Stomach Disorders

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your stomach is an organ between your esophagus and small intestine. It is where digestion of protein begins. The stomach has three tasks. It stores swallowed food. It mixes the food with stomach acids. Then it sends the mixture on to the small intestine.

Most people have a problem with their stomach at one time or another. Indigestion and heartburn are common problems. You can relieve some stomach problems with over-the-counter medicines and lifestyle changes, such as avoiding fatty foods or eating more slowly. Other problems like peptic ulcers or GERD require medical attention.

You should see a doctor if you have any of the following:

• Blood when you have a bowel movement
• Severe abdominal pain
• Heartburn not relieved by antacids
• Unintended weight loss
• Ongoing vomiting or diarrhea

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI Endoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Gastrectomy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Dumping Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Gas in the Digestive Tract (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Gastritis (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Gastroparesis (American College of Gastroenterology) Also in Spanish
• Gastroparesis (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Gut Feelings About Gastritis: When Your Stomach's Sick (National Institutes of Health)
• Learn About GI Motility (International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• Menetrier's Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Stomach Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

• Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Long-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-Term (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastritis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastroparesis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Stomach Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Stent placement versus surgical palliation for adults with malignant gastric...
• Article: Low PG I/II ratio as a marker of atrophic gastritis:...
• Article: Association of oral Helicobacter pylori with gastric complications.
• Stomach Disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Definitions of Digestive Terms (International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• Your Digestive System and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American College of Gastroenterology
• ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
• Find a Gastroenterologist (American College of Gastroenterology)
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Search for SAGES Members (Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons)

Children

• "Stomach Flu" (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation)
• First Aid: Stomachaches (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Infantile pyloric stenosis - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pyloric Stenosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Talking about GI Disorders (International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• What's Puke? (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Why Do I Burp? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Your Digestive System (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Digestive System (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Stomachaches (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Bezoar (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dumping Syndrome (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF
• EGD discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gastrectomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gastritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gastroparesis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pyloric stenosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Stomach acid test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI and small bowel series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish