What Causes Belly Pain?

Pain is the body's way of signaling that something is going on. Stomach pain alerts us to something that's happening inside us that we might not know about otherwise.

Some reasons for stomach pain are obvious — like when someone gets hit in the gut or eats spoiled macaroni salad. Often, though, belly pain might be hard to figure out. With so many organs in the abdomen, different problems can have similar symptoms.

Here are some of the things that cause tummy troubles: Infection When bacteria or viruses get into a person's digestive system, the body reacts by trying to rid itself of the infection — often through vomiting or diarrhea. Bacterial infections cause what we call "food poisoning."

Bacteria are also responsible for other conditions that may give a person belly pain, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, strep throat, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or the rare condition toxic shock syndrome. Viruses, another type of infection, are behind what we call "stomach flu." Both bacteria and viruses can be easily passed from person to person.

The good news is you can often avoid them simply by washing your hands properly and often and by not sharing cups, straws, or utensils with others. Constipation Being constipated is one of the most common reasons for frequent belly pain. People usually become constipated because their diet doesn't include enough fluids and fiber. Body Basics: Digestive System Irritation and Inflammation When one of the body's internal organs becomes irritated or swollen, that can bring on belly pain. Pain from problems like appendicitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the body's way of telling us to get medical help Article Resource By http://kidshealth.org