what helps stomach ache

Simple home care and dietary changes can help relieve a mild stomach ache, though persistent or severe pain requires medical advice.¹²

Home Remedies & Comforts

• Apply Heat: Place a hot water bottle, heated wheat bag, or take a warm bath to help relax tense abdominal muscles.¹²
• Stay Hydrated: Sip clear fluids like water or clear broths. Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and fizzy drinks, which can make the pain worse.¹²³
• Eat Bland Foods: If you are ready to eat, start with small amounts of bland, easy-to-digest items like plain rice, toast, crackers, or bananas (often called the BRAT diet). Avoid spicy, fatty, or greasy foods.¹²³⁴
• Soothe with Tea: Drink ginger, peppermint, or chamomile tea to help settle the stomach and reduce nausea or gas.¹²³
• Try Over-the-Counter Options: Ask a pharmacist about antacids for indigestion or specific medicines if you suspect constipation. Mild painkillers like paracetamol can help, but avoid aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen unless advised by a doctor.¹²

When to Seek Medical Help

Speak to a pharmacist or a GP if your symptoms do not go away, keep coming back, or if you feel worried.¹Go to A&E or call 999 immediately if you experience red-flag symptoms such as:

• Sudden, severe, or sharp abdominal pain
• A stomach that feels hard or very tender to the touch
• Vomiting blood or vomit that looks green or like ground coffee
• Blood in your poo, or black, sticky, and foul-smelling stools
• Inability to pee, poo, or pass gas
• Difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Pregnancy combined with severe pain¹²³

For official local guidance or to find a healthcare professional, check resources like the NHS Stomach Ache Guide or NHS Inform.¹²To help me narrow down what might be going on, could you tell me:

• Where the pain is located (e.g., upper, lower, left, or right)?
• What the pain feels like (sharp, cramping, burning, or constant)?
• Do you have other symptoms like fever, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting?

What helps a stomach ache depends on what is causing it (such as trapped wind, indigestion, or a mild bug). Simple comfort measures and dietary adjustments can ease most everyday discomforts.¹²

Quick Comfort & Home Remedies

• Apply warmth: Place a warm water bottle or a heated wheat bag on your tummy to help relax muscle tension and cramps.
• Sip soothing teas: Try ginger, peppermint, or chamomile tea to help settle a nauseous or gassy stomach.
• Rest upright: Sit or lie with your head and chest propped up if you suspect acid reflux or indigestion.
• Stay hydrated: Sip clear fluids like water slowly—especially if you've been vomiting or have diarrhoea—to avoid dehydration.
• Eat bland foods: If you feel like eating, stick to plain, starchy foods like toast, rice, or bananas (the classic BRAT approach) and avoid heavy meals.¹²

What to Avoid

• Greasy, fatty, or fried foods: These take longer to digest and can worsen stomach pain or heartburn.
• Spicy, acidic, or gassy foods: Garlic, onions, citrus, and fizzy or caffeinated drinks can irritate the gut lining.
• Alcohol and tobacco: Both can aggravate indigestion and acid reflux.
• Certain painkillers: Avoid ibuprofen or aspirin if you have a suspected ulcer or severe gastritis, as they can irritate the stomach; paracetamol is usually a gentler option for general aches.¹²

When to Seek Medical Help

Check in with a local pharmacist for over-the-counter remedies tailored to your symptoms (like antacids for indigestion or rehydration sachets).¹

See a GP if:

• The pain, bloating, or indigestion does not go away or keeps coming back.
• You notice an unexplained lump in your tummy.¹

Seek urgent medical care (NHS 111 or A&E) immediately if you experience:¹

• Sudden, severe or unbearable pain
• Blood in your vomit or poo (which may look black or tarry)
• Inability to wee, poo, or pass wind
• A high fever combined with persistent vomiting or dizziness¹

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• Where does the pain hurt most (upper, lower, central, or all over)?
• What other symptoms do you have (nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea)?

There are several things that can help a stomach ache, depending on what's causing it. ❤️

🌿 Things to try at home

1. Warm water – Sip slowly to help settle your stomach.
2. Peppermint tea – May help with bloating and trapped wind.
3. Ginger tea – Can help with nausea and indigestion.
4. Warm compress – Place a warm (not hot) water bottle on your tummy.
5. Gentle walking – Can help relieve trapped wind.
6. Eat lightly – Try toast, bananas, rice, crackers or plain soup.
7. Avoid – Spicy foods, greasy foods, alcohol, fizzy drinks and too much coffee.

💊 Depending on the symptoms

• Bloating/trapped wind: Simeticone may help.
• Heartburn/acid: An antacid or alginate may help.
• Constipation: More fluids and gentle movement; a pharmacist can advise on laxatives.
• Diarrhoea: Sip plenty of water or oral rehydration solution.

❤️ Can I ask you 3 quick questions?

1. Where is the pain?

• Upper stomach
• Lower stomach
• Around your belly button
• All over

2. What does it feel like?

• Cramping
• Sharp pain
• Burning
• Bloating/wind
• Aching

3. How long have you had it?

• Just started
• A few hours
• A few days

Important: If the pain is sudden or severe, your tummy is very tender, you have chest pain, blood in your vomit or poo, or you cannot pass urine or stool, seek urgent medical help. In the UK, call NHS 111 for urgent advice or 999 for an emergency.

I can help narrow down what might be causing it and what could relieve it.