Abdominal pain. Acute abdomen. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. Reviewed by: Michael M. Editorial team. Considerations Almost everyone has pain in the abdomen at some point. Most of the time, it is not serious. How bad your pain is does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. Other ways to describe pain in your abdomen include: Generalized pain -- This means that you feel it in more than half of your belly.
This type of pain is more typical for a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. If the pain becomes more severe, it may be caused by a blockage of the intestines. Localized pain -- This is pain found in only one area of your belly. It is more likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ, such as the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach.
Cramp-like pain -- This type of pain is not serious most of the time. It is likely to be due to gas and bloating, and is often followed by diarrhea. More worrisome signs include pain that occurs more often, lasts more than 24 hours, or occurs with a fever. Colicky pain -- This type of pain comes in waves. It very often starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe. Kidney stones and gallstones are common causes of this type of belly pain. Causes Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain.
Less serious causes of abdominal pain include: Constipation Irritable bowel syndrome Food allergies or intolerance such as lactose intolerance Food poisoning Stomach flu Other possible causes include: Appendicitis Abdominal aortic aneurysm bulging and weakening of the major artery in the body Bowel blockage or obstruction Cancer of the stomach, colon large bowel , and other organs Cholecystitis inflammation of the gallbladder with or without gallstones Decreased blood supply to the intestines ischemic bowel Diverticulitis inflammation and infection of the colon Endometriosis Heartburn , indigestion , or gastroesophageal reflux GERD Inflammatory bowel disease Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis Kidney stones Muscle strain Pancreatitis swelling or infection of the pancreas Pelvic inflammatory disease PID Ruptured ovarian cyst Severe menstrual cramps Tubal ectopic pregnancy Ulcers Urinary tract infections.
Home Care You can try the following home care steps to ease mild abdominal pain: Sip water or other clear fluids. You may have sports drinks in small amounts. People with diabetes must check their blood sugar often and adjust their medicines as needed. If you have been vomiting, wait 6 hours, and then eat small amounts of mild foods such as rice, applesauce, or crackers.
Avoid dairy products. Learn more. Sometimes the digestive tract does not function properly due to an abnormality with the structure of an organ. Medical imaging will show that the organ does not look normal and is not working properly. The gastrointestinal system has its own nervous system to control the muscle contractions that digest the food you eat. Functional problems, also called motility disorders, result from poor nerve and muscle function in the digestive tract.
Gastrointestinal GI organs with motility problems will usually look normal on medical imaging tests, such as CT scans or MRI scans , but the organs do not work like they should.
This type of pain is often caused by problems in a particular organ. The most common cause of localized pain is stomach ulcers open sores on the inner lining of the stomach. Cramp-like pain may be associated with diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or flatulence.
In women, it can be associated with menstruation, miscarriage, or reproductive complications. This pain comes and goes, and may go away on its own without treatment. Colicky pain is a symptom of more severe conditions, such as gallstones or kidney stones.
This pain occurs suddenly, and may feel like a severe muscle spasm. Mild abdominal pain may go away without treatment.
However, in some cases, abdominal pain may warrant a trip to the doctor. Call if your abdominal pain is severe and associated with trauma from an accident or injury or pressure or pain in your chest. The cause of abdominal pain can be diagnosed through a series of tests. Before ordering tests, your doctor will do a physical examination.
This includes gently pressing on various areas of your abdomen to check for tenderness and swelling. This information, combined with the severity of the pain and its location within the abdomen, will help your doctor determine which tests to order. Imaging tests, such as MRI scans , ultrasounds , and X-rays , are used to view organs, tissues, and other structures in the abdomen in detail. These tests can help diagnose tumors, fractures, ruptures, and inflammation.
Blood, urine, and stool samples may also be collected to look for evidence of bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Some reasons for belly pain are easy to spot, like when someone gets hit in the gut or eats spoiled macaroni salad. Oher times, it might be hard to figure out. When you get a pain in your stomach , it might be an actual problem right in your stomach, but not necessarily.
Your abdomen is more than your stomach. It's more than your intestines. It's the whole area between your chest and your pelvic hip bones. With so many organs in the abdomen, different problems can have similar symptoms. Your doctor will first ask you some questions, examine you, and maybe do some tests. Your doctor may suggest you take some medicine or might give you special instructions for eating to help your body heal the bellyache.
If it turns out that you have appendicitis, you will need an operation called an appendectomy say: app-en-DEK-tuh-mee. If stress is behind your stomach problems, your doctor may recommend a specialist, such as a psychologist.
These experts can help kids figure out the source of the stress and help them come up with some ideas for how to fix the problems or handle them better.
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