But if your symptoms of a burning stomach or abdomen last well beyond your digestive cycle, you may have more than a sensitive stomach. You may be subject to one of a variety of stomach problems such as ulcers, or common disorders such as lactose or gluten intolerance, stress, endometriosis or irritable bowel disease.
Here are six ailments that could be souring your stomach.
Ulcers
Ulcers are the result of an acid imbalance in your stomach or duodenum, the first part of the small intestine, right after the stomach. Most ulcers are caused, strangely enough, by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Medications called NSAIDS, like aspirin, ibuprofen, Naprosyn, can all contribute to ulcers. So can alcohol and smoking or chewing tobacco.
Symptoms of an ulcer include bloating, nausea, gnawing or burning pain between meals or late at night. Severe cases that warrant immediate care have the following signs: weight loss; severe pain in the mid to upper abdomen; vomiting blood that looks like coffee grounds, and dark or black stool because of the presence of blood.
Don’t ignore signs of an ulcer. It can also cause bleeding, perforations of the stomach wall or gastric obstruction where scar tissue makes it difficult to get from the stomach to small intestine.
Treatment for ulcers includes lifestyle changes, medications and surgery. This means eliminating alcohol, cigarettes and NSAIDS. Surgery is called for when there is a hole in the stomach wall and/or there is bleeding.
Stress
Stress can cause many physical problems such as insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure and stomach disorders. Depression has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome. Or the pain caused by stress in your tummy can bring on a bout of depression. Experts don’t know which comes first – the chicken or the egg.
"Stress can affect many gut functions, and we know that patients who are under a lot of psychological stress suffer from more severe reflux symptoms—without necessarily having more severe reflux," says Mitchell Cappell, MD, PhD, the chief of gastroenterology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. "We live in stressful times and heartburn is incredibly common," he says.
The stomach and intestines have more nerve cells than the spinal cord. There are direct links between the brain and gut and, dig this, 95 percent of serotonin, a mood hormone, is found in the digestive system, not the brain as previously thought.
Also, stress interferes with digestion because of the body’s instinctual “fight or flight” response. In times of high stress, the body prepares for emergencies by diverting blood flow from unimportant tasks like digestion. The adrenal gland starts pumping out adrenaline and steroids, chemicals that help in the “fight or flight” response. This explains why many people cannot eat when under stress.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common ailment in many populations of the world. It is found most often in people of Asian, African, South American and Native American descent. Their bodies cannot digest lactose, a natural sugar found in milk and dairy products. Some lactose-intolerant people can eat small amounts of dairy products with few problems. Then there are others who must completely avoid these products.
This disorder typically flares up in adolescence or adulthood. It can become a major health issue if the sufferer doesn’t get enough calcium or vitamin D. As we know, lack of calcium in the diet could lead to osteoporosis, or thin bones subject to easy breaks or fractures.
Symptoms of lactose intolerance can be very severe or mild depending on how much lactase, the enzyme that helps the digestion of milk and other dairy products, is produced. It can cause indigestion, loose stools or diarrhea, cramps and pain, gas, bloating, burping and throwing up.
Gluten Intolerance
These days, we hear more and more about gluten-free foods and how they help a balky digestive system. Gluten is found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. The most severe form is celiac disease where the small intestine is damaged by the gluten, and it can’t do its job absorbing nutrients. This can cause bloating, headaches, abdominal pain, and fatigue. It can also lead to malnutrition, chronic diarrhea and weight loss.
Experts highly recommend getting tested for celiac disease before starting a gluten-free diet. The blood test checks for antibodies created in response to gluten and if you aren’t taking in gluten, the tests may show near normal levels, which may indicate a false negative. Celiac disease is a serious illness that must be addressed because the inflammation it causes may damage your intestines.
Endometriosis
Women, you know what we’re talking about, right? If you’ve ever had menstrual cramps, you have experienced some of the symptoms of endometriosis. Except this disease can be 100 times as painful for some women during their menstrual cycle.
Cells that line the uterus move outside of the area and settle in other parts of the abdomen, typically somewhere in the pelvis. This usually involves the bowel, the tissue lining the pelvis area and the ovaries. In this disease, the endometrial tissues continue to exhibit a period where it thickens, bleeds and breaks down.
Infertility, irregular periods and pain can occur. Painful periods with lower back and abdominal pain are common as is pain during or after intercourse, painful bowel movements or urination, and fatigue. Constipation, diarrhea, nausea or bloating, especially during periods, are common.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
This is inflammation of the large or small intestine and includes diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The bowel scarring in response to inflammation can cause blockages and lead to chronic diarrhea or rectal bleeding.
Ulcerative colitis causes painful inflammation, and ulcers, on the inner lining of the large intestine, colon or rectum. Crohn’s disease leads to inflammation of the large or small intestine, or both. It often deeply inflames involved tissues.
Symptoms are typically severe abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea and fatigue. Complications can be life threatening.
So if you or a loved one recognize some of these symptoms as yours or theirs, care should be taken to monitor changes in the gut. Some of these ailments are life-threatening if left to their own ulcerating devices. The good news is that all can be treated to mediate the symptoms. See a doctor for any advice regarding your condition. It just may be less serious than you think.