Find out how to assess your symptoms, what home treatments can help ease that stomach ache, and when to seek medical treatment.

Commonly known as a stomach ache, abdominal pain can be caused by indigestion, trapped wind, overeating, smoking and a viral or bacterial infection. If the pain is sudden and severe in a particular area of your belly, it could be due to more serious medical issues such as appendicitis, ulcers, gallstones or kidney stones.

If you are experiencing a slight pain in your stomach, try to ease the discomfort with one of these home treatments:

• Sip water
• Avoid solid food for a few hours
• Avoid milk and other dairy products
• Reduce intake of coffee, tea and alcohol as these can worsen the pain
• Try over-the-counter antacids to help reduce some types of stomach pain

Depending on the severity of your condition, you can get timely treatment by going to the appropriate healthcare option.

• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Mild pain

Your GP is well placed to treat mild-to-moderate symptoms at the clinic and refer you to a specialist when necessary.

• Persistent Diarrhoea
• Persistent Vomiting
• Moderate pain

You can visit the UCC for conditions that require urgent attention but are not life-threatening. For example, you can visit the UCC to get an ultrasound scan on the stomach to check the cause of pain instead of heading to the Emergency Department of a hospital directly.

To check the services offered at each UCC, please check with the healthcare providers directly.

• Sudden and severe pain
• Sweating and breathlessness
• Vomiting that does not subside
• Blood in your vomit
• Bloody or black stools
  

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