We look at the timing of symptoms before the location
Within the phrase "my stomach feels uncomfortable,"
we distinguish between different patterns
Upper abdominal pain and reflux, abdominal pain linked to bowel movements, and gas or bloating each require different clarifying questions. Start by observing how symptoms change before and after meals and bowel movements.
Start with the clues you see now rather than a diagnosis
Look for clues in the timing and location of the discomfort
Rather than memorizing the names of tests, narrow down the guidance by noting if it occurs immediately after meals, between the solar plexus and the throat, before or after bowel movements, or if it is accompanied by pulsating sensations or sleep disturbances.
Guide to 17 conditions in total
Heartburn · Satiety · Reflux
Upper Abdominal, Stomach, and Esophageal Discomfort
Distinguish between symptoms around the stomach and esophagus, such as epigastric pain, early satiety, heartburn, acid reflux, or a sensation of something stuck in the throat.
Functional Dyspepsia
The core of functional dyspepsia is postprandial fullness (feeling full for a long time even after eating little), early satiety (difficulty finishing a normal meal), or pain and burning localized in the epigastric area. It is divided into Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS), centered on postprandial fullness and early satiety, and Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS), centered on epigastric pain and burning, though these two patterns can overlap. Bloating, nausea, and belching may also occur; if heartburn or reflux behind the sternum is the primary symptom, GERD is examined separately. Conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as gastroparesis or peptic ulcers, are first distinguished through necessary tests. Do not dismiss hematemesis (vomiting blood), melena (black stools), difficulty swallowing, frequent or persistent vomiting, unintentional weight loss, jaundice, or persistent severe pain as functional. If chest pain spreads to the jaw, neck, or arms, or if you experience shortness of breath, an emergency cardiac evaluation is the priority.
View condition guide →
Non-Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD)
Non-Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD) is a pattern where typical reflux symptoms are present, but no esophageal erosion is visible on endoscopy. The fact that an endoscopy is normal does not mean the symptoms are fake, but not all heartburn is caused by reflux. If the response to medication is insufficient, the dosage and diagnosis are reviewed, and if necessary, pH or impedance tests are performed to distinguish other causes such as esophageal hypersensitivity or functional heartburn.
View condition guide →
Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS)
Epigastric Pain Syndrome (EPS) is a pattern of functional dyspepsia centered on pain or burning in the epigastric area. It does not only occur after meals and can overlap with Postprandial Distress Syndrome. If there is melena, hematemesis, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, persistent vomiting, or if pain newly intensifies, do not dismiss it as a functional symptom and prioritize a cause evaluation.
View condition guide →
Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS)
Postprandial Distress Syndrome (PDS) is a pattern of functional dyspepsia centered on postprandial fullness and early satiety. Even if necessary evaluations, such as a gastroscopy, show no structural diseases to explain the symptoms, symptoms can occur due to differences in how the stomach accepts and moves food, or changes in gastric sensory sensitivity. To identify the timeline of your symptoms, it is more important to record 'how much you ate when you felt blocked and how many hours it lasted' than to record pain.
View disease information →
Reflux Laryngitis
In reflux laryngitis, also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux, symptoms such as hoarseness, voice changes, frequent throat clearing or coughing, globus sensation (feeling as if a lump is caught in the throat), a feeling of mucus accumulation, or sore throat may recur after meals, at night, or in the morning. This can occur even without heartburn or acid reflux, but these symptoms alone cannot confirm reflux. Other laryngeal causes, such as colds, allergies, post-nasal drip, vocal overuse, vocal cord nodules, polyps, or paralysis, can create similar symptoms. If you experience difficulty breathing, stridor, food or water getting stuck, blood-tinged secretions, a lump in the throat, or weight loss, do not wait for reflux to resolve and seek prompt medical evaluation.
View disease information →
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Typical symptoms of GERD include a burning sensation rising from the center of the chest toward the throat and the feeling of sour or bitter gastric contents rising into the throat or mouth. These worsen after meals, when bending over, or after lying down, and may cause awakening at night due to acid reflux or coughing. Chest pain, nausea, chronic cough, or hoarseness may appear without heartburn, but these symptoms overlap with heart, respiratory, or laryngeal diseases. New compressive chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath or cold sweats requires immediate cardiac emergency evaluation; food getting stuck, painful swallowing, vomiting blood, black stools, persistent vomiting, or weight loss require prompt gastrointestinal evaluation.
View disease information →
Gastritis
Many people with gastritis or gastropathy have no symptoms. If symptoms are present, they may include pain, discomfort, or burning in the epigastric area, nausea or vomiting, early satiety and postprandial fullness (feeling full after only a few spoonfuls), and loss of appetite or weight. Gastritis is inflammation of the mucosa, while a peptic ulcer is a deeper wound in the stomach or duodenum, so they are not the same. Since the degree of inflammation seen on an endoscopy does not always correlate with the level of discomfort felt, not all upper abdominal symptoms are explained by gastritis alone. If you vomit blood or coffee-colored material, have black stools, dizziness, or shortness of breath, evaluate for bleeding; if sudden upper abdominal discomfort is accompanied by chest pain, cold sweats, shortness of breath, or pain radiating to the jaw, neck, or arms, evaluate for heart problems first.
