Pain is a sensation one gets if there is excessive stimulation of sensory nerve endings in any organ. This excessive signals can be due to inflammation, injury, stretching or spasms/cramps.
The stomach, being part of the digestive tract, has nerve endings which are sensitive to gastric acid and spasms. If there is excessive gastric acid production or abdominal cramps, one may experience abdominal pain. This pain may not be associated with any change in your stools.
Another common reason is abdominal pain which originates from nearby organs, not within the stomach. These organs include the gallbladder, the liver, the pancreas and small intestines. As the physical location of such pain is still in the abdomen, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate one from the other without proper evaluation.
If your pain persists or gets worse in terms of frequency, intensity or duration, or if it becomes constant at one location and especially if associated with a fever, please consider seeing your family doctor early to avoid any delay in making a proper diagnosis.
- Dr Quan
