Gastroenterologist shares what never to do when you have stomach pain
What you shouldn't do when you have stomach pain (photo: Freepik)
Stomach pain can occur after eating unhealthy food or it can be a sign of health problems. A gastroenterologist shared one thing he never does when experiencing this symptom, according to Huffpost.
What doctors never do
Gastroenterologist Shabnam Sarker from the Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Center in Nashville explained that it can often take time to determine the exact cause of stomach pain.
But there is one thing doctors never do when it comes to any type of stomach pain: they don’t ignore it, especially if it appears suddenly.
Dr. Sunina Nathoo, a leading gastroenterologist at the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute, noted that stomach pain may indicate gallstones, ulcers, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or appendicitis.
Stomach issues can be debilitating and even lead to additional problems with bowel movements and eating habits.
"The bottom line is all pain is real and should be evaluated," Nathoo said.
The type of pain you experience should guide your next steps, as some symptoms are more serious.
“If people experience severe and acute onset pain, they should go to the ER. The concern would be that the pain could be due to a cause that requires emergent intervention,” the doctor explained.
Critical signs
It’s also important to take any pain seriously if there’s a family history of stomach, esophageal, or colon cancer.
Abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and blood in stool are concerning symptoms, so it is important not to ignore such symptoms.
Even if you’ve been dealing with discomfort for weeks or months, that doesn’t mean you should continue to ignore it. Doctors recommend keeping a record of pain characteristics and patterns, as this can help make a correct diagnosis faster.
Earlier, we shared 7 tips to improve digestion and prevent cancer.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
