Medical Health Encyclopedia

Abdominal pain

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Abdominal pain

Definition:

Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.

Alternative Names:
Stomach pain; Pain - abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps; Acute abdomen

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Considerations:

There are many organs in the abdomen. Pain in the abdomen can originate from any one of them, including:

• Organs related to digestion -- the stomach, the end of the esophagus, the small and large intestines, the liver, the gallbladder, and the pancreas.
• The aorta -- a large blood vessel that runs straight down the inside of the abdomen.
• The appendix -- an organ in the lower right abdomen that no longer serves much function.
• The kidneys -- two bean shaped organs that lie deep within the abdominal cavity.

However, the pain may originate from somewhere else -- like your chest or pelvic region. You may also have a generalized infection affecting many parts of your body, like the flu or strep throat.

The intensity of the pain does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. Severe abdominal pain can be from mild conditions, such as gas or the cramping of viral gastroenteritis. On the other hand, relatively mild pain or no pain may be present with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer of the colon or early appendicitis.

Common Causes:

Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain. The key is to know when you must seek medical care right away. In many cases you can simply wait, use home care remedies, and call your doctor at a later time only if the symptoms persist.

Possible causes include:

• Excessive gas
• Chronic constipation
• Lactose intolerance (milk intolerance)
• Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (sensitive stomach with intermittent episodes of diarrhea and constipation)
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Ulcers
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
• Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix)
• Diverticular disease, including inflammation of small pouches that form in the large intestines (diverticulitis)
• Bowel obstruction -- in addition to pain, this causes nausea, bloating, vomiting, and inability to pass gas or stool
• Food allergy
• Food poisoning (salmonella, shigella)
• Hernia
• Kidney stones
• Urinary tract infections
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Intussusception (telescoping intestines) -- while uncommon, this is a serious possible cause of pain in an infant who may be drawing his or knees to the chest and crying to indicate the pain
• Dissecting abdominal aortic aneurysm -- bleeding into the wall of the aorta
• Parasite infections (Giardia)
• Sickle cell crisis
• Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (two different types of inflammatory bowel disease)