More than 50% of adults report at least one episode of nausea in the preceding year.
They can also be symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and side effects ofsome medications.
What Causes Stomach Pain and Nausea?
Grace Cary / Getty Images
Stomach pain and nausea are both symptoms of a number of conditions.
Symptoms of food poisoning usually go away within 12 to 48 hours.
Pregnancy
Many pregnant peopleexperience nauseaduring the first 12 weeks of pregnancy or longer.
This can be life-threatening if not treated.
These episodes are sometimes called panic attacks.
Both adults and children can experience stomach pains and nausea from anxiety.
Over 10% of children have “worried stomach”.
Chemotherapy (a pop in of cancer treatment) often causes nausea and vomiting.
Nausea and/or stomach pain can be side effects of severalmedications.
Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about side effects before beginning a medication.
Heart attacks can also cause less obvious symptoms, such as stomach pain and nausea, particularly for women.
Call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you experience signs of a heart attack.
Appendicitis
The appendix is part of the large intestine.Appendicitisis when the appendix becomes infected and inflamed.
If not treated (usually with surgical removal), the appendix can rupture and become life-threatening.
The pain with appendicitis is typically low on the right side.
Some medications that help one cause of stomach pain mayworsen another.
Check with your healthcare provider before taking medications, including over-the-counter (OTC) ones.
This may include lifestyle changes likemodifying your diet.
What About Young Children?
Stomach pain and nausea arecommon in children, but it’s important to discover their symptoms' causes.
Check with your healthcare provider if your child is showing symptoms that concern you.
Always check with your healthcare provider beforegiving your childstomach pain and/or nausea medications.
Nausea is the sensation of being about to vomit.
Stomach pain and nausea are symptoms of several conditions, such asviral gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and anxiety.
They can also be signs of a more serious problem, such as appendicitis or heart attack.
Singh P, Yoon SS, Kuo B.Nausea: a review of pathophysiology and therapeutics.Therap Adv Gastroenterol.
2016;9(1):98-112. doi:10.1177/1756283X15618131
Mount Sinai.Abdominal pain.
Stanford Medicine.Nausea and vomiting.
American Cancer Society.Understanding nausea and vomiting.
Franco MA, Greenberg HB.Rotaviruses, noroviruses, and other gastrointestinal viruses.Goldmans Cecil Medicine.
2012:2144-2147. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4377-1604-7.00388-2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The symptoms of norovirus.
Seattle Childrens Hospital.Stomach pain - female.
National Health Service.Stomach ache and abdominal pain.
Child Mind Institute.Anxious stomach aches and headaches.
Harvard Health.What to do when your medication causes nausea.
National Cancer Institute.Nausea and vomiting and cancer treatment.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
UPMC HealthBeat.Stomach pain: when to worry about stomach ache.
Johns Hopkins.Why does my stomach hurt?
Cedars-Sinai.Abdominal pain - unexplained.
Better Health.Abdominal pain in adults.
National Health Service.Feeling sick (nausea).
Harvard Health.10 signs that a child’s stomachache could be something serious.
MedlinePlus.Nausea and vomiting - adults.
National Health Service.Stomach ache.
