.
Sometimes combining multiple prescriptions can be the origin of your abdominal pain or nausea. If you just started a new prescription and it’s causing you to feel sick or throw up, you should contact your doctor so they can help you come up with a solution.
When to See a Doctor
If the remedies mentioned above don’t provide you with relief, you should consult with your doctor.
The experts at Healthline recommend seeing a doctor if you suffer from prolonged vomiting, which causes dehydration. Your physician can determine the root of your constant throwing up and give you a prescription or alternative treatment option. They will check to see if your pain is caused by something more serious.
If your discomfort is so severe that you have trouble eating or drinking then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. It’s possible that a stomach virus could prevent you from eating for a day or two, but going longer than that without eating is harmful and needs to be brought to the attention of a professional.
When certain foods always upset your stomach, you should consult with your doctor. Doctors can run tests to determine if you have an allergy to certain foods such as dairy, gluten, fish, or nuts. They may recommend avoiding those foods or provide a prescription to help you digest them properly.
You should also see a doctor if your stomach pain is preventing you from sleeping at night. Obviously, you need healthy sleep every night to be functional, but a more serious health issue may cause pain that bad.
If your stomach pain is accompanied by a dangerously high fever, bloody stool, extreme weight loss, or swollen stomach, you should seek immediate emergency medical attention. Call 9-1-1 if the upset stomach is causing pain or pressure in your chest.