View disease information →Diarrhea · Constipation · Mixed
Abdominal Pain and Changes in Bowel Movements
Please record abdominal pain related to bowel movements, stool shape, frequency, urgency, and nighttime symptoms to help identify the type of intestinal disorder.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The core of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms is the occurrence of recurrent abdominal pain associated with bowel movements, along with changes in the frequency and form of stool. There is the diarrhea-predominant type, characterized by loose stools and a sudden urgent need to defecate; the constipation-predominant type, characterized by hard stools, straining, and a strong feeling of incomplete evacuation; and the mixed type, where both patterns alternate. Abdominal bloating and white mucus may accompany these symptoms, and they may fluctuate after meals, in the morning, during sleep, or due to tension; however, diarrhea or gas alone is not diagnosed as IBS. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a different condition where intestinal inflammation and damage are confirmed; therefore, if there is bloody stool, black stool, anemia, unexplained weight loss, fever, or diarrhea that wakes you up at night, it is not dismissed as IBS. Severe dehydration or persistent vomiting requires prompt gastrointestinal or emergency evaluation first.
View condition guide →
Chronic Constipation
Chronic constipation is not judged by the number of bowel movements per week alone. We also look at whether there is a recurrence of hard, dry, or lumpy stools; straining or painful bowel movements; a feeling of incomplete evacuation; a feeling of blockage at the anus; and difficulty evacuating without the help of fingers or perineal pressure. If there is a feeling of blockage at the exit and repeated digital manipulation despite loose stools, we also check for issues in the evacuation process, such as pelvic floor dyssynergia. Even if you go to the bathroom every day, an evaluation is necessary if you sit for a long time due to these symptoms and it disrupts your commute, outings, or sleep. If sudden severe abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and vomiting occur, and no stool or gas is passed at all, or if there is bloody stool, rectal bleeding, fever, or unintended weight loss, do not take more laxatives and seek prompt medical evaluation.
View condition guide →
Chronic Diarrhea
If loose stools continue for more than 4 weeks or repeat a cycle of improving and worsening, it is time to analyze the cause rather than simply reducing the frequency with antidiarrheals. Organizing the start date, whether you wake up at night, foods eaten and medications taken, weight changes, and the shape of the stool helps determine whether to first check for food intolerance, medication, infection, inflammatory diseases, or functional diarrhea.
View condition guide →Bloating · Gas · Postprandial
Gas, Bloating, and Food Reactions
We gradually distinguish post-meal bloating, gas, and recurring discomfort after specific foods without imposing excessive dietary restrictions.
Gas and Abdominal Bloating
Gas occurs in everyone and frequency alone does not indicate a disease. The problem arises when a feeling of fullness in the stomach, actual abdominal distension, burping, flatulence, pain, and changes in bowel movements recur frequently, leading you to change your meetings, dining out, or clothing. We sequentially examine eating habits (eating too fast), fermented foods, constipation, and intestinal sensory sensitivity; if there are suddenly changed symptoms, weight loss, or bleeding, the cause is evaluated first.
View condition guide →
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain first requires ruling out suddenly worsening pain and acute dangerous symptoms such as bleeding, fainting, or persistent vomiting. If there are no such causes and tests show no significant abnormalities, but the same pain recurs over a long period depending on meals, bowel movements, sleep, or stress, it is time to examine not only the location of the pain but also bowel motility, sensory hypersensitivity, and overall body temperature and energy levels.
View condition guide →
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
SIBO refers to a state where the number or composition of bacteria in the small intestine changes, leading to symptoms or abnormal test results, although there are limitations in its definition and test interpretation. After reviewing risk factors such as a history of abdominal surgery or decreased bowel motility, nutritional status, and other gastrointestinal diseases along with post-meal bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, necessary evaluations such as breath tests are selected.
View condition guide →
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance symptoms typically manifest as abdominal bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea within a few hours after eating specific foods or ingredients, lasting from several hours to several days. Nausea, constipation, fatigue, and headaches may overlap, but as these are non-specific, we examine the name of the food, the amount consumed, the start time, and the recurrence. Lactose intolerance presents as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea after consuming dairy products, with intensity varying by amount. If sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat occurs, or if wheezing, difficulty breathing, or fainting occurs, treat it as a food allergy emergency rather than intolerance.
View condition guide →Tension · Palpitations · Dizziness · Fatigue
Digestive and Systemic Symptoms Not Easily Detected by Tests
We examine gastrointestinal discomfort that cannot be explained by test results alone, as well as gut-brain and autonomic nervous system symptoms that fluctuate together, such as sleep issues, anxiety, palpitations, and dizziness.
Damjeok-byeong
'Damjeok-byeong' is not a single diagnostic name in modern medicine nor does it refer to a mass seen on an endoscopy. At Baekrokdam, we use this term strictly as a Korean medicine clinical category to describe a group of patients who experience recurring blockage in the solar plexus, early satiety, bloating, belching, changes in bowel movements, along with headaches, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, even after other causes have been ruled out through necessary tests. Abdominal tension and tenderness are reference clues and are not used for diagnosis on their own.
View condition guide →
Nervous Gastritis
'Nervous gastritis' is not so much a standard diagnostic name as it is a common expression used to describe epigastric pain or burning that worsens with stress, early satiety (feeling full after eating very little), and prolonged bloating after meals. These symptoms can appear in functional dyspepsia related to the interaction between the stomach and the brain, and may overlap with bloating, nausea, and belching. However, the presence of stress alone does not mean it is functional; other causes such as medications, Helicobacter pylori, gastritis, or ulcers must be evaluated. Vomiting blood, black stools, repeated vomiting, difficulty swallowing, unintended weight loss, chest pressure, or shortness of breath require prompt medical evaluation.
View Condition Guide →
Digestive Symptoms Accompanied by Gut-Brain and Autonomic Nerve Issues
Functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome are gut-brain interaction disorders involving the regulation of signals between the gut and the brain. Tension, insomnia, and anxiety can alter symptoms, but this does not mean they are caused by 'being mentally weak.' We examine the bidirectional relationship between gastrointestinal motility and sensation, autonomic nerve responses, sleep, and diet, while first ruling out symptoms that require evaluation for other causes, such as palpitations, fainting, or chest pain.
View Condition Guide →