What are the Causes of Abdominal Pain?
A pain that may start or spread from anywhere in between the chest to the pelvic region is often referred to as abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is of different types. Some of them are acute, while others are chronic. Some of them may be rated as mild, while others may range between moderate and severe. Some abdominal pain may be short-lived while others persist for weeks and months.
The most common causes of abdominal pain include:
- Indigestion of food in gut
- Constipation
- Ulcers
- Gas
- Menstrual cramps
- Food poisoning
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Allergy to specific foods
- Hernia
- Gall stones
- Crohn’s diseases
- Urinary tract infection
- Lactose intolerance
- Intestinal obstruction
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Infection of the abdominal lining
- Appendicitis
- Injury
- Kidney stones
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Endometriosis
- High levels of blood ketones
- Injury
- Strain or a pull in the abdominal muscles
- Stomach flu
- Build up of waste products in blood (uremia)
You should seek medical attention if:
- There is difficulty in breathing
- The pain is sharp and sudden
- The belly is rigid or too tender
- The person has chest, neck, or shoulder pain
- Blood is vomited
- Blood is present in stools
- There is pain in between the shoulder blades with nausea
The pain may be acute in the case of diseases like peptic ulcer disease, acute pancreatitis, and alcohol abuse. In the case of appendicitis, biliary colic, and gastroenteritis, the pain may start suddenly. Acute pain is usually seen in the case of injury, like liver and spleen rupture.
