Abdominal Pain

Alternative Names

Stomach pain; Pain - abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps; Bellyache; Stomachache.

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.

Causes

Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain.

Less serious causes of abdominal pain:

• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Food allergies or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance)
• Food poisoning
• Stomach flu

Other possible causes:

• Appendicitis
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Bowel blockage or obstruction
• Cancer of the stomach, colon, and other organs
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
• Decreased blood supply to the intestines (ischemic bowel)
• Diverticulitis
• Heartburn, indigestion, or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis (swelling or infection of the pancreas)
• Ulcers

Sometimes, abdominal pain may be due from a problem somewhere else in your body, such as your chest or pelvic area.  For example, you may have abdominal pain if you have:

• Heart attack
• Severe menstrual cramps
• Endometriosis
• Muscle strain
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Pneumonia
• Tubal (ectopic) pregnancy
• Urinary tract infections

Symptoms:

·         The presence of fever suggests inflammation.

·         Diarrhea or rectal bleeding suggests an intestinal cause of the pain.

·         The presence of fever and diarrhea suggest inflammation of the intestines that may be infectious or non-infectious (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease).

Home Care

• Sip water or other clear fluids.
• Avoid solid food for the first few hours.
• 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.
• If the pain is high up in your abdomen and occurs after meals, antacids may help, especially if you feel heartburn or indigestion.  Avoid citrus, high-fat foods, fried or greasy foods, tomato products, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medications, and narcotic pain medications unless your health care provider prescribes them.  If you know that your pain is not related to your liver, you can try acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Labs & Diagnostic Tests:

• Barium enema
• Blood, urine, and stool tests
• CT scan
• Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy
• EKG (electrocardiogram) or heart tracing
• Ultrasound of the abdomen
• Upper GI and small bowel series
• X-rays of the abdomen

Prevention

• Avoid fatty or greasy foods.
• Drink plenty of water each day.
• Eat small meals more frequently.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit foods that produce gas.
• Make sure that your meals are well-balanced and high in fiber.  Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.