Top 10 Possible Causes of Abdominal Pain: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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Possible causes of abdominal pain

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Your digestive system is located in your abdomen: your stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine and large intestine, but pain can also arise in your abdominal wall, your skin or the muscles, for example. And sometimes the pain you feel in your abdomen can come from somewhere else, such as your chest, pelvis or back. How do you know what the exact cause is?

Also read: Stomach pain in children: what can you do yourself?

Describe abdominal pain

Stomach pain can take many forms. Only you know exactly what you feel. An accurate description of the pain can help your doctor find the exact cause of the pain.

Acute or chronic? Acute abdominal pain occurs suddenly and can be severe. It often indicates a specific condition or injury and sometimes requires immediate medical attention. Chronic abdominal pain develops gradually and lasts for at least three months. Chronic abdominal pain may indicate a condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or celiac disease.
What kind of pain? Mild or severe, dull or sharp, burning or stabbing, convulsive or colicky, constant or intermittent, local (in one place) or general (everywhere)…

Also read: Abdominal pain in children: a physical or psychological cause?

Locate abdominal pain

Naturally, the localization of the abdominal pain also plays an important role in finding the correct cause of your abdominal pain. Doctors often divide the abdomen into quadrants for this purpose. We list the serious conditions:

Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen is probably related to liver disease or gallbladder disease, such as: hepatitis (alcoholic, toxic, metabolic, viral or autoimmune), gallstones, cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation), bile duct cancer, gallstones and strictures, gallbladder cancer, liver cancer. It could also be a local problem in your duodenum, colon or right kidney, such as a kidney infection, kidney stone, duodenal ulcer, intestinal obstruction…

Pain in the upper left abdomen can indicate: pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas), pancreatic cancer, splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), gastritis, stomach ulcer, reflux of bile, stomach cancer, kidney inflammation, kidney stone… If the pain comes from your chest, it can also be caused by burning heartburn, angina, heart attack, pericarditis, pneumonia, pleurisy, pulmonary embolism…

Pain in the lower abdomen is probably related to stomach and intestinal diseases, but can also be caused by problems with your ureters, ovaries or uterus. For example, this may include: irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), obstruction of the large or small intestine, colon cancer, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peritonitis, intestinal (mesenteric) ischemic syndrome, hernia, kidney stones … Pain from the pelvic organs can be the result of endometriosis, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer…

Pain in the lower left abdomen is usually related to diverticulosis and diverticulitis of the colon. Diverticula (small bulges in the intestinal wall) can occur anywhere in your large intestine, but they usually occur on the lower left side.

Pain in the lower right side of the abdomen may be related to your appendix. It may be an inflammation (appendicitis) or, more rarely, appendiceal cancer.

Most common causes of abdominal pain

Most causes of abdominal pain are temporary and not serious. They may be related to digestion, menstruation or a temporary infection.

Abdominal pain after eating: indigestion, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies and intolerances, food poisoning…
Abdominal pain due to inflammation: viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu), peptic ulcer, chronic acid reflux (GERD), urinary tract infection…
Abdominal pain due to female gynecological system: menstrual cramps, ovulation pain, endometriosis…
However, abdominal pain can also be caused by stress (psychosomatic pain), visceral hypersensitivity, abdominal bloating, traumatic injuries, abdominal muscle strains or shingles (zona).

Also read: Kidney pain due to gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

What can you do about stomach ache?

If the pain is somewhat bearable, try to relieve the pain by:

Give your intestines a rest: only eat easily digestible food such as crackers.
Lots of water to drink.
Apply heat therapy: use a hot water bottle or take a warm bath.

Also read: Abdominal pain: symptoms of appendicitis

When to go to the doctor?

It is important to be alert to certain symptoms that may indicate a serious condition:

Persistent, severe or worsening pain
Pains accompanied by fever
Unusual weight loss
Persistent vomiting
Blood in your stool, urine or vomit
Swelling and tenderness to touch
Yellowing of the eyes and skin
Pain in another part of your body
Shortness of breath or symptoms that worsen with exertion

In such cases, it is better to seek medical help as soon as possible.

Also read: Blood in the stool: possible causes

Sources:

Last updated: March 2024

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2024-03-07 23:03:43
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