Your cramps continue for a week or more. What Your Symptom Is Telling You S tomach cramps are the evil henchmen of your gut. They never mastermind their own crime. Of course, all these digestive disorders have other symptoms. But like a siren on a police cruiser, it's the cramps that get your attention.
Stomach cramps are usually a painful squeezing sensation that comes and goes over a span of minutes.
The squeezing sensation does not always originate in your stomach, by the way. Sometimes the trouble is further down. What you perceive as stomach cramps are actually spasms of the intestines. What you put in your mouth is another common cause of stomach cramps. And not enough fiber or water are the leading causes of both constipation and diarrhea, often linked to cramping, says Dr. Luxson.