Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain causes discomfort between the pelvis and chest. Most cases are mild and there is nothing to worry about. Your doctor will diagnose and treat it.

Abdominal pain is the kind of discomfort between your chest and pelvis. Most abdominal pain cases are mild and have common causes such as muscle strain or indigestion. There aren’t many reasons to worry and your doctor will be able to diagnose as well as treat the problem easily. Sometimes, it might be a sign of serious illness that requires medical attention.

Abdominal pain can be of the following types:

Acute pain – This starts within a few hours or days and may have other symptoms with it.
Chronic pain – This generally lasts for a long time which can be from weeks to months or more and may come and go.
Progressive pain – This becomes worse over time and usually comes along with other symptoms.

Where abdominal pain can occur

Right upper quadrant – Liver, pancreas, gallbladder, intestines and right kidney are located at the right upper quadrant. When there is pain beneath the ribs, this may affect any of these organs or surrounding tissues.
Left upper quadrant – The left upper quadrant is abdominal area located on left side of abdomen where there is pain.
Right lower quadrant – The Right Lower Quadrant is the abdominal area divided in four quarters from the bottom of ribs to pubic hair. Your Right Lower Quadrant is the quarter on your right side below your belly button.
Left lower quadrant – The left lower quadrant is among the quadrants of abdomen found between the ribs and pubic hair in four halves.

Causes of abdominal pain

unusual growths
intestinal disorders
inflammation
blockage or obstruction
infection
diseases affecting the organs in your abdomen
constipation
vomiting
diarrhea
acid reflux
Stress
gastroenteritis

Symptoms of Abdominal Pain

Generalized Pain – This pain is felt in more than half of the abdominal area and is typical of indigestion, stomach viruses or gas as the cause of pain.
Localized Pain – This refers to the pain felt in one area of your abdomen and is a problem with an organ like appendix, gallbladder or stomach as the cause of pain.
Cramps – This kind of pain come and go or may change in its severity in the abdomen. Cramps can rarely be serious and is typical of passing a stool, gas or menstruation as the cause of pain.
Colicky Pain – This pain will come and go but seems to be severe and start and end suddenly. It is typical of gallbladder or kidney stones as the cause of pain.

How to diagnose abdominal pain

The healthcare provider will ask detailed questions about your pain. They will tell you:

What it feels like.
Where you feel it.
Whether it comes and goes
If it is becoming worse
If it remains in one place or moves further
How long you have had it
What can make it better or worse
What other symptoms you may have

Your answers will enable the healthcare provider to determine whether you are in need of emergency treatment. He will even tell you if the pain is temporary and not serious. Sometimes they may suspect serious condition and may conduct few tests. Your pain may subside or you may have to return back for further investigation.

Risk factors of abdominal pain

Old age – Diverticulitis is common cause of abdominal pain for elderly people. It is possible to treat it on outpatient basis by giving oral antibiotics. There can be obstructions of small and large bowels which are caused by adhesion disease or cancer in the elderly people and may require a surgery.
Prior abdominal surgery – Prior abdominal surgery or PAS was previous abdominal surgery performed through laparotomy or laparoscopy. It had been categorized into two categories such as – Major and Minor prior abdominal surgery.
History of bowel disorders – Gastroesophageal reflux disease, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, hiatal hernia and cancer are common bowel disorders. You might even experience other problems such as – constipation, bleeding, diarrhoea, bloating, vomiting, nausea, discomfort and heartburn.
Exposure to stomach virus – A person can get stomach flu in 12 to 48 hours after their initial exposure. It is possible to diagnose stomach flu mostly on symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, muscle pains and low-grade temperature.

How to get rid of abdominal pain

You can treat yourself in the following ways:

Bowel rest. Eat easy-to-digest food items only such as bananas or crackers Hydration. Drink lots of water for proper hydration
Heat therapy. Try warm water in a bottle or soak in the bath.
Home remedies. Try ginger for indigestion, licorice for gas or peppermint to relax the intestinal muscles.

Home remedies for abdominal pain

Soda and bitters
heating pad
ginger
peppermint
chamomile tea
apple cider vinegar
warm bath
BRAT diet like apple sauce, bananas, toast, rice

When should you worry about abdomen pain?

You need to seek for medical help right away when the abdominal pain is extremely sharp, sudden and sudden. You also experience pain in your neck, shoulder or chest. You vomit blood, have black or tarry stools and bloody diarrhea.

How will you know the cause of your abdominal pain?

Food poisoning, intolerance of lactose, constipation, food allergies, stomach viruses and irritable bowel syndrome are some significant causes of abdominal pain.

How long will abdominal pain last?

Most stomach aches are not serious at all and will go away after a few days.

When you should visit a doctor

When the abdominal pain gets serious, doesn't go away or keeps coming back, you need to speak with the doctor. Also, if the belly hurts due to recent injury or you experience chest pain. You should also consult with the doctor immediately when you have nay of these symptoms along with pain such as:

Fever
Pain while urinating or peeing
Cannot store food for more than 2 days
Signs you are dehydrated, not urinating frequently, dark-colored urine and very thirsty
Cannot have bowel movement when you are vomiting

Visit your doctor right away when abdominal pain becomes severe!