Stomach Pain And Headache At The Same Time
When it comes to our health, we jump to the worst conclusions, especially when the cause of the health problem is unknown. And when you combine constant headaches with stomach pain, it can get worrisome for anyone experiencing it.
While not unfamiliar, those who experience migraines get recurrent attacks of pulsating pain, often on one side of the head, resulting in nausea and vomiting. In the case of abdominal migraines or stomach pain due to migraines, the ones affected are usually children. In addition to that, abdominal migraines are slightly less known, therefore, poorly understood.
Today, we will learn the causes, symptoms, and effects of abdominal pain, its similarities and differences with classic migraines, and its preventive measures and treatment options.
Let’s begin with the causes first.
Causes Of Stomach Pain And Headache At The Same Time
After plenty of research studies, the exact cause of abdominal pain is yet to be known. Although the connection between the gut and the brain may trigger stomach pain, it is not entirely conclusive.
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Some studies suggest that people with frequent headaches or a history of migraines are more susceptible to gastrointestinal disorders, thus causing abdominal pain. Some studies also give the impression that children experiencing abdominal migraine issues may face classic migraine headaches in the future. Let’s learn more about the causes and effects of stomach pain and their connection with headaches or migraines.
The idea is to understand the reason behind abdominal pain, considering the most common causes of stomach pain leading to the least common ones, and find treatment options accordingly.
1. Gastroenteritis
An inflammation caused on the lining of your intestines leads to Gastroenteritis. Either a virus, bacteria, or parasite is behind this condition, and its symptoms include nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or chills.
2. Food Intolerance
As the name suggests, food intolerance is associated with digestive issues, where you have difficulty digesting certain types of foods. However, it does not fall under the allergy bracket. One of the most common food intolerance issues is lactose intolerance, and the symptoms include nausea, bloating, cramps, gas, vomiting, heartburn, and diarrhea.
3. Salmonella Infection
Salmonella infection is one of the causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. It is a foodborne illness that usually spreads through poultry, milk, eggs, or meat, and its symptoms include nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.
4. Kidney Stones
Waste passes through your body in the form of urine. However, when this waste accumulates in your urine, small crystals get formed and create a solid mass – a kidney stone. If it is unable to pass through the urine, it gets stuck in your kidney or the urethra, causing a lot of pain. The symptoms of kidney stones include severe pain in your lower back, blood in urine, nausea, fever, cloudy urine, and some more.
5. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
A urinary tract infection (UTI) can affect any part of the urinary system. However, it more commonly affects the bladder or urethra, and women are more prone to UTIs. UTIs do not usually have specific symptoms. But the most common ones include pain while urinating, pelvic pain, red, pink, or brown urine, and bad-smelling urine.
6. Prostatitis
Inflammation in the prostate leads to prostatitis caused by bacteria, but other causes are unknown. There are several symptoms of prostatitis, and a major one includes pain between the scrotum and anus, lower abdomen, penis, scrotum, or lower back. It could last for at least three months. Other symptoms are pain during or after urination, weak urine system, UTIs, fever, body aches, and more.
7. Abdominal Migraine
Abdominal migraine is most common in children, and most of them grow out of it in the future. However, sometimes abdominal pain can turn into typical migraine headaches as the years pass by. Abdominal migraine could last from 2 to 72 hours, and the symptoms include loss of appetite, moderate to severe pain around the belly button, nausea, and vomiting.
8. Gastrointestinal Disease
There are two major categories – functional and structural – that filter gastrointestinal diseases. The former occurs when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract does not function properly but looks normal otherwise, and that includes constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
On the other hand, structural gastrointestinal diseases occur when the bowel does not look or function properly. Hemorrhoids, colon cancer, polyps, and inflammatory bowel diseases fall under this category.
Sometimes, you may experience stomach pain and headache after eating or drinking, or during pregnancy, and with the feeling of nausea. Making sure that your abdominal pain and headache dissipates, some treatment options work well in relieving the pain caused by both.
Stomach Pain And Headache Diagnosis & Treatment
While there are several causes of abdominal pain and headache, the symptoms remain common for most. Therefore, to differentiate and understand the cause of pain, doctors make a diagnosis based on specific criteria that include the type, frequency, and severity of the symptoms.
Although the studies on the treatment and management of abdominal pain or migraine are few, doctors may prescribe medications. However, medications get recommended, or treatments are suggested based on their usefulness in treating stomach pain or headaches.
The treatment options include:
- Proper hydration (hoping for the illness to pass on its own)
- Antibiotics
- Antiviral drugs
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- NSAIDs like Ibuprofen
- Surgery (depending on the severity of pain)
- Anti-nausea drugs
- Triptans
Depending on the severity of your stomach pain and headache, you can visit the doctor to get an expert opinion and treatment on the matter.
When To See A Doctor?
While you can deal with some causes of stomach pain and headache at home, other severe causes and symptoms need medical attention. Considering the severity and frequency of stomach ache, you should seek a doctor’s help. If you experience symptoms associated with kidney stones, pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease, gallbladder inflammation, or appendicitis, consult a specialist.
Moreover, if the pain is severe and sudden, doctor on call immediately – even when the symptoms and pain last for a long time.
Bottom Line
Concurrent abdominal pain and headache could be a sign of a bigger problem. Therefore, seeking help as soon as you notice any symptoms can solve your issue and prevent it from becoming something more than it should.
If the problem seems curable at home, you should let it happen. However, if it persists and at-home treatments do not seem to do the trick, the next best step is to find yourself medical help. It will help you deal with your abdominal pain and headache problem with a more focused approach.
That said, you can now avail of Aims Healthcare’s Doctor-on-Call service at home in Dubai. Whether it’s an emergency or you’re due for a checkup, you can subscribe to this service any time of the day, 365 days a year, and round-the-clock. The qualified doctors and practitioners affiliated with Aims Healthcare make sure you get the best possible treatment in the comfort of your home. Also, You can get home nursing services in Dubai, physiotherapy at home, lab test at home, elderly care at home, mother and newborn baby care, and other services within 30 minutes on your doorstep.
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