Abdomen Pain
Why is belly pain such a health care bear? First, it's a bit of a black box. Conditions that cause it can be immediately life-threatening (such as a leaking aortic aneurysm or a ruptured ectopic pregnancy) or painful but not all that serious (intestinal cramps or ruptured ovarian cysts) or somewhere in between - Dr. Zachary F. Meisel

image by: nancy waldman
HWN Suggests
When Abdominal Pain or Discomfort Strikes
You probably don't think about the internal workings of your belly much -- unless they're red-flagging you with sharp pain, aches, or cramping. Even then, you may dismiss the discomfort or pain as just transient gas -- or some other minor intestinal disturbance -- and simply wait for it to go away.
But you don't have to live with the pain. Whether your abdominal pain or discomfort is a sharp, short-term annoyance or a chronic hurt that dogs you regularly, you have options for making it go away. The first step is figuring out what's causing the pain so that you can treat the source.
What's Going On in There? Sometimes it's difficult to determine the root cause…
Resources
The Stress of My Job Destroyed My Stomach
It took me two months to fix it.
When you get a stitch in your side, what's really going on?
Doctors still don’t know what causes it, or how to stop it.
13 reasons you have lower abdominal pain, according to a gynaecologist
Lower abdominal or pelvic pain is common and can be caused by a variety of conditions and diseases, from endometriosis or fibroids to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can broadly be categorised into two groups: acute or sudden onset pain, and chronic or longer standing pain.
A Perplexing Marijuana Side Effect Relieved by Hot Showers
By the time Thomas Hodorowski made the connection between his marijuana habit and the bouts of pain and vomiting that left him incapacitated every few weeks, he had been to the emergency room dozens of times, tried anti-nausea drugs, anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants, endured an upper endoscopy procedure and two colonoscopies, seen a psychiatrist and had his appendix and gallbladder removed. The only way to get relief for the nausea and pain was to take a hot shower.
Health Check: what causes bloating and gassiness?
Your trousers fit when you put them on in the morning. But come mid-afternoon, they’re uncomfortably tight – and you didn’t even overdo it at lunchtime. Sound familiar? Around one in six people without a health problem and three in four people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) report problems with bloating. In fact, for people with IBS and constipation, bloating is their most troublesome symptom.
Her Searing Gut Pain Suggested Celiac. Why Didn’t Cutting Out Gluten Help?
The pain came on whenever she ate, but it was worse when she ate bread or pasta. Celiac disease seemed to fit: In this disorder, gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat and rye, triggers the body’s immune system to attack the absorptive lining of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to Identify Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is rarely an emergency, and usually doesn’t warrant an after hours call to your doctor. So for now, relax, don’t rush to page your doctor just yet. Read through this section first, and then decide what to do. If you think your child has one of the serious causes as described below, go to the ER right away. If the pain is not serious, but goes on for several days, you should probably have your pediatrician check it out during office hours.
Think Like a Doctor: A Terrible Stomachache
Can you figure out what is wrong with a 43-year-old woman who suddenly develops abdominal pain so powerful that it wakes her up from sleep?
What Caused This College Student’s Stomach Pain and Vomiting?
These are perhaps the toughest cases that doctors face: A patient comes in critically ill — dying, really — with few clues as to what is going on.
Why Belly Pain Is Such a Headache for ER Doctors
As other ER staff around me examined the board, the groans began. Anyone who works in an emergency department knows why: treating patients with belly pain is the ER doctor's booby prize. Invariably, care involves dealing with bodily fluids, internal exams and choosing between a dizzying array of diagnostic tests and therapies. Diagnosis is not easy.
When Abdominal Pain or Discomfort Strikes
Whether your abdominal pain or discomfort is a sharp, short-term annoyance or a chronic hurt that dogs you regularly, you have options for making it go away. The first step is figuring out what's causing the pain so that you can treat the source.
Abdominal Pain Syndrome
Ordinarily, we are unaware of any of the actions of the organs in the abdomen or any discomfort from activities such as eating, movement of food through the intestines, or bowel movements. Nerves are constantly monitoring activities in the body, and when those messages are transmitted to the brain and come into consciousness as unpleasant sensations, we may sense pain or discomfort.
Abdopain.com
Abdopain.com is a medical website providing trusted medical information on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of abdominal pain, written by qualified medical doctors with wide range of international medical experience, for patients since 2005.
Abdominal Pain (Adults)
Abdominal pain without fever, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, passing out, chest pain, or other serious symptoms often get better without special treatment.
Family Practice Notebook
Extensive resource for abdominal pain. This notebook is intended to aid primary care providers in their pursuit of optimal care, well-informed patients, and healthy families.
MedicineNet
Occasionally, pain may be felt in the abdomen even though it is arising from organs that are close to but not within the abdominal cavity, for example, the lower lungs, the kidneys, and the uterus or ovaries. This latter type of pain is called "referred" pain because the pain, though originating outside the abdomen, is being referred to (felt) in the abdominal area
MedlinePlus
Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain. The key is to know when you need to get immediate medical care. Sometimes you may only need to call a doctor if your symptoms continue.
NHS
A stomach ache usually refers to cramps or a dull ache in the belly (abdomen). It is normally short lived and caused by a minor upset or bug. Severe abdominal pain is a greater cause for concern. If it starts suddenly and unexpectedly, it should be regarded as a medical emergency, especially if the pain is concentrated in a particular area
Patient
Pain in the abdomen (tummy pain) is common. Usually it doesn't last long and is often due to a gut infection or a small upset - but there are many other possible causes. Pain that is severe or doesn't settle quickly may need attention from a doctor.
SymptomFind
The presence of abdominal pain is an indicator of abnormal activity in the gut area. There are numerous causes for abdominal pain, ranging from simple indigestion to life threatening conditions. Since the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and kidneys are all in the abdominal region, the cramping may be an indicator of abnormal activity in those organs rather than the stomach and intestines themselves.

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