What to do if you have a stomachache in the middle of the night

If you suddenly have stomach pain in the middle of the night, it may be food poisoning caused by eating unclean food before going to bed. Usually this pain is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, and some people may even have a fever. In addition, the cause of the pain may vary depending on the location of the pain. Generally speaking, pain in the upper and middle abdomen is often considered to be caused by stomach or pancreatic diseases. Pain in the right upper abdomen may be caused by liver and gallbladder diseases. Pain in the left upper abdomen is often considered to be caused by problems with the pancreas and spleen.

1. What causes stomach pain in the middle of the night?

Sudden stomach pain in the middle of the night may be caused by:

1. Acute gastroenteritis: Most of the cases are caused by food poisoning due to eating unclean food, usually accompanied by severe vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other symptoms.

2Acute appendicitis.

3. The possibility of urethral stones.

It is recommended to go to the hospital for diagnosis as soon as possible. Acute gastroenteritis requires infusion treatment, acute appendicitis requires emergency surgery, and urethral stones also require medication and injections for better results.

2. Precautions for patients with gastroenteritis

Rest in bed as much as possible and take glucose-electrolyte solution orally to replenish fluid loss. If vomiting persists or dehydration is obvious, intravenous supplementation of 5%-10% glucose saline and other relevant electrolytes is required. Encourage a light liquid or semi-liquid diet to prevent dehydration or treat mild dehydration. To avoid gastrointestinal fermentation and bloating, gas-producing foods such as beef should be avoided during the acute phase, and sucrose intake should be minimized. Attention should be paid to food hygiene. Avoid high-fat fried, deep-fried, smoked, and cured fish, vegetables, fruits, foods, and condiments that are high in fiber. Patients in the acute phase often have symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, and lose a lot of water, so they need to replenish fluids. They can be given liquid foods such as fresh fruit juice, lotus root powder, rice soup, egg soup, etc., and drink more boiled water and light salt water as appropriate.

3. Treatment of acute appendicitis

1. Non-surgical treatment

Acute appendicitis in the simple inflammatory stage can be treated with non-surgical methods, because the inflammation during this period can be absorbed and subside on its own. Once it subsides, the appendix can return to normal and will not recur. The commonly used non-surgical methods for treating acute appendicitis are antibiotic treatment and analgesia. Among them, the use of antibiotics is quite important in the non-surgical methods of acute appendicitis. The choice and dosage of antibiotics should be determined according to the actual situation of the patient.

2. Surgery

The currently recognized treatment for acute appendicitis is surgical removal of the appendix and management of its complications. For adults, appendectomy removal will not harm body functions, so patients with acute appendicitis will choose surgical treatment to prevent future problems. However, surgical treatment of appendicitis does have certain indications. It is not suitable for patients with poor physical condition and severe heart and lung diseases.