Abdominal pain
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. 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:
* Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix)
* Bowel blockage or obstruction
* Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
* Chronic constipation
* Dissecting abdominal aortic aneurysm
* Diverticulitis
* Food allergy
* Food poisoning (salmonella, shigella) or viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
* Heartburn, indigestion, or gastroesophageal reflux
* Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
* Intussusception -- while uncommon, this is a serious possible cause of pain in an infant who may be bringing the knees to the chest and crying
* Irritable bowel syndrome
* Ischemic bowel
* Kidney stones
* Lactose intolerance
* Mesenteric insufficiency or infarction (lack of enough blood supply to the gut, sometimes resulting in the failure or death of part of the bowel or intestines)
* Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
* Tumors or cancers
* Ulcers
* Urinary tract infections
Abdominal Pain Treatment
Treatment for abdominal pain depends on the cause. Pain from mild esophageal reflux, mild constipation, or mild diarrhea may be treated with over-the-counter medications, such as antacids, acid-blockers, and anti-diarrheal agents.
A person with severe abdominal pain caused by a diseased organ inside the abdomen, such as appendicitis or gallstones, may require urgent surgery. This usually requires admission to the hospital for a few days, followed by recuperation at home for a week or two. If a person has moderate to severe pain, but initial tests do not identify a cause, the doctor may decide to observe the person in the office or hospital. If the pain persists, the doctor may perform additional tests, in order to look for the cause of the abdominal pain.