What Causes Sharp Pains in the Stomach?

Causes of sharp pains in the stomach can include gas, stomach viruses, appendicitis, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney stones, ovarian cysts, and other conditions.

Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere in your stomach region. Pain can range from mild stomach aches to severe pain. While some abdominal pain can be traced to indigestion, other cases may require a doctor’s diagnosis to determine the source.

There are several types of abdominal pain, depending on the duration of the pain:

• Acute pain occurs over a few hours or days
• Chronic pain can last weeks, months, or more and it may come and go
• Progressive pain gets worse over time

Some abdominal pain or discomfort is normal, but sharp, stabbing pain can be frightening. Most abdominal pain isn’t a cause for worry, but it may be a sign of a more serious health concern.

The severity of the pain, the location within the abdomen, and other symptoms can help determine the potential cause behind your sharp stomach pains—and whether or not you need to see a doctor.

The symptoms of sharp stomach pains depend on the characteristics and location of the pain. It can also be accompanied by other symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, or fever.

You may experience different types of stomach pain. These characteristics can include:

Generalized pain

Generalized pain is pain that you feel in large areas of your stomach, typically more than half of your abdominal area. This pain may be caused by a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. If the pain is severe, it could be caused by blocked intestines.

Localized pain

Localized pain is focused in one area of your stomach. This is more likely to be a sign of issues in an organ, like the appendix, uterus, gallbladder, or stomach.

Cramp pain

Cramp pain may feel more like a muscle tightening inside your abdomen. Most of the time, this type of pain is due to gas, bloating, or menstrual issues. However, if the pain is persistent, lasts longer than 24 hours, or is accompanied by fever, it may be more serious.

Colicky pain

Colicky pain may come and go, seeming to arrive in waves. It may start and end suddenly. If severe, kidney stones or gallstones may be a cause.

Location of stomach pain

Stomach pain may be generalized—taking up more than half of the abdomen—but it also may be stronger in some areas of the stomach. It can occur in these locations:

• Upper or lower abdomen
• Right upper and lower abdomen
• Left upper and lower abdomen
• Right and left pelvis

Additional symptoms

Additional symptoms associated with abdominal pain can include:

• Fever
• Difficulty eating or keeping down food
• Dehydration
• Inability to pass stool
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Painful or frequent urination
• Bloating
• Belching
• Gas
• Indigestion
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Chest discomfort

More serious additional symptoms can include:

• Severe pain
• Blood in the stool
• Persistent nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss
• Yellowing skin
• Tenderness in the abdomen
• Swelling in the abdomen

Depending on the type, location, and severity of the pain, sharp pains in the stomach can be attributed to many cause, including the following.

Gas

Gas and bloating can cause stomach pains, ranging from mild to severe. Although the pain doesn’t last long-term, the pain may come in waves and last for up to a few hours.

Stomach viruses

Stomach viruses, like the norovirus, can cause intense, cramp-like pains. Viruses can cause symptoms for several days and typically clear up over time. Other symptoms can include cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and muscle aches.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis, or inflammation of the appendix, can lead to sharp pains in the lower right part of your abdomen. There may also be symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and bloating.

Gallstones

Gallstones are hardened deposits that can form in your gallbladder. When a gallstone blocks a duct in your gallbladder, it can lead to severe pain in the abdomen, or cholecystitis. Other symptoms can include sweating, vomiting, fever, or a yellowish tint to the skin.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome can lead to cramp-like pain in the lower abdomen. It may also be accompanied by bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.

Kidney stones

A sharp, stabbing pain in the lower stomach area may be a sign of kidney stones, or deposits made of minerals and salts that build up in urine. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.

Ovarian cysts

Ovarian cysts are sacs filled with fluid that form on the ovaries during ovulation. If large enough, these cysts can trigger intense pain in the lower abdomen. They may also lead to bloating, swelling, and pressure in the area of the cyst.

While some types of stomach pain may go away over time, other forms of abdominal pain should be addressed right away by a doctor. Seek emergency care if you experience any of the following symptoms.

• Abdominal pain during pregnancy
• Sharp abdominal pain that lasts for more than 6 hours
• Sudden pain that begins after eating
• Pain and tenderness in the lower right side of the abdomen
• Bloody stool
• Hematemesis, or vomiting up blood
• Abdominal swelling
• Yellow skin
• Difficulty breathing
• High fever

If you seek medical attention for sharp abdominal pains, your doctor will likely ask you questions to better understand your symptoms and the type of pain you’re experiencing.

Further testing may help evaluate your pain, including:

• Blood tests
• Urinalysis
• Abdominal X-ray
• CT scan
• Vaginal ultrasound

Treatments for abdominal pain depend on the cause, but they may include medications to reduce inflammation or treat infection. Other treatment can include surgery to treat issues with the organs.

In some cases, over-the-counter pain relievers can irritate the stomach and worsen the pain. Don’t take medications like aspirin or ibuprofen unless recommended by a doctor.

When recovering from stomach pain, staying hydrated and using heating pads can help speed recovery and reduce pain.

In most cases, abdominal pain is not a cause for concern. However, you should be concerned about abdominal pain that is severe or is accompanied by symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Pale stools
• Bloody stools
• Diarrhea with mucus in stools
• Blood in urine
• Burning sensation while passing urine
• Vomiting blood
• Two or more episodes of vomiting with loss of appetite
• Spotting or bleeding in between two menstrual periods
• Menorrhagia (excessive bleeding during a menstrual period)
• Tender to the touch
• Severe pain with pregnancy
• Pain so severe that it makes you pass out
• Pain that worsens or lasts for several days
• Pain after injury to the abdomen
• Unexplained or unintentional weight loss
• Jaundice

Seek medical attention if you notice the above symptoms in addition to abdominal pain, as they could indicate internal inflammation, infection, or bleeding. Less common causes include colorectal, ovarian, stomach, or pancreatic cancer.

Abdominal pain requires emergency medical help if:

• You are pregnant (can be due to ruptured ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage).
• Your pain starts or worsens within a week of abdominal surgery
• Your pain started within 1-2 days of abdominal trauma.
• Your abdomen is expanding or bloating.

Conditions that can cause sudden, extreme abdominal pain and are life-threatening include:

• Appendicitis
• Bowel obstruction caused by conditions such as:
  • Hernia
  • Scar tissue from previous abdominal surgery
  • Swelling in the intestine caused by colon cancer
  • Volvulus (twisting of the loops of the intestine)
  • Intussusception (sliding of a section of the bowel into itself)
• Bowel perforation (hole in the intestine) due to ulcers, which can be due to inflammatory bowel disease

Because your abdomen is home to multiple organs, abdominal pain has multiple causes, such as inflammation, infection, or other problems. The most common causes include:

• Digestive issues
• Constipation
• Gas
• Food allergies

Less common causes of abdominal pain include:

• Appendicitis
• Food poisoning
• Food allergies
• Lactose intolerance
• Diverticulitis (infection or inflammation of pouches that can form in your intestines)
• Gallstones
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Hernia
• Inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease)
• Kidney stones
• Gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
• Stomach ulcer
• Duodenal ulcer (ulcer in the first part of the intestine)
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Hepatitis (infection of the liver)
• Alcoholic liver disease
• Fatty liver disease
• Endometriosis
• Menstrual cramps
• Ovarian cysts
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Urinary tract infections
• Pulmonary embolism
• Heart attack

To determine the cause of your abdominal pain, your doctor may ask about the following:

• Location and severity of your abdominal pain
• When the abdominal pain started
• Whether the abdominal pain started after consuming certain foods
• Whether sleeping in certain positions aggravates the pain
• Additional symptoms such as bloody stools or vomiting

Your doctor will take your medical history, including past surgeries, and examine your abdomen for tenderness or color changes.

To rule out serious causes of abdominal pain and confirm a diagnosis, your doctor may order one or more tests such as:

• Blood tests to test for infection, red blood cell count, liver and kidney function, and electrolytes
• Stool tests
• Urine tests
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Abdominal computed tomography scan
• Endoscopy (use of a flexible, tube-like camera to visualize the inside of the organs)
• Biopsy (surgical removal of a small piece of an organ to check for cancerous cells)