My stomach hurts for no reason. Abdominal pain: possible causes, symptoms and treatment features. Causes of aching pain in the lower abdomen in women

In this topic, we will look at the possible causes of abdominal and stomach pain. But before we begin, you need to remember that if there is discomfort in the abdominal cavity and radiates to the genital area - these are stones, in the navel area - colic.

People often complain of abdominal pain. Everyone knows that there are many organs in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, there are different types of such pain depending on the affected area. Each organ requires personalized treatment. Sometimes home therapy is effective, and sometimes it is worth going to the hospital.

Survey

First you need to find out which part of your abdominal cavity is most painful. Lie on your shoulder blades to relax your abdominal muscles. You can find the causative organ by gently pressing your fingers on the abdominal wall. The place where severe discomfort will be felt is the one that needs to be treated.

You also need to understand the nature of your pain. There are the following types:

1. Dull pain in the abdomen. May be clearly localized or diffuse.
2. Aching pain in the abdomen. Sometimes it radiates to the lower back.
3. Constrictive pain in the abdomen. Has a cramping character.
4. Bursting pain in the abdomen. As a rule, it is accompanied by additional symptoms.
5. Cutting pain in the abdomen. By intensity: weak and strong.
6. Sharp pain in the abdomen. Often accompanied by weakness.
7. Periodic or frequent abdominal pain. May occur spontaneously.
8. Acute pain in the abdomen. Sometimes it can be unbearable.

The pain can radiate to other organs, increases during body movement, coughing, and is sometimes accompanied by nausea, elevated body temperature, and diarrhea.

Now think about how it came about. For example, pain could arise due to excessive exertion, perhaps the cause was a stressful condition or hypothermia. Often it occurs on its own. And what kind of pain could there have been from the very beginning? How did it get stronger? Character: cutting pain or another type? Did she jump from one organ to another? For example, when there is appendicitis, sharp pain occurs in the lower right.

Types of localization

In the epigastric region - bursting, dull, sharp and aching pain in the abdomen. With this problem, the entire abdominal cavity suffers, extending behind the chest in the area of ​​the esophagus. Side effects appear when pain increases - nausea. Most often they appear after excessive physical exertion or after overeating spicy, sour, drinking strong coffee and undergoing stressful situations.

From a medical point of view, this is gastritis or an ulcer. If the diagnosis is correct, then treat yourself with a 7-14 day diet. If there are attacks of pain, you can apply a warm heating pad, drink strong tea without sugar or just heated water. If you are vomiting with blood, call an ambulance immediately.

In the right hypochondrium there is squeezing and sharp pain. They can radiate to the right side of the abdomen and back. There is a bitterness in the mouth, high body temperature, nausea. It often appears as a result of eating large amounts of fatty foods or during motion sickness on public transport. This is most likely cholecystitis.

It is imperative to undergo an examination to make sure that the gallbladder is free of stones.

Heat the choleretic mineral water, stirring (so that the bubbles evaporate), and drink it in small sips. You should feel better after drinking water. If not, repeat the procedure.

Pain around the entire abdomen. If there is a feeling that a pain zone appears around the upper zones, which radiates to the lumbar region. Occurs along with an unpleasant taste in the mouth, dryness, frequent vomiting, high blood pressure, after alcohol abuse, spicy and fatty foods. Such features are characteristic of acute pancreatitis.

If all the symptoms coincide, go to the doctor, otherwise necrosis of the pancreas will occur, which poses a danger to life.

Pain in the navel area. These kinds of problems arise on their own. These are severe pains in the abdomen, sharp ones like contractions. Appear accompanied by weakness, chills, as a result of an overdose of foods rich in fiber, coffee or chocolate.

Based on this, we can come to the conclusion that this is intestinal colic. In order to calm the pain, it is recommended to take an antispasmodic and lie down. They will go away within 15-20 minutes, but may reappear. Therefore, watch your diet and avoid overeating.

Pain on one side in the middle of the abdomen. It occurs suddenly, often after drinking large amounts of mineral water and overeating watermelon. The pain radiates to the lower back and perineum. Problems may arise when urinating, but you constantly want to go to the toilet.

From a medical point of view, this may be the separation of a stone from the kidney, so it is recommended to treat it with heated heating pads, baths and antispasmodics. When blood appears in your urine, call a doctor!

Pain on the lower right. At first it is felt in the epigastric region, then it becomes stronger and moves to the right down the abdomen. It radiates into the rectum and may increase during movement or when the patient lies on his left side. She is accompanied by high fever and nausea.

If you look at the disease from a medical point of view, you can identify appendicitis. There is no exact forecast of where it came from. The appearance of the disease is influenced by an incorrect lifestyle, diet, and excessive stress.

Pain throughout the entire abdomen. It is characterized by the fact that an unpleasant sensation spreads throughout the entire abdominal cavity. Symptoms include dry mouth, nausea, high body temperature, lethargy and weakness. It often occurs as a consequence of other pain that does not subside for more than a day.

