Sharp, stabbing stomach pain that comes and goes can occur with gas or indigestion. However, it may also indicate a health condition that requires medical attention.

Severe stomach pain can sometimes be traced to indigestion.

However, most cases of sharp pain in your abdomen require a healthcare professional’s diagnosis and prompt treatment.

It’s important to keep a record of other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or confusion.

Keep reading to learn more about the potential causes, symptoms, and treatments of sharp stomach pain.

Appendicitis is inflammation of your appendix, a tubed organ.

Sudden, sharp pain in the lower right part of your abdomen may be a sign of appendicitis. Nausea, vomiting, and bloating are other common symptoms.

Though appendicitis is most commonly felt in the right lower quadrant, it’s possible to experience it as a referred pain in another area of the body.

Treatment

The usual treatment for appendicitis is the surgical removal of your appendix, known as appendectomy.

Gallstones are stone-like objects that can form in your gallbladder or bile ducts. Cholesterol or bilirubin comprise the stones.

When gallstones block a duct in your gallbladder, you’ll feel intense pain in your abdomen that may last up to 5 hours. The pain is from inflammation of the gallbladder, which is called cholecystitis.

Other symptoms of cholecystitis include:

Treatment

You may only require treatment for gallstones if you experience symptoms or complications.

Treatment may include medications or laparoscopic surgery to dissolve or remove the stones. Sometimes the entire gallbladder needs to be removed.

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries that can form by themselves during ovulation.

If they become large enough or rupture, ovarian cysts can cause intense pain in the lower abdomen, usually on the side of the body where the cyst is.

Bloating, swelling, and pressure in the area may also occur.

Treatment

Ovarian cysts usually go away on their own, but sometimes they need to be surgically removed.

Irritable bowel diseases are digestive tract conditions that cause mild or severe pain before a bowel movement.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you’ll notice patterns in your abdominal pain because it usually occurs after eating certain foods and improves after a bowel movement.

Other symptoms include:

Treatment

Treatment for IBS may include a combination of lifestyle and dietary changes and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is most often an infection in your bladder. Other parts of your urinary tract can also become infected, including your urethra and kidneys.

In addition to abdominal pain, a UTI causes a burning sensation during urination and a frequent urge to urinate.

Treatment

UTIs are usually treated with antibiotics and home remedies.

Indigestion is a common set of symptoms you may experience after eating.

Eating too quickly, drinking alcohol and fatty foods, and eating while you feel anxious can all cause indigestion.

Gas is a symptom in which you have trapped air in your digestive tract. Gas and indigestion can cause sharp pain in your upper abdomen or lower intestine. This pain usually resolves itself after you’ve had a bowel movement.

Treatment

Indigestion and gas pain can be treated with several OTC medications, including:

Gastroenteritis is also called the “stomach flu,” even though it isn’t caused by a flu virus.

Gastroenteritis is an infection in your intestines that causes:

  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • sharp stomach pains

Stomach flu symptoms are uncomfortable but aren’t considered an emergency unless you become dehydrated.

Treatment

Treatment for gastroenteritis may include:

  • plenty of rest
  • drinking fluids
  • taking OTC medications, such as loperamide (Imodium)

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the lining of your stomach.

It’s most commonly caused by long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or an infection of Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

Peptic ulcers cause a dull, burning abdominal pain. A peptic ulcer needs to be diagnosed and treated so that it can heal, but most of the time, it’s not a medical emergency.

Treatment

Peptic ulcers are typically treated with proton pump inhibitors or antibiotics, depending on their cause.

Eating food you’re allergic or sensitive to can cause sharp abdominal pain, gas, and indigestion as your body works to digest it.

Unless you have food allergies that put you at risk for anaphylaxis, abdominal pain from food allergies or sensitivities is not an emergency. You may also notice bloating or diarrhea after eating food your body can’t digest properly.

Treatment

If you have lactose intolerance, speak with a healthcare professional about replacement enzyme pills, which may allow you to consume dairy without discomfort.

Between 1% and 2% of pregnancies are ectopic pregnancies

An egg that implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus cannot sustain a pregnancy to full term.

Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy may include:

Symptoms usually occur during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

If you experience sudden, sharp, and severe abdominal pain, get immediate medical attention. This may indicate ectopic rupture, which could be life threatening.

Treatment

Ectopic pregnancies need to be treated with medication and surgery to save the fallopian tubes and preserve fertility.

Speak with a healthcare professional if you suspect this condition.

Around the time of ovulation, it’s not uncommon to experience stomach pain.

Before the egg is dropped, the ovary may feel “stretched” just before the egg is released, causing some pain in the lower abdomen. This pain can feel intense, but it shouldn’t last more than a few hours.

There’s currently no treatment for ovulation pain, but oral contraceptives may lessen its severity.

Food poisoning happens when bacteria in the food you eat infect your digestive tract.

The most common symptoms include:

  • sharp stomach pain
  • diarrhea
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • fever

Treatment

Food poisoning is acute, meaning it begins quickly and doesn’t usually last very long. It’ll typically resolve on its own without medical intervention.

It’s important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

There are some instances when a healthcare professional should address your abdominal pain right away.

Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience:

  • abdominal pain that worsens
  • unexplained weight loss
  • frequent or recurring bloating and stomach pain
  • changes in urinary habits
  • pain when urinating
  • diarrhea that lasts 3 days
  • vaginal or anal bleeding or discharge
When should I go to the ER for sharp abdominal pain?

Call 911 or your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency room if you experience any of the following:

  • sudden, severe abdominal pain
  • abdominal pain during pregnancy
  • unable to pee, fart, or pass stool
  • black, tarry, or bloody stools
  • pain when your touch your abdomen
  • bloody vomiting
  • chest pain

A healthcare professional will ask you questions about your symptoms and the nature of your pain.

They may also perform several tests to evaluate your abdominal pain, including:

Why am I getting sharp pains in my stomach on and off?

Causes of sharp pains that come and go may include indigestion, IBS, UTIs, and ovulation.

Should I be concerned about stomach pain that comes and goes?

Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience sudden, severe stomach pain or a stomach ache accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, bloody stools, and unexplained weight loss.

The causes of sharp abdominal pain range in severity. Though a little discomfort after eating or occasional indigestion happens to all of us, deep inner pain shouldn’t be ignored.

Watch for other symptoms as you monitor your abdominal pain, and call a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing severe pain.