Stomach ache

Abdominal pain (med.: abdominal pain) or abdominal cramps occurs at least once in every person. Most often, they go away after some time. However, in some cases the pain is long-lasting and chronic.

Why does my stomach hurt?

The causes of pain are very diverse - most of them are relatively harmless. But there are also serious diseases that manifest themselves through abdominal pain. It is important to recognize when you need to see a doctor immediately.

Pain can be caused by changes in intraintestinal pressure in the small and large intestines, stretching of the lumen or contraction of the muscularis propria, as well as disturbances in the blood supply.

Abdominal pain should be distinguished by the following symptoms:

• how long does the pain last,
• type of pain
• what area of ​​the abdomen hurts?
• to which areas of the body it irradiates (gives or spreads).

Depending on the duration of the pain, there are:

• acute - acutely occurring, which recurs after some time,
• chronic - persistent abdominal pain for several weeks, which may either increase or decrease,
• chronically recurrent - over a long period of time they either appear or are absent.

Acute abdominal pain that appears suddenly is quite common, for example due to a gastrointestinal infection or stress.

Chronic persistent abdominal pain occurs in rare cases.

Chronic pain with relapses is much more common. They are characteristic, for example, of irritable bowel syndrome or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease.

The abdominal cavity contains a large number of internal organs. These are primarily the digestive organs, in women the uterus and ovaries, in men the prostate gland. Problems with any of these organs can cause abdominal pain.

The heart and lungs are also in close proximity to the abdominal cavity, and their diseases can cause abdominal pain.

Conventionally, pain in the abdominal cavity can be divided into three groups:

• pain in the intestines,
• pain in other abdominal organs,
• pain that has no connection with the abdominal organs.

Table of symptoms and causes of abdominal pain and first aid

Intestinal diseases

1. Diseases of the small intestine are characterized by an increase in pain in the afternoon.
2. If the cause of abdominal pain is diseases of the left parts of the colon , then pain on the left side of the abdomen appears before stool, as a result of bloating and decreases after the passage of gas and defecation.
3. Quite often there are complaints of abdominal pain and the urge to defecate, which appear immediately after eating. Such symptoms are most often associated with intestinal dyskinesia.
4. When abdominal pain intensifies when walking, exercising, or shaking, it is a dangerous symptom.
   It indicates the presence of a deep inflammatory process in the abdominal cavity. It could be a hernia or chronic appendicitis. With such symptoms, you should urgently consult a doctor, since the spread of the pathological process can ultimately lead to peritonitis.
5. If problems arise in the right half of the colon, they manifest themselves as pain after quite a long time. In contrast, changes in the left, narrower part quickly lead to pain.
6. Paroxysmal pain can be the result of both a functional intestinal spasm and an attack of partial intestinal obstruction due to scar formation or partial closure of the intestinal lumen by a tumor.

Other causes not related to the abdominal organs

1. Abdominal pain may be associated with brain damage and other diseases of internal organs located outside the abdominal cavity. However, in these cases it is rarely the main or primary symptom of the disease.
2. Spinal diseases such as curvature, arthritis, arthrosis, tuberculosis, tumors of the spine and spinal cord, and displaced intervertebral hernias can also cause pain in the abdominal cavity in combination with pain in the spine, and sometimes without pain in the spine.
3. Severe abdominal pain can also be felt as a consequence of pain in the abdominal muscles and abdominal muscles when they are overstrained during physical activity.
4. Sometimes painful skin can also be perceived as pain in the abdominal cavity.
5. Pain around the navel may be associated with increased sensitivity of the nerve plexuses and mesenteric plexuses.
6. If you are worried about constant aching pain in the abdomen, which continues for months and years, and it is not associated with the physiology of the intestines, and if there are no organic changes in the intestines, then such pain may be psychogenic. It is often difficult to distinguish psychosomatic gastrointestinal pain from gastrointestinal flu, or from pain for other reasons, because the symptoms may be the same. If the examination does not reveal any problems with the intestines or other organs, then the cause of these pains may be psychological discomfort. Feelings such as fear, stress or grief have a destructive effect on the nervous system. It’s not for nothing that experts call the abdominal cavity the “second brain.” The gastrointestinal tract has its own nervous system, consisting of 100 million nerve cells. Therefore, psychological problems can cause not only pain, but also diarrhea, flatulence and bloating.

It is difficult to objectively assess pain sensations.

Their intensity depends on a number of factors: the type of higher nervous activity, emotional background, and the environment in which the patient is located.

Pain in the upper abdomen

The cause of this localization of pain may be the spleen (left), liver (right) or stomach (center). The pancreas is also located in the upper abdomen.

