Abdominal Pain : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

• Classification
• Causes Of Abdominal Pain
• Diagnostics
• Help With Stomach Pain

Abdominal pain is a symptom typical of a number of gastroenterological, surgical, gynecological, urological, proctological, and infectious diseases. In addition, reflected abdominal pain can occur with diseases of the spine, organs of the chest cavity. For the purpose of differential diagnosis of abdominal pain, laboratory, radiological, ultrasound, endoscopic, minimally invasive surgical methods are used. Treatment is selected taking into account the root cause: in some cases it is conservative, medical, in others - operational (planned or emergency).

Abdominal pain is the most insidious and “many-faced” companion of many diseases. It is typical for both acute, including urgent conditions requiring immediate surgical care, and for sluggish chronic diseases. Behind the pain in the abdomen can hide a banal eating disorder, and a life-threatening condition - intra-abdominal bleeding or peritonitis. That is why it should never be ignored.

Classification

Abdominal pain varies in location, intensity, character. It can be diffused throughout the abdomen or localized (in the epigastrium, in the navel, in the lower abdomen, in the hypochondria and iliac region on the left or right). Sometimes the pain is girdle in nature, simultaneously covering the abdomen and lower back.

The intensity of abdominal pain is weak, moderate and severe. Severe pains are extremely difficult to tolerate by patients: they force the patient to moan, toss about in bed, and take a forced position. Of great importance for the clinician conducting the primary diagnosis is the time and conditions for the onset of abdominal pain: on an empty stomach, at the time of or after a meal, at night.

The most diverse and "talking" sign is the nature of pain in the abdomen. However, this is a subjective feeling that can be interpreted differently by different people. Most often, abdominal pain is characterized by the following epithets:

• acute
• stupid
• aching
• pulling
• cramping
• cutting
• piercing ("dagger")
• burning
• compressive
• colic

Causes of abdominal pain

All the variety of causes that cause pain in the abdomen can be divided into several groups depending on the organ system that is the source of pain. These reasons are typical for people of both sexes and any age:

• gastroenterological pathology: gastritis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, pancreatitis;
• diseases of the large intestine: colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis;
• acute surgical conditions: appendicitis, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction;
• infectious diseases: helminthiases, viral hepatitis, dysentery, rotavirus infection;
• urological diseases: cystitis, urolithiasis;
• other pathologies that cause referred pain in the abdomen: radicular syndrome, lower lobe pneumonia, coronary artery disease.

Abdominal pain in men and women can have different causes. Gender differences are associated primarily with damage to the internal genital organs. So, pain in the lower abdomen in women is characteristic of inflammatory diseases of the genitals (adnexitis, endometritis), tumor pathologies (ovarian cyst), acute abdomen (torsion of the appendages, ectopic pregnancy). The causes of abdominal pain in men can be prostatitis, vesiculitis, inguinal hernia.

Diagnostics

Abdominal pain is never the only symptom of a disease. It is usually accompanied by other clinical manifestations. Concomitant symptoms play an important differential diagnostic value. Frequent companions of abdominal pain are heartburn or belching, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, lack of appetite. Dangerous signals are an increase in body temperature, vomiting (especially with an admixture of blood), a fainting state.

However, it is not possible to determine the causes of abdominal pain only on the basis of the clinic, in all cases an additional examination is required:

• physical: palpation of the abdomen, auscultation of noises, percussion;
• laboratory: general blood and urine tests, monitoring of biochemical parameters (liver tests, pancreatic enzymes, acute phase proteins);
• instrumental: ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and genitourinary organs, radiography of the OBP, gastroscopy, etc.
• invasive: diagnostic laparoscopy, laparocentesis.

Help with stomach pain

If the pain arose suddenly, has a pronounced intensity, is accompanied by a deterioration in the patient's condition, and its cause is unknown, it is urgent to call an ambulance. As a first aid, you need:

• to give the patient a horizontal position and ensure peace;
• apply cold to the stomach;
• give the patient medicines if they are prescribed by a doctor.

With pain in the abdomen is strictly prohibited:

• take medications without prescription;
• apply a warm heating pad to the stomach;
• eat food;
• give enemas and take laxatives.