Stomach issues refer to a broad range of discomforts or disorders affecting the stomach (the muscular sac in the upper abdomen that digests food), including pain, burning, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fullness after small meals, belching, acid reflux, indigestion (dyspepsia), or changes in appetite. Common underlying causes include gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining, often from H. pylori infection, NSAIDs, alcohol, or stress), peptic ulcers (sores in the stomach or upper small intestine lining), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD: acid backing up into the esophagus causing heartburn), functional dyspepsia (chronic indigestion without structural cause), viral/bacterial gastroenteritis (stomach flu with cramps, diarrhea, vomiting), food intolerances (e.g., lactose, gluten), overeating, hiatal hernia, or more serious conditions like gastric cancer or gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying). Symptoms can be acute (sudden and short-lived) or chronic (persistent or recurrent), often worsened by certain foods, stress, or lying down, and may accompany abdominal tenderness, weight loss, or black/tarry stools in severe cases.
