Treating a Stomachache Caused by Dehydration

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the hospital, mainly because I would get these massive cramps in my stomach, like it was in the worst knots ever. I would be doubled over in bed running to the bathroom one minute and hunched over the next. I quickly became familiar with a word known as dehydration.

As it turned out, I was one of those kids who needed to drink a lot of water in order to stay hydrated. That meant more water than the average kid does. Even to this day people will see me walking around with a half gallon jug that I refill every few hours or so. It did not help that I played competitive sports growing up. I was always either on my bike, riding my skateboard, at basketball practice or at the gym trying to jump in a game.

There are warning signs to getting dehydrated. One of the first warning signs is being thirsty. You should never allow your body to get to this point. Once it gets there, it is already a little too late as your body is already becoming dehydrated. Combat this with drinking water throughout the day. Drinking fluids that contain caffeine counter act your hydration attempts. Caffeine containing drinks such as soda or coffee act as a diuretic, meaning it causes you to have to urinate more often. This ultimately leads to fluid loss.

Another dehydration warning sign is the onset of bad stomach cramping or in lay man's terms, a very sore tummy ache. There is no mistaking the feeling you get in the pit of your tummy when the cramps start coming. It feels like you have just been kicked in the stomach and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

The next sign you get is diarrhea. And let me tell you, this is NO fun at all. Diarrhea is just watery stool or your tell tale sign that something is wrong. So how do you deal with all of this? How can you help out your tummy? Here is how:

First start drinking fluids that contain electrolytes to help replace the lost fluids. A drink such as Gatorade, PowerAde or Pedialyte usually works best. Then to help with the diarrhea I would start with Pepto Bismol, this also helps with the upset stomach. If you don't really have an upset stomach you can get by with Imodium AD, my personal favorite. There are many other over the counter medications that you can try, but I have found that these have worked best for me. Also, letting the pharmacist know what you are experiencing will allow him to recommend products to help you.

Also keep in mind if the pain is persistent to see your Doctor immediately. It may not be dehydration; it just may be the stomach flu. So remember, the key to helping a tummy ache experiencing dehydration is Gatorade and Pepto Bismol, if it persists - see your Doctor. Hope you feel better!