What Are the Possible Causes of an Upset Stomach?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

Commonly, an upset stomach is caused by gas or bloating from benign causes like poor digestion of certain foods or additives.

Explanation

There are a variety of causes of an upset stomach that run the gamut of common to very uncommon. Common causes of an upset stomach include poor digestion of certain foods (ie: dairy products, heavily processed foods, fried foods, etc. ), overeating, food poisoning or even stress. If persistent or intense, less common causes should be considered like an obstruction from a tumor, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, gastric motility disorders or functional bowel issues like irritable bowel syndrome.

(References)

Hasler WL. Gas and Bloating. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2006 Sep;2(9):654662. PMID: 28316536; PMCID: PMC5350578.

Share this page

For First Time Users

What is Ubie’s Doctor’s Note?

We provide a database of explanations from real doctors on a range of medical topics. Get started by exploring our library of questions and topics you want to learn more about.

Learn more about symptoms

Abdominal pain

Purpose and positioning of servicesUbie Doctor’s Note is a service for informational purposes, and the provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical practice. The provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical treatment. If medical treatment is required, please consult your doctor or medical institution. We strive to provide reliable and accurate information, but we do not guarantee the completeness of the content. If you find any errors in the information, please contact us.