Stomach aches happen to just about everyone. They could be the result of eating too fast or eating a trigger food that is too spicy or high in lactic acid, or they could be the precursor to a stomach flu. A persistent stomach ache should be cause for you to see your doctor, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. If your discomfort lasts only a few hours and is mild, try a few cures for the common stomach ache that can ease your symptoms.
Ginger Root
Ginger root can treat the nausea that sometimes causes stomach aches. Ginger can reduce the inflammation that accompanies ulcerative colitis to calm the stomach and help restore it to health, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Add a tablespoon of chopped ginger to a smoothie, or purchase dried, crystallized ginger from the health food store. Eat when you start to feel a stomach ache to make it subside quicker.
Peppermint Tea
Warm liquids and peppermint tea specifically can help calm a sick or painful stomach. When taken after meals, peppermint tea helps stop stomach pain and coat the stomach to protect against heartburn. Dr. William B. Ruderman, chairman of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic-Florida, recommends brewing a cup of warm, not hot, peppermint tea and sipping it when your stomach aches.
Apply Heat
A painful stomach ache may be made even worse when you start cramping your stomach or doubling over because of the pain. In doing so, you're seizing your stomach muscles and agitating your stomach ache. Try applying heat to your belly in the form of a hot water bottle, electric heating pad or warm bath. The heat can gently relax your stomach muscles so that the pain is less intense. You may find that it is helpful in getting rid of indigestion as well.
Antacids
Some stomach pain is strictly the result of acid in your stomach splashing up your esophagus. Foods that trigger this reaction are usually spicy, contain caffeine or are dairy-based. If this is the root of your stomach ache, a quick cure is to take one or two antacids to help calm the acid and make the pain subside, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. If this happens to you often, keep antacids with you always, and take one before you dig into a meal that you know will cause you pain later.
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