Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and OlderHome Treatment
Most of the time, abdominal pain
improves with home treatment and you do not need a visit to a doctor. Specific
home treatment for abdominal pain often depends on the symptoms you have along
with the pain, such as diarrhea or nausea and vomiting. If you
have mild abdominal pain without other symptoms, try the following: - Rest until you are feeling
better.
- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent
dehydration. You may find that taking small, frequent
sips of a beverage is easier on your stomach than trying to drink a whole glass
at once. Do not drink carbonated or caffeinated drinks, such as soda pop, tea,
or coffee.
- Try eating several small meals instead of 2 or 3 large
ones. Eat mild foods, such as rice, dry toast or crackers, bananas, and
applesauce. Do not eat spicy foods, other fruits, alcohol, and drinks that have
caffeine until 48 hours after all symptoms have gone away.
- Do not
eat foods that are high in fat. Foods high in fat may increase your abdominal
pain.
- Do not use aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
medicines, such as ibuprofen and naproxen. These
medicines may irritate your stomach and increase your pain.
Symptoms to Watch For During Home TreatmentUse the Check Your Symptoms section to
evaluate your symptoms if one or more of the following symptoms occur during
home treatment: - Pain increases or
localizes
to one specific area of the
abdomen. - Pain does not improve in 24 to 48 hours.
- Other
symptoms develop, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, a fever, or a change in
urination.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
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