Most stomach aches resolve on their own within a few hours, and you can speed that process along with a combination of simple home remedies, the right foods, and targeted over-the-counter options. What works best depends on what’s causing the pain, whether that’s gas, indigestion, nausea, or something you ate. Here’s how to get relief.
Apply Heat to Your Stomach
A heating pad or hot water bottle placed on your abdomen is one of the fastest ways to ease cramping. Heat above 40°C (104°F) activates receptors in your skin that physically block pain signals from the organs underneath. Researchers at University College London found that these heat receptors shut down the chemical messengers responsible for sensing pain from the bowel and other hollow organs. This is why heat works so well for cramps, bloating, and period-related stomach pain.
Use a heating pad on a low-to-medium setting, or fill a hot water bottle and wrap it in a towel. Keep it on your stomach for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. This pairs well with resting in a comfortable position.
Try Ginger or Peppermint
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural remedies for nausea. You can use it as a tea (steep fresh sliced ginger in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes), chew on crystallized ginger, or take ginger capsules. It works by calming the muscles in your digestive tract and helping your stomach empty more efficiently.
Peppermint oil capsules are effective for cramping and bloating, particularly if you have irritable bowel syndrome. The NHS recommends one capsule three times a day, taken 30 to 60 minutes before eating. You can increase to two capsules per dose if one isn’t enough. If you’re buying peppermint oil over the counter, don’t take it for longer than two weeks without medical guidance. Peppermint tea is a gentler alternative that can still help with mild discomfort.
Stay Hydrated the Right Way
If your stomach ache comes with vomiting or diarrhea, dehydration becomes the bigger concern. Plain water helps, but your body also loses salt and sugar that it needs to absorb fluid properly. You can make a simple rehydration drink at home: mix about 4 cups of water with half a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Sip it slowly rather than gulping it down.
Avoid drinks that can make things worse. Caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages all irritate the stomach lining or increase acid production. Stick with water, diluted broth, or herbal tea until you’re feeling better.
Eat Bland Foods When You’re Ready
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), and it’s fine for a day or two when your stomach is at its worst. But there’s no clinical evidence that these four foods are better than other bland options, and restricting yourself to them for longer than a day or two means missing out on the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover.
Harvard Health recommends broadening your options to include brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal. Once your stomach starts settling, add cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, and avocado. These are all easy to digest but give your body more to work with during recovery.
Use the Right Over-the-Counter Remedy
Different stomach problems call for different products, and picking the wrong one won’t help.
- Antacids (calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide) neutralize stomach acid. They work best for heartburn, acid reflux, and that burning feeling in your upper stomach.
- Bismuth subsalicylate coats the stomach lining and reduces inflammation. It’s useful for nausea, general indigestion, and mild diarrhea.
- Simethicone breaks up gas bubbles. If your pain feels like pressure or bloating, especially after eating, this is the one to reach for.
- Loperamide slows your intestines and is specifically for controlling acute diarrhea. It won’t help with other types of stomach pain.
If your stomach ache is mostly nausea without diarrhea, bismuth subsalicylate or ginger are better starting points than loperamide or antacids.
Try Acupressure for Nausea
There’s a pressure point on your inner wrist called P-6 that can reduce nausea. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recommends this technique: hold your hand up with your palm facing you. Place three fingers from your other hand across your wrist, just below the crease where your wrist bends. The point is right below where your index finger lands. Press firmly with your thumb and hold for two to three minutes, then switch wrists. This is the same principle behind anti-nausea wristbands.
Lie on Your Left Side
If your stomach ache involves acid reflux or indigestion that worsens when you lie down, your sleeping position matters. The American Gastroenterological Association recommends lying on your left side. Because of how your stomach and esophagus are positioned, left-side lying uses gravity to keep acid from flowing back up. Lying on your right side or flat on your back does the opposite, letting acid pool near the opening to your esophagus. Elevating your head with an extra pillow adds further protection.
Identify Your Triggers
If stomach aches keep coming back, certain foods are common culprits. A group of poorly absorbed sugars called FODMAPs cause bloating, gas, and cramping in many people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome. The biggest offenders include garlic, onions, apples, pears, watermelon, chickpeas, lentils, mushrooms, cauliflower, dairy products like milk and yogurt, and wheat-based foods.
Beyond specific foods, high-fat meals, caffeine, alcohol, and stress all trigger stomach symptoms independently. Keeping a simple food diary for a couple of weeks can reveal patterns you might not notice otherwise. Write down what you ate, when your stomach hurt, and how severe it was. Patterns tend to emerge quickly.
Consider Probiotics After Illness
If your stomach ache was caused by a stomach bug or food poisoning, probiotics can help your gut recover faster. Not all strains are equally effective, though. A large evidence review found that certain strains significantly shortened the duration of diarrhea compared to placebo. The yeast-based probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii showed the strongest effect, followed by Bifidobacterium and Limosilactobacillus reuteri. Interestingly, some widely marketed strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus showed no significant benefit for reducing diarrhea duration, and one strain (Lactobacillus casei) was actually associated with prolonging symptoms. Look for products that list specific strains on the label rather than just genus names.
Signs That Need Immediate Attention
Most stomach aches are harmless, but certain patterns signal something more serious. Seek emergency care if your abdominal pain is sudden and excruciating, if you have a fever with severe stomach pain, or if your abdomen feels rigid and tender when you press on it. Pain that gets significantly worse when you cough, tap your heel on the ground, or release pressure after pressing on your belly suggests inflammation of the abdominal lining.
Other warning signs include vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, black or bloody stools, inability to keep any fluids down for more than 12 hours, or stomach pain following an injury. Severe pain that comes on within seconds and doesn’t let up can indicate a ruptured organ, blocked blood vessel, or other conditions that require surgery.