Stomach (abdominal) pain
Stomach pain has many causes. Some, like appendicitis or a pregnancy problem, need surgery or urgent care within hours.
Get emergency help now if any of these are true
- Sudden, severe pain, or pain that stops you moving or standing up straight
- A hard, rigid belly that is painful to touch
- Vomiting blood, or black, tarry stools
- Pain with fainting, a fast heartbeat, or cold, clammy skin
- Pain in pregnancy, especially with bleeding or shoulder-tip pain
- Pain moving to the lower right side with fever and vomiting
If you are unsure, treat it as an emergency. Find your country's emergency number.
See a health worker or doctor today if
- Pain with fever, or pain that keeps getting worse over hours
- Pain with burning when passing urine, or blood in urine
- Pain with yellow eyes or skin
- Pain that keeps returning over weeks, or comes with weight loss
If it gets worse, or does not get better
- Do not take strong painkillers to "push through" severe pain — get assessed instead.
- Avoid eating if the pain is severe, in case surgery is needed, and go to a facility.
- If the pain moves, worsens, or a fever starts, seek care immediately.
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