Introduction
If the stomach is felt swollen or hard, it is usually due to side effects from certain drinks or food or due to certain underlying conditions. Once the food or drink which triggered a hard stomach is stopped, the stomach hardness usually resolves. However, if the symptoms persist, it is a sign of an underlying condition that may require medical intervention.
What Causes a Hard Stomach?
Some of the factors causing a hard stomach includes the following:
Overeating - Eating fast or overeating in one sitting can give an uncomfortable fullness feeling and a hard stomach. However, the discomfort will slowly resolve once the food moves through the digestive tract.
Carbonated Drinks - When carbonated drinks like soda are consumed quickly, gas accumulates in the stomach, forming a hard stomach. Once the gas is expelled, the uncomfortable feeling does go away.
Constipation - If a person faces difficulty or has pain while passing stools, the patient is constipated. Constipation causes discomfort, a bloated feeling, an overly feeling of fullness, and a hard stomach. People with constipation experience less than three bowel movements in a week, passing dry, lumpy, or hard stools.
Treatment:
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Constipation can be treated at home. It is recommended to take high-fiber foods, increase physical activity and drink enough water to prevent constipation.
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If home remedies do not work and constipation does not resolve, the doctor will prescribe medications to soften the stool.
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In case of severe constipation, the doctor might recommend surgery.
Food Intolerance - Some people face trouble digesting certain foods. For example, people who are intolerant to dairy products are called lactose intolerant. Food intolerance causes swelling and bloating, which can cause a hard stomach. People who are intolerant to certain foods should try avoiding those foods to prevent the stomach hardness and discomfort caused by those foods.
Gastritis- It is the inflammation in the stomach and is usually caused by bacterial infections like Helicobacter Pylori or stomach ulcers. Symptoms of gastritis include bloating, a hard stomach, and abdominal pain.
Treatment:
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Antibiotics like Amoxicillin or Metronidazole are given to kill the bacterial infection.
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Medications like Omeprazole or Rabeprazole are given to treat stomach ulcers.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - It is a gastrointestinal condition that can cause various symptoms like abdominal bloating, gas, cramping, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, changes in the frequency and pattern of bowel movements, pain that can change location, and a hard stomach. IBS is of three types:
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IBS - D: Diarrhea accompanies the IBS.
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IBS - C: Constipation occurs with IBS.
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IBS - M: Mixed patterns in bowel movements occur with IBS.
Treatment:
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IBS treatment mainly involves treating its symptoms like bloating, cramping, and abdominal pain.
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For people with constipation, laxatives and fiber supplements are given.
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For people with diarrhea, Loperamide and probiotics are given.
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Patients with IBS should increase their physical activity and avoid foods like wheat products, dairy-containing carbohydrates, and certain fruits and vegetables.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which causes symptoms like abdominal bloating and pain which in turn causes the stomach to feel hard. IBD occurs when the body's immune system reacts to the gut microflora, causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Conditions like Crohn's disease cause ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the terminal ileum and colon, whereas ulcerative colitis causes inflammation of the lining of the rectum and colon.
Treatment:
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The symptoms of IBD usually resolve independently without any medical intervention.
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However, there are chances of flare-ups in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which can worsen the symptoms.
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Mesalamine is the medication that is usually prescribed; it can be in an oral form or as a suppository (medicines that are inserted into the rectum).
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If the patient does not respond to Mesalamine, corticosteroids will be given, which will help reduce the inflammation.
Diverticulitisis inflammation in the stomach due to stomach ulcers or bacterial infections like H.Pylori infection. Symptoms of diverticulitis include abdominal pain, bloating, and a hard stomach.
Treatment:
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Antibiotics are given to treat bacterial infections, and a low-fiber diet is usually recommended.
Pregnancy - Hard stomach, which occurs during pregnancy, can be due to gas, constipation, or Braxton hicks contraction. A hard stomach can also occur in patients who drink more carbonated drinks and eat a low-fiber diet. Braxton hicks contractions are irregular contractions that can get confused with labor pains. They usually start from six weeks of pregnancy; however, some people feel them only by the second or third trimester. These contractions do not increase or become intense; they are unpredictable in their duration and not cause any dilation of the cervix. Patients should change their position or activity levels to ease the discomfort. If the contractions become persistent and do not go away, it is important to seek immediate medical attention as it can be a sign of labor.
Gastric Cancer - Itis a type of stomach cancer that usually involves the stomach lining. It begins from the innermost layer of the stomach mucosa and slowly grows and spreads to the different layers. Early signs of gastric cancer are similar to other conditions; their symptoms include indigestion, heartburn, abdominal bloating, loss of appetite, and nausea. The symptoms of advanced-stage cancer include blood in the stool, stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and yellowish discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice).
Treatment:
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Gastric cancer is diagnosed through blood tests, physical exams, X-rays, and computed tomography (CT) scans. It is easier to detect the stage once the cancer is diagnosed.
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Endoscopic mucosal resection removes the cancer cells for early-stage cancer without requiring surgical intervention. In this procedure, an endoscope removes the abnormal tissues from the digestive tract.
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Surgical intervention is the first step for gastric cancer; here, the surgeon removes the cancerous portion of the stomach. The tissues and organs near the cancer cells will sometimes be removed.
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Chemotherapy, where drugs are given to prevent cancer growth in the body.
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Radiotherapy where the cancer cells are exposed to X-rays and other radiations which can kill the cells.
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Chemoradiation is a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
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Target therapy is where cancer patients are given drugs that attack specific molecules that the cancer cells require to sustain and spread.
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Immunotherapy, where the immune systems of the cancer patients are boosted to fight the cancer cells.
When Is a Hard Stomach Considered a Medical Emergency?
If the stomach feels hard for about a few days to weeks and does not resolve without home remedies, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms which has to be looked for include blood in the stools, severe abdominal pain, persistent nausea and vomiting, difficulty in breathing, unexplainable weight loss, and yellowish discoloration of the skin.
How Can a Hard Stomach Be Prevented?
To reduce the chances of a hard stomach, it is important to drink enough water and stay hydrated, eat fiber-rich foods, avoid carbonated drinks, and try exercising regularly.
Conclusion:
A hard stomach can be caused due to various factors and conditions. Most of the time, stomach hardness can get resolved by simple home remedies. However, if the condition persists, it is better to undergo an evaluation and identify the condition causing the hard stomach. The doctor will then recommend appropriate treatment according to the condition.
