Stomach and Back Pain: Digestion Problems Or Something More Serious?
Nobody likes pain. In fact, it’s meant to be unpleasant. However, pain is useful. Pain is your body’s way of alerting you to a problem. If you stub your toe, for instance, your nerves react to let you know that you need to watch where you’re going. Think of what would happen if you didn’t have pain. What if you were walking on hot sand, for instance, and you had no indication that it was hot? You would burn your feet and you wouldn’t even know it. That’s why you should never ignore pain, especially stomach and back pain, for the pain may be an indicator of something more serious, and only a doctor can tell you for sure.
When you encounter stomach pain, it usually means you ate something you shouldn’t have. Or, it could be some kind of stomach virus. If you have back pain, however, you know not to eat what you just did or you know to take some kind of digestion aid, such as an antacid. Similarly, you know that back pain usually means you overexerted yourself or bent a way you weren’t intended to bend. However, when stomach and back pain are combined, you should never ignore the symptoms. When stomach and back pain occur together, it could mean a number of things. It could mean you have digestion problems, acid reflux, or it could mean you have nerve damage. If you do encounter both together, don’t hesitate to see a doctor immediately.
When you see your doctor, he or she will want to know about the pain you’re experiencing. Explain the pain exactly as you feel it. Is it a sharp pain, as if someone were jabbing you with a sharp stick, or is it a dull, recurring pain? Does the pain get worse when you sneeze or cough, does it keep you from sleeping, or does your stomach and back pain go away and come back with any kind of regularity? These are just a few of the questions your doctor will ask you before he or she examines you with a physical. The doctor is trying to determine if your problems are minor, such as digestion problems, or if they are more serious, such as nerve damage, which could require surgery.
Never Ignore Pain
Stomach and back pain, especially when they occur together, should never be ignored. When you feel pain such as this, it usually means there’s something going on in your insides and the pain is the only way for your body to alert you to the problem. Your doctor is the one who should make the diagnosis, however, so it’s important not to try any treatments unless you know what you’re dealing with. Let your doctor examine your stomach and back pain as soon as it occurs, for you don’t want to exacerbate it by waiting too long.
