What causes Abdominal Pain?

Posted by editor2 on Thursday 02 Apr 2009

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Abdominal pain is pain that is localized between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach or abdominal region.

Common Causes

There are many different conditions that can cause abdominal pain. The important thing is to know when to seek medical care right away. In most of the cases simple home remedies can give relief; if still the symptoms persists call your doctor.

The possible causes of stomach pain include chronic constipation, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel obstruction, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney stones, cholecystitis with or without gallstones, dissecting abdominal aortic aneurysm, diverticular disease, including diverticulitis, appendicitis, pancreatitis, easly-stage shingles, food allergy, food poisoning, excessive gas, gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn or indigestion, hernia, infectious mononucleosis, intussusception is a serious possible cause of pain in an infant, lactose intolerance, parasitic infections, sickle cell crisis, urinary tract infections, viral gastroenteritis and spinal fracture.

When an inflamed organ in the abdomen leaks or ruptures fluid, it causes excruciating pain, and the abdomen will be very stiff and the diseased likely will have a fever. This occurs when peritonitis develops and spreads from the site of the rupture. This is a case of medical emergency.

Prolonged unexplained crying or colic may be caused by abdominal pain in infants that may end with the passage of gas or stool. Colic is most frequently worsens in the evening. Rocking and cuddling and the child may bring some relief.

Abdominal pain that usually occurs during menstruation may be from menstrual cramps or it may indicate a problem in a reproductive organ. This includes conditions such as endometriosis, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts or infection of the reproductive organs, usually from a sexually transmitted disease. Abdominal pain may actually be caused by an organ in the chest, like the lungs or the heart or, it may stem from a muscle strain in the abdominal muscles.

Cancers of the colon and other gastrointestinal areas are serious but rare causes of abdominal pain.

A type of emotional upset called somatization disorder, reflected as physical discomfort and strep throat in children are some of the unusual causes of abdominal pain.