What is Abdominal Pain?
Abdominal pain occurs between your chest and groin area and is colloquially known as a stomachache.
Your abdominal pain may manifest as cramps, aches, or sharp or dull pains that can be acute, chronic, or progressive. Your organs located in your stomach region–the appendix, gallbladder, intestines, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and spleen, can cause abdominal pain. Abdominal pain usually is not serious and can be caused by everyday things such as the food you have eaten or gas. Everyone has experienced abdominal pain in some form at some point in their life, but if your pain or symptoms become chronic, you should contact your medical professional. Some causes of pain may be benign, such as gas or constipation, but others may be more dangerous, such as colon cancer.
Treatment Options
Prevention: Sometimes, the best way to treat abdominal pain is to prevent it from happening by making simple changes to your lifestyle habits:
- Avoid smoking, alcohol, and other drugs
- Drink beverages at room temperature
- Don’t eat food you’re allergic to or that gives you gas or indigestion
- Eat a low-FODMAP diet for those with IBS or BRAT diet
- Heat therapy can help relieve cramps or sore muscles
- Surgery: For conditions such as appendicitis or cancer, you may need surgery to remove the affected organs
- Eat smaller portions
- Drink more water
- Cook your meat thoroughly
- Manage your stress
- Natural remedies: mint tea or candies, yoga, or ginger
- Medication: Over-the-counter medication, such as acetaminophen, may relieve stomach pain. Pamprin or Midol can help relieve abdominal pain associated with menstruation. Medications such as Pepto Bismol or Gas-X can help relieve symptoms
Diagnostic Tests
Because a myriad of sources can cause abdominal pain, your doctor will conduct a thorough physical exam.
They’ll inquire about your symptoms, what kind of pain you’re having, the duration of your symptoms, and what you’ve already tried to relieve the pain. To better diagnose you, your doctor may order tests such as:
- Stool, urine, or blood tests
- Imaging tests: X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan
- Colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or endoscopy
Types of Abdominal Pain
- Generalized: pain in more than half of your stomach
- Cramp-like: caused by diarrhea, bloating, gas, menstruation, constipation
- Localized: pain in one part of your stomach
- Colicky: severe pain typically caused by kidney or gallstones
Common Causes of Abdominal Pain
The most common cause of abdominal pain is related to the digestive system, and most abdominal pain will dissipate without medical treatment.
Causes
- Allergies or intolerances to foods, such as lactose intolerance or Celiac Disease
- Cramps associated with menstruation
- Diseases affecting your organs located in your stomach, such as:
- Appendicitis
- Cancer
- Constipation
- Gall- or Kidney Stones
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or Acid Reflux
- Hernia
- Inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Kidney Disease
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
- Food poisoning
- Pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy
- Side effect from a medication
- Sleeping in the wrong position or soreness following an intense abdominal or oblique workout
- Stress or anxiety
- Trauma to the stomach region
- Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections: flu, cold, COVID-19, intestinal parasites