1. Gastritis of the stomach . Gastritis of the stomach is characterized by cramping abdominal pain. Other symptoms of gastritis include loss of appetite, flatulence and a feeling of fullness.
2. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) .
   When the pancreas is inflamed, there may be abdominal cramps, but more often there are shingles colic (radiating to the back). During exacerbations, nausea, vomiting, bloating and fever are possible.
3. Heartburn. With heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease, ascending burning pain occurs. In most cases, they occur after eating fatty foods. The pain occurs behind the sternum, but is also possible in the upper abdomen and partially even in the throat. Belching often occurs.
4. Gallstones . With gallstone pain, pain can also occur after eating fatty foods and is in the nature of severe spasmodic colic. Sometimes there is a girdle pain in the upper abdomen. The pain, appearing on the right, can sometimes radiate to the shoulder, in addition, fever, vomiting and chills often occur.
5. Hepatic porphyria . Severe abdominal cramps can also be a sign of porphyria. This is a group of different metabolic diseases that result in the formation of toxic intermediates that can lead to liver damage.
6. Liver diseases . Pain appears in the right hypochondrium and up to the middle of the abdomen, for example, with cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis. In this case, the pain is not localized to a specific point. An additional symptom is loss of appetite.
7. Stomach ulcer . Pain in the upper abdomen may also indicate a stomach ulcer. Cutting pains are felt on the left or in the center and occur immediately after eating or some time after eating.
8. Duodenal ulcer and duodenitis . This pain occurs on an empty stomach. When your stomach is empty, severe pain suddenly appears in the middle of the upper abdomen, most often this occurs at night. If you eat something, the pain subsides.
9. Cancer . Sometimes cancer can cause severe stabbing pain in the upper abdomen, such as stomach cancer, colon cancer or pancreatic cancer. This pain is accompanied by a feeling of pressure, weakness, severe weight loss and other symptoms.

Pain in the lower abdomen

There are also many reasons that can cause pain in the lower abdomen. In addition to bowel-related causes such as inflammation of the colon and cecum, urinary tract diseases and gynecological or prostate diseases in men can cause pain.

1. Appendicitis . Pain during inflammation of appendicitis usually begins in the navel area, then descends to the lower right side of the abdomen. The pain occurs suddenly and acutely. Symptoms such as fever, nausea, and vomiting are also typical.
2. Intestinal infection . The pain begins sharply, often in the right lower abdomen. Accompanied by vomiting, fever, nausea.
3. Food poisoning is another cause of cramping intestinal pain, almost always accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
4. Flatulence . Increased accumulation of intestinal gases can lead to bloating and pain.
5. Irritable bowel syndrome . In irritable bowel syndrome, pain is associated with disturbances in the tone of the small and large intestines. The pain is perceived as dull or cramping. It occurs at different times after eating and is often provoked by emotional stress. The pain does not occur at night, but often interferes with falling asleep. The pain usually lasts for many years and varies in intensity and duration on different days. Pain points on the abdomen coincide with the projection of the rectum.
6. Crohn's disease . Pain in Crohn's disease occurs primarily in the lower right abdomen, but it can also radiate throughout the abdomen. This disease is characterized by diarrhea, intestinal cramps, and fever. Another symptom is weight loss.
7. Hernia . Men are more likely to suffer from hernias. They cause bloating and aching pain in the groin.
8. Gynecological diseases .
   In women, diseases such as endometriosis, inflammation of the ovaries or ectopic pregnancy lead to nagging pain in the lower abdomen. In this case, vaginal discharge is observed. Many women suffer from menstrual pain.
9. Diverticulosis . When intestinal diverticula become inflamed, severe intestinal pain occurs, manifesting as colic.
10. Renal colic . The pain occurs in attacks in the lumbar region. Severe pain can be caused by kidney diseases such as pyelonephritis or kidney stones. The pain comes in jerks and can radiate down the leg. Nausea and vomiting often occur.

Pain throughout the abdominal area

Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the location of abdominal pain.
Possible causes of such pain include:

• gastrointestinal infections,
• stress,
• peritonitis,
• circulatory disorders,
• intestinal obstruction.

Acute stomach . This is a sign of a medical emergency and requires an urgent call to the ambulance. Typical symptoms include a hard stomach, pressing pain, sweating and a weak pulse.

For more information on the topic of abdominal pain, see the following articles:

• Abdominal pain on the left
• Abdominal pain on the right
• Abdominal pain after eating.

When do you need to see a doctor urgently?

If abdominal pain is accompanied by the following symptoms, you should immediately call a doctor:

• blood in stool or urine
• severe abdominal pain and nausea
• high or low blood pressure
• hard belly
• heat
• yellow skin color
• tingling in the chest cavity
• dyspnea.

Any pain in the abdominal cavity deserves the attention of a doctor and requires an examination to identify the causes.

Attention! Our website provides you with primary information on the topic of left abdominal pain. However, this information cannot replace consultation with a doctor. Any abdominal pain requires medical examination.