On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• 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

Start Here

• Stomach (Merck & Co., Inc.)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Barium Swallow (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Gastric Emptying Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI Endoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Gastrectomy - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Gut Troubles: Pain, Gassiness, Bloating, and More (National Institutes of Health)

Specifics

• Disorders of the Stomach (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• 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 and Gastropathy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Gastroparesis (American College of Gastroenterology) Also in Spanish
• Gastroparesis (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• 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: 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: The Role of Helicobacter pylori Heat Shock Proteins in Gastric Diseases'...
• Article: The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Gene Combinations of cagA, cagE, virB11,...
• Article: Association Between Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Periodontal and Gastric Diseases: A...
• Stomach Disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Medical Definitions of Digestive Terms (International Foundation for 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 (GI Doctor) (American College of Gastroenterology)
• Find a SAGES Surgeon (Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons)
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

• Infantile pyloric stenosis - Series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pyloric Stenosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Talking about GI Disorders (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
• What to Do About Stomachaches (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What's Puke? (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Why Do I Burp? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Your Digestive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

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

Patient Handouts

• Bezoar (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dumping Syndrome (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• 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 in infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Upper GI and small bowel series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish