Most stomach aches can be eased at home with a combination of simple remedies: heat, gentle foods, specific teas, and the right body position. The approach that works best depends on whether your pain comes with nausea, bloating, gas, or acid reflux, so it helps to match the remedy to the symptom.
Apply Heat to Your Abdomen
A heating pad or hot water bottle placed on your stomach is one of the fastest ways to get relief. Heat applied to the upper abdomen stimulates digestion in the stomach and small intestine, improves food absorption, and helps with bloating and indigestion. On the lower abdomen, it can improve symptoms of both diarrhea and constipation by boosting blood circulation and relaxing the muscles in the area.
The reason heat works so well is that it relaxes and stretches the abdominal muscles, reducing pain caused by muscle spasms. It also helps clear localized fluid retention and reduces swelling that can compress nerves and amplify pain. Aim for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, with a towel between your skin and the heat source to avoid burns.
Try Ginger
Ginger is one of the best-supported natural remedies for an upset stomach. It speeds up the movement of food through the digestive tract, which is especially helpful when your stomach ache comes from feeling overly full or sluggish after eating. It also protects the lining of the stomach and can reduce acid from flowing back up the esophagus after meals.
Beyond that, ginger eases bloating, cramping, and gas. You can use it as a tea (steep fresh slices in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes), chew on candied ginger, or add fresh ginger to food. There’s no single “correct” dose for stomach relief, but a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger steeped in a cup of water is a common starting point.
Adjust Your Position
How you sit or lie down matters more than most people realize. If your stomach ache involves acid reflux or heartburn, lying on your left side clears acid from the esophagus significantly faster than lying on your back or right side. A Harvard-affiliated study of 57 people with chronic heartburn found that while sleep position didn’t change how often acid backed up, left-side sleeping resolved the discomfort much more quickly.
If your pain is more about bloating or gas, gentle movement helps. A slow walk around your home can encourage trapped gas to move through your system. Avoid lying flat on your back, which tends to make both gas and reflux worse. Propping yourself up slightly with pillows, or sitting upright, keeps gravity working in your favor.
Choose the Right Foods
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) as the go-to for an upset stomach. It’s still a reasonable guide for what types of food to eat, but following it strictly is no longer recommended. Cleveland Clinic notes that the BRAT diet lacks calcium, vitamin B12, protein, and fiber. It’s fine for the first day when you feel your worst, but sticking to it beyond that can actually slow recovery, especially in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers a strict BRAT diet too restrictive for kids with diarrhea.
The better approach: use BRAT as a starting point and add other bland, soft foods as soon as you can tolerate them. Plain crackers, broth, boiled potatoes, steamed chicken, and oatmeal all count. Avoid anything greasy, spicy, or high in fat until the pain subsides. Dairy can go either way. If you know you tolerate it well, plain yogurt is fine. If not, skip it until your stomach settles.
Eating smaller portions also helps. A stomach ache often worsens when you eat a normal-sized meal because your digestive system is already struggling. Several small snacks spread over the day put less strain on your gut than three full meals.
Over-the-Counter Options by Symptom
Different types of stomach pain respond to different products, so picking the right one matters.
- Gas and bloating: Simethicone (sold as Gas-X and similar brands) works by combining small gas bubbles in your gut into larger ones, making it easier for trapped air to pass through your system naturally. It doesn’t get absorbed into your bloodstream, so side effects are rare.
- Heartburn or acid-related pain: Antacids neutralize stomach acid quickly. If the pain sits high in your abdomen or you feel a burning sensation behind your breastbone, this is the category to reach for.
- General upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea: Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) treats diarrhea, heartburn, and general stomach upset. It works by reducing fluid flow into the bowel and lowering inflammation in the intestine. It’s approved for adults and children 12 and older.
If you’re not sure what’s causing the pain, starting with heat and ginger before reaching for medication is a reasonable first step. Many stomach aches resolve on their own within a few hours.
Stay Hydrated, but Sip Slowly
Dehydration makes stomach aches worse and becomes a real concern if you’re also dealing with vomiting or diarrhea. Plain water is fine, but sipping it slowly is key. Gulping large amounts of water on an irritated stomach can trigger nausea or make cramping worse. Room-temperature or warm liquids tend to be gentler than ice-cold drinks. Broth is a good alternative because it replaces some of the sodium and electrolytes you lose through vomiting or diarrhea.
Avoid carbonated drinks, alcohol, and coffee until the pain passes. Carbonation adds gas to an already unhappy digestive system, and both alcohol and caffeine can increase stomach acid production.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most stomach aches are harmless and pass within hours. But certain symptoms alongside abdominal pain signal something more serious. Get medical help if your stomach ache comes with any of the following:
- Fever: suggests infection or inflammation that home remedies won’t resolve.
- Vomiting that looks green or yellow (bilious): can indicate a bowel obstruction.
- Blood in your vomit or stool: a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Severe pain with a rigid or distended abdomen: may point to a surgical emergency.
- Fainting or feeling like you might pass out: suggests significant blood loss or dehydration.
- Pain after recent abdominal surgery: could indicate a complication.
Pain that steadily worsens over several hours, localizes to one specific spot (especially the lower right abdomen), or doesn’t respond to any home treatment after 24 to 48 hours also warrants a call to your doctor.