Abdominal pain

Pain the Abdomen can be due to many different causes including inflammatory, obstruction, cancer related, or trauma.

As the abdomen contains many important organs including the stomach and the intestines, liver, pancreas, kidneys, gall bladder, urinary bladder, ovaries and uterus in women, among other organs, the pain in the abdomen can originate in any one of these organs. The pain may start in the abdomen or even in your chest.

Causes of abdominal pain
Many different medical conditions can cause abdominal pain. If the abdominal pain is severe or persistent, you would need to seek immediate medical help and even for a milder pain, you do want to know what might be causing it and how to reverse it.

Some of the milder causes of abdominal pain include:


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

Serious causes of abdominal pain

 * Appendicitis
 * Abdominal aortic aneurysm
 * Bowel obstruction
 * Cancer of the stomach, colon, and other organs
 * Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
 * 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)
 * Stomach ulcer

Sometimes, abdominal pain may occur due to a problem somewhere else in the body, such as the following:


 * Heart attack
 * Severe menstrual cramps
 * Endometriosis
 * Muscle strain
 * Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
 * Pneumonia
 * Ectopic pregnancy
 * Urinary tract infections

How to diagnose and treat abdominal pain
Your doctor will do a thorough history and physical examination, and may order any appropriate blood work including, but not limited to, the following:


 * 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

Treatment of abdominal pain
Treatment of abdominal pain depends on the cause. Contact your physician if you have abdominal pain.
 * Avoid spicy foods.
 * Drink plenty of water each day.
 * Eat small meals more frequently.
 * Exercise regularly.
 * Limit foods that produce gas.
 * Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables.