Learn about types of abdominal discomfort

Q: How can Buscopan&reg; help me relieve abdominal discomfort?

Buscopan&reg; can help you relieve abdominal discomfort linked to cramps because it relaxes the abdominal smooth muscles to relieve cramps. If you have more symptoms, consult your doctor.

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You’re on your way home and, suddenly, you feel abdominal discomfort, cramps or you start to bloat. But why? There are several types of stomach pain and many possible causes – like food and stress. It’s important to get to the root of your symptoms and understand your triggers, so you can treat your abdominal discomfort.

How does your abdomen feel?

32% of adults regularly suffer from some kind of abdominal discomfort¹. It can feel like a knot, bloating or flatulence, or cramps, and it can vary in intensity, duration and location. Listening to your body will help you understand your symptoms. Types of stomach pain include:

Cramps or spasms.

Food, stress or intense emotions can produce this pain, which can be intense and attack by surprise.

Localised, constant pain.

This is felt in a specific area of the abdomen and may be an indicator of a problem in a particular organ.

Bloating.

This is a very common symptom that can be triggered by diet (food intolerance or sensitivity).

Where does it hurt?

Abdominal symptoms such as cramps, pain or bloating can surprise you at any time of the day. It’s important to detect where the problem is, and where it spreads to, as this can help your doctor work out the possible causes.

Upper abdomen

Problems with food can lead to pain in the upper abdomen. Indigestion and gastritis could be the cause.

Lower abdomen

Discomfort here can result from a problem in the bowel. Food or intense emotions often cause these types of stomach pain.

Middle abdomen

Problems in the intestines could be the culprit. Colitis is usually a common cause of pain in this area.

How common are your abdominal symptoms?

Suffering from abdominal discomfort shouldn’t become normal. Or affect your daily life. Around 12 million people in the UK regularly suffer from abdominal discomfort¹. Among them:

around 60% experience pain and cramps²
40% experience bloating²

What causes stomach pain?

In our daily lives, there are many things that can cause digestive discomfort.

Food.

Eating too much or eating out-of-date or spicy food often causes abdominal discomfort.

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Stress.

Being stressed affects your body and mind. In stressful situations, stomach pain is one of the most commons symptoms.

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What should you take for your abdominal discomfort?

Stomach pain and cramps are often mistreated with analgesics or antacids. But because most types of abdominal discomfort are caused by muscle spasms in the gut, they need to be treated with an antispasmodic medicine. Find out about suitable treatments.

Peppermint oil

Can be found in Buscomint^®. Peppermint has an antispasmodic action that helps relieve pain and cramps plus an antifoaming action for bloating.

Hyoscine Butylbromide

Can be found in Buscopan^® Cramps. Hyoscine Butylbromide acts directly on your gut muscles to relieve abdominal cramps.

Understand your abdominal discomfort

Pain in the stomach can be caused by eating habits, stressful situations or life changes. Lots of things can help avoid them - including regular hand washing, following a balanced diet or managing stress.

To establish the causes of your abdominal discomfort, the doctor may do a physical exam and ask you specific questions about the location, type and intensity of the pain - as well as your medical history. Your doctor could also ask you to take additional tests to help eliminate or better establish possible causes.

To reduce pain while at home, try taking a hot bath or placing a warm compress on your stomach, drinking plenty of fluids and getting some rest. If the pain continues, see your doctor.

Buscopan^® can help you relieve abdominal discomfort linked to cramps because it relaxes the abdominal smooth muscles to relieve cramps. If you have more symptoms, consult your doctor.