Stomach and Back Pain:  When to Worry

Almost everyone will suffer from stomach and back pain at some point in their lives.  Both of these ailments can be treated relatively easily and for most people they will be resolved on their own without any professional medical intervention.  Most stomach and back pain can be ignored, but in some cases it cannot be ignored. In some cases the stomach and back pain can be a sign that something serious is wrong. 

When it comes to stomach pain you need to consider a few things that will help you determine if it is something that you need to worry about or not.  First, consider whether or not you are pregnant.  If you are pregnant it could be a cause for concern, especially if the pain is associated with bleeding.  If you are not pregnant it could be something else entirely. 

Appendicitis is another common cause of stomach pain, as is infectious diarrhea, bleeding of bowels, perforated appendix, pancreatitis, and even a blockage in the bowels.  While these are relatively common, if you have stomach and back pain it could be something serious as well including gallstones or even an infected gallbladder, which will need to be treated right away. 

Kidney Stones or Tumors 

The combination of stomach and back pain is worrisome to many doctors as it can be the sign of a potentially serious health condition.  In many cases it is something as common as kidney stones causing the pain, which will usually be passed in time.  When you have the pain in association with a fever it could be a kidney infection or bladder infection, which will mean you need prompt medical attention.  The pain could even be because of a tumor, but you won’t know this for certain until you seek treatment. 

It is time to see a doctor for stomach and back pain when you have tried all of the home remedies that you can think of and the pain is still severe and persistent.  If you are experiencing shortness of breath, bleeding, dizziness, high fever, or vomiting it is most certainly time to see a doctor. 

If you are having stomach and back pain, you need to do your best to tell your doctor exactly what you are feeling.  Tell them where you hurt most and what seems to cause the most amount of pain.  This description will often help a doctor make a diagnosis sooner, which will ensure that you are out of pain much sooner!