Is a Stomachache a Serious Matter?

Something as simple as eating too much or too quickly can be enough to upset your stomach. On the other side of the spectrum, you might get a stomachache from being overly hungry. Long story short, abdominal pain is fairly commonplace. 

That doesn’t mean you should ignore it, though. There are some signs that your stomachache could be a symptom of something more serious. Knowing what those indicators are helps you decide if you should seek medical care. 

If you think your stomachache could be a serious matter, visit our team. We offer walk-in care and appointments at SmartClinic Urgent Care in Santa Clarita and West Covina, California. Whenever you need medical attention for your stomachache, our abdominal pain experts can provide prompt, effective care.

To help you decide if it’s worth a visit to one of our clinics, let’s look more closely at when a stomachache might mean something serious. 

Serious problems behind stomach pain

Stomach pain can come from something that will pass, like indigestion or menstrual cramps, or can be chronic. A number of serious health conditions can cause abdominal pain, including:

• A problem with your bowels, like an obstruction or perforation
• Abscess
• Appendicitis 
• Colitis
• Cholangitis
• Crohn's disease
• Cystitis
• Diverticulitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis
• Pneumonia

A stomachache is also worth a visit to the doctor if you know your underlying health state puts you in a high-risk group. If you’re pregnant or if you just had abdominal surgery, for example, see a doctor as soon as you can if you experience abdominal pain. 

Signs that you should see a doctor

Because a stomachache could indicate a health condition that requires medical attention, it’s worth seeing a doctor if you have other symptoms accompanying your abdominal pain. Additional symptoms that indicate your stomachache could be something serious include:

• An abdomen that feels hard
• Swelling or tenderness in the abdomen
• Blood in your stool
• Persistent fever
• Persistent nausea and vomiting
• Rectal bleeding
• Shortness of breath
• Weight loss
• Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)

Even if you don’t observe these other symptoms, severe stomach pain is worth a trip to SmartClinic Urgent Care. Our team can help you get to the root of the cause of your discomfort. This way, we can provide treatment that can bring you relief. 

This is particularly true if your abdominal pain has lasted more than a couple of days. 

To get care for your stomachache, don’t hesitate to visit us. You can walk into either of our SmartClinic Urgent Care clinics, or you can call the clinic nearest you to schedule an appointment.