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Why Does My Stomach Hurt So Much? Appendicitis vs. Simple Indigestion

Sudden abdominal pain is an unwelcome guest that stops daily life. Especially when the pain is concentrated in the lower right abdomen, it is easy to fall into anxiety about whether it is appendicitis (appendicitis). It may be simple indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but appendicitis requires emergency surgery, so accurate judgment is important. In this column, we will explore various causes of abdominal pain and look closely at the early symptoms of appendicitis and the characteristics of general abdominal pain to be distinguished.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of "Why Does My Stomach Hurt So Much?": ① Functional Indigestion (decreased gastrointestinal function due to stress, irregular eating habits, etc.) / ② Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (abnormal bowel movement and hypersensitivity reaction) / ③ Damjeok Disease (waste accumulated on the outer wall of the gastrointestinal tract) Dalimchae Clinic fundamentally resolves the cause of abdominal pain through gut detox treatment by removing hardened Damjeok toxins from the outer wall of the stomach and stabilizing the gut-brain axis function.

Abdominal pain is a common symptom, but its causes and patterns are very diverse. In particular, appendicitis can be easily confused with simple indigestion or stomach upset in the early stages. Appendicitis pain usually starts around the navel and moves to the lower right abdomen within a few hours, tending to become sharper and stronger. It can be accompanied by worsening pain when coughing, sneezing, or moving, along with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a mild fever.

On the other hand, simple indigestion or gas pain is usually crampy and comes and goes, often relieved after passing gas or having a bowel movement. Damjeok disease caused by gastrointestinal toxins or IBS due to stress also causes abdominal pain, but they show chronic and repetitive characteristics rather than the rapid worsening pattern like appendicitis.

Main Signals to Suspect Appendicitis:

• Start and Movement of Pain: Starts around the navel and gradually moves to the lower right abdomen, concentrating and continuing in one place.
• Intensity and Pattern of Pain: The pain worsens over time and becomes more severe when walking, moving, or when coughing or sneezing.
• Accompanying Symptoms: Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and mild fever may occur.

If you have these symptoms, it is very important to visit a medical institution immediately for an accurate diagnosis.

Many people complain, "My stomach keeps hurting even though there's nothing wrong in the tests." Abdominal pain with no specific organic problems found in detailed tests such as endoscopy or CT is often functional gastrointestinal disorders. This includes functional indigestion, IBS, and functional abdominal pain syndrome. This functional abdominal pain is deeply related to the overload of the autonomic nervous system, the imbalance of the 'Gut-Brain Axis' that connects the gut and the brain.

Our body's gastrointestinal function is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. When the balance of the autonomic nervous system is broken due to stress, irregular lifestyle habits, or wrong eating habits, gastrointestinal motility decreases, the permeability of the intestinal wall increases (leaky gut syndrome), and inflammatory reactions are easily induced. This leads to various digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, and can even cause systemic symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and chronic fatigue.

At Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch, we focus on gut detox treatment for patients suffering from unknown abdominal pain and chronic digestive symptoms. Gut detox goes beyond simple symptom relief to remove waste (Damjeok) from the outer wall of the stomach, which is the root cause of abdominal pain, and improves the intestinal environment to regain the balance of the gut-brain axis.

A study by Professor Seok-jae Ko's research team at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, published in the journal Pharmaceuticals in 2026, confirmed that the herbal medicine 'Banhasasim-tang' improves symptoms by regulating inflammatory signaling pathways in the body in patients with IBS. In addition, a joint study by Dr. Hyung-jun Kim and Choi Yoo-jin of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and Professor Jin-sung Kim and Hana-yeon of Kyung Hee University in 2026 conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial on 60 adult patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS who meet the Rome IV criteria. In this study, the overall symptom improvement rate of the group taking 'Gwakjeong-tang-gami' for 4 weeks was 55.2%, which was more than twice as high as the 26.7% of the placebo group. During the 4-week intake period, not a single drug-related side effect or adverse reaction occurred, proving that patients with IBS who need long-term treatment can take it safely. The research team judged that a state where pain is reduced, severe abdominal pain is reduced by more than 30%, and the form of stool returns to the normal range must be maintained for more than half of the total treatment period as a significant effect.

These research results suggest a fundamental treatment possibility that herbal medicine can directly regulate intestinal inflammatory reactions and improve gut-brain axis function, beyond temporary symptom relief for functional abdominal pain including IBS. At Dalimchae Clinic, based on this data, we detoxify gut toxins, strengthen the broken intestinal wall, and restore gastrointestinal motility through herbal prescriptions tailored to each patient's constitution and symptoms, breaking the cycle of abdominal pain. This is the core of gut detox treatment that creates a healthy gastrointestinal environment that does not turn on again, not just suppressing symptoms.

Check how many items apply to you from the following questions.

1. Did the pain that started around the navel move to the lower right abdomen and gradually get worse?
2. Does the pain get worse when walking, moving, or when coughing or sneezing?
3. Do you lose your appetite and have nausea, vomiting, or a mild fever?
4. Do you stay awake all night because of abdominal pain, or does the pain not go away even after waking up in the morning?
5. Does the abdominal pain not get better at all after passing gas or having a bowel movement?
6. Does sudden and extreme abdominal pain that didn't exist before last for more than 4 hours?
7. Does your stomach not feel comfortable even after taking digestive medicine?
8. Is your stomach chronically bloated and do you have gas often?
9. When you get stressed, do you have abdominal pain accompanied by diarrhea or constipation?
10. Do you often feel that your hands and feet are cold or your stomach is weak?

Judgment Criteria:

• 1~3 items apply: It may be a simple indigestion or an early stage of functional gastrointestinal disorder. Consider lifestyle habit correction and gut detox treatment by consulting Dalimchae Clinic Songdo.
• 4~6 items apply: Since the possibility of emergency diseases such as appendicitis cannot be excluded, it is recommended to get an accurate diagnosis by receiving medical treatment immediately. If it is functional abdominal pain, it is better to start oriental medicine complex treatment after precision diagnosis at Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch.
• 7 or more items apply: Acute appendicitis is suspected, or it may be chronic Damjeok disease and serious gastrointestinal function decline. Immediate medical attention and professional treatment are required. In particular, find Songdo Abdominal Pain Clinic to identify the exact cause and start fundamental gut detox treatment.

A. No. Right lower abdominal pain can occur for various reasons such as IBS, enteritis, and in the case of women, ovulation pain or ectopic pregnancy, in addition to appendicitis. The pattern of pain, accompanying symptoms, and changes in pain must be comprehensively considered.

Q. Can functional indigestion or IBS be treated with oriental medicine? A. Yes, it is fully treatable. Functional gastrointestinal disorders occur due to complex causes such as autonomic nervous system imbalance and gut-brain axis abnormalities, as well as problems with the stomach itself, and oriental medicine has strengths in treating to restore this systemic balance.

Q. How long does Damjeok disease take? A. The treatment period for Damjeok disease can vary depending on the degree and period of Damjeok accumulation, the patient's constitution, and lifestyle habits. Generally, symptoms gradually improve with steady treatment and lifestyle management, and if the symptoms have been long-lasting, the treatment period may also be longer.

Q. What should I do right now when the abdominal pain is too severe? A. If you have extreme abdominal pain, it is best to fast first, drink small amounts of warm water, and keep the abdomen warm. However, if the pain does not improve and gets worse, or if other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea are accompanied, you should visit an emergency room or medical institution immediately.

The signal of "My stomach hurts so much" may be more than just discomfort, but an important warning from our body. You no longer have to ignore the body's signal that has been sent for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch, we will find the cause together with Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Clinic. Check your symptoms first with the AI consultation on our homepage!

This post is health information organized by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Oh Hyunmin, Korean Medicine Doctor at Dalimchae Clinic Songdo (Abdominal Symptoms Column)

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