The short explanation
Most stomach aches — from gas, indigestion, constipation, a mild stomach bug or period cramps — settle on their own within a day or two. Some are emergencies, and the pattern of pain and what comes with it matter more than how bad it feels at first. In a woman of childbearing age, sudden severe lower abdominal pain, especially on one side, with a missed period or a positive pregnancy test, needs emergency assessment for ectopic pregnancy even if the bleeding is light.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- The location can give clues: pain starting around the navel and moving to the lower right can be appendicitis; upper-right pain after fatty meals can be gallstones; burning upper-middle pain can be an ulcer or reflux; lower pain with burning urine can be a urine infection. None of these can be confirmed without examination and tests.
- Painkillers can mask a worsening problem, so avoid repeatedly taking them to push through pain that is getting worse.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you what is causing your pain or whether waiting is reasonable. When in doubt, being examined is the way to find out.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- What do you think is causing the pain, and what are we ruling out?
- Do I need a scan, blood tests or a pregnancy test?
- What pain relief is appropriate for now?
- What would make you want to see me again today?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
- Get emergency care now (call 112 or 108) for sudden severe abdominal pain; pain with a positive pregnancy test or missed period; pain with fainting, shoulder-tip pain, or a rigid, tender belly; vomiting blood or black tarry stools; pain with high fever; or pain with vomiting and not passing stools or wind.
- See a clinician within days for pain that keeps coming back, pain with weight loss, pain after eating, or pain with a change in bowel habit.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Stomach ache NHS
- Abdominal pain MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
- Vomiting blood NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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