Abdominal pain – Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options
Abdomen pain can be of varying intensities depending on the location of the pain and its cause. Ranging from mild to acute pain, abdomen pain needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately. However, before we get into the abdomen pain symptoms and effective tips and treatments to curb it, let us know about the abdomen and causes of abdomen pain.
A brief overview of the anatomy of the abdomen
The abdomen is an anatomical zone, which is limited by the lower edge of the ribs and the stomach, the pelvic bone underneath, and the flanks on either side.
The lowermost part of the abdomen is the pelvis that comprises of urinary bladder and rectum. This part also contains the prostate gland in men and fallopian tubes and ovaries in women. Most times, a person suffering from abdomen pain cannot gauge the source of the pain. It is tough to understand whether the abdomen pain is coming from the lower abdomen or is it pelvic pain.
What are the causes of abdomen pain?
Abdomen pain can get painful at times. The abdomen pain symptoms are usually quite similar, but the ones arising out of menstrual pain also include cramps in the lower abdomen. Some of the times, the pain in the abdomen can also arise out of an organ, but the pain is felt in the belly. There are some of the types of abdomen pain wherein the pain is felt outside the organ. For instance, the pancreatic pain or the inflammation in the pancreas leads to pain in the back. When the abdomen pain does not originate in the area where the pain is felt is termed as referred pain. Therefore, it is very important to understand the location of the abdomen pain and to know the abdomen pain symptoms. This helps to cure the pain and also know the exact cause sometimes.
Here are some of the causes of abdomen pain:
– Inflammation of the organ is one of the main reasons for abdomen pain.
– Some of the examples of abdomen pain caused by inflammation of the organ are appendicitis, colitis, etc.
– Moreover, abdomen pain caused by a distention of the organ leads to a swelling of the liver, which is again extremely painful. Other examples of stretching of the organ are an intestinal obstruction, gallstones blocking the bile duct, etc.
– Loss of blood supply can also lead to severe health issues, which again is one of the reasons for abdomen pain.
– Abdominal pain can also be the symptom of irritable bowel syndrome. We know that IBS is the atypical contractions of the muscles of the intestine. These contractions give rise to painful sensations.
What makes the abdomen pain go worse?
It is often seen that immense abdomen pain can get worse due to coughing, sneezing, etc. The inflammation of the organ causes the abdomen pain to rise, and this is even more aggravated due to any jarring movement.
How can you diagnose abdominal pain?
Once you feel any distress or pain in the abdomen region, it is better to visit the doctor to get treated immediately. This will help in avoiding any major health issue, which can get aggravated due to abdomen pain.
Doctors can determine the issue by checking the abdomen pain symptoms. You may have to go through a few laboratory testing, endoscopic testing, etc. The doctor would also look for any additional abdomen pain symptoms that might be the reason for other associated health problems and then prescribe treatments depending on the findings of the physical examinations.
Important tips to relieve the abdomen pain symptoms
– In case a person is suffering from mild abdomen pain and does not cause any other serious health issue, then one can curb the pain at home itself.
– Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water and other non-alcoholic drinks can be helpful in relieving abdomen pain. In case a person has to control the intake of fluids, then consulting the doctor for the should be necessary.
– Abdominal pain can be relieved keeping the abdomen area warm. Ease the abdomen pain by using a hot water bottle or heat pack.
– Medicines can help ease the pain, but it should not be taken without a doctor’s prescription.
You can keep these nuggets of information handy when you see any abdomen pain symptoms and take proper and immediate actions to get relief from it.