From a medical point of view, it is defined as inflammation of the peritoneum or peritonitis. The disease poses a danger to human life. Therefore, in this situation, you cannot push yourself or make do with painkillers.

Symptom in women

In the pubic area (in the center or below on both sides). Often these are nagging pains that suddenly arise and pass, and are not constant. They give it, naturally, to the perineum. The bottom and sides also suffer. Symptoms become stronger during movement and include unpleasant discharge from the genitals.

The problem may appear as a result of hypothermia, acute abuse or as a consequence of stress. When making a diagnosis, we can say that these are problems with the gynecological area. Treatment should only be carried out in accordance with the advice of a doctor.

Appear in the area above the pubis on the right and left sides. Such pains are usually sharp, occur suddenly, and are excessively strong. They can pass into the anus. They appear along with increased blood pressure, loss of orientation, lethargy, weakness, and may even lead to fainting.

They occur mainly as a result of sexual intercourse (a cyst ruptures) or after several weeks of delay in the menstrual cycle, if the girl has an ectopic pregnancy. Specialist consultation and urgent hospitalization are required.

Manifestation in men

They occur no less frequently than in women. However, they prefer not to attach much importance to such discomfort, which can lead to more serious illnesses.

Due to their hormonal background, men are constantly at risk of developing a stomach ulcer or platelet infection of the mesenteric arteries. That is why at the first pain it is important to prepare for serious consequences. In addition, a man is constantly at risk of developing a tumor in the abdominal cavity. Most often, such problems appear due to nerves, poor nutrition, and excessive physical exertion.

Sometimes discomfort and pain occur due to inherent prostatitis and kidney stones. It is also common for men to suffer from hemorrhoids, which usually results in frequent constipation or bloody discharge.

If a person constantly suffers from abdominal pain, this may be a signal of the appearance of an ulcer. When no treatment measures are taken, at best the problem area in the stomach is cut out, sometimes the disease leads to death.

When pain occurs due to overeating or poor diet, take painkillers. When this does not help, you need to urgently contact a gastroenterologist.

How will the doctor help? First of all, you will find the root cause of the pain. For example, you will be asked a list of questions. Intermittent or constant pain? In what field? How long does it take for it not to subside? When does it occur? What are you eating? What do you do? They will also send you for examination, where you will pass all the tests.

And based on all the data, the doctor examines your medical history and plans a course of treatment for you, which you must adhere to.

Clinical picture in a child

It can bother children at any age. For example, in a one-month-old baby, these are colic and accumulations of gases that appear due to dysbiosis or problems with the systems that are responsible for the presence of enzymes in the body. Children convey their pain to their parents by screaming, bending their legs up closer to the stomach, and pointing to the navel. Another cause is helminthic infestation, which results in intestinal dysfunction.

If your child has acute abdominal pain due to pancreatitis or peritonitis, under no circumstances should you give him painkillers. We urgently need to call a doctor. Appendicitis is first accompanied by severe sharp pain, but then it becomes dull. In this case, the symptoms are fever, vomiting.

There is also chronic pain. It is periodic and can either disappear or appear due to congenital pathologies. If your child has such problems, then you must register with a doctor and undergo periodic examinations.

There are also neurological pain in the abdomen. A child may have abdominal pain if he is very afraid of something or doesn’t want to. They also appear as remnants of severe emotional stress. Then you need to visit a psychologist or neurologist, cardiologist. If a child suffers from dystonia or hypertension, the symptoms are: severe sweating, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of constant fatigue.

Having studied all the possible signs, you can now quickly determine what problems you have and what to do if they arise. But, most importantly, watch your lifestyle, try to be less nervous, and eat right. Because we are what we eat. Be healthy!

Answering the question about the causes of abdominal pain is often quite difficult.
In general, you need to understand that pain itself is not always bad. Pain in general, and abdominal pain in particular, is a kind of signal with which our body warns of danger. Adequate assessment of abdominal pain is of paramount importance, especially in acute illnesses when the patient requires urgent medical attention.

What are the main causes of abdominal pain?

In general, abdominal pain may occur due to spasm or distension of the stomach, duodenum, or other abdominal organs. Such pains are called visceral symptoms; such pains are colic of varying intensity, which are often localized not only around the affected organ, and often have a diffuse, dull character.
Another main type of abdominal pain is somatic (peritoneal) that appears as a result of irritation of the peritoneum by some pathological process (perforation of a stomach ulcer), as a result of which the spinal nerves of the peritoneum begin to suffer and pain appears. In most cases, such pain is constant and acute and intensifies with movement.

Why does my stomach hurt or what specific diseases can cause stomach pain?

First of all, these are diseases of the abdominal organs, stomach and duodenum, liver, bile ducts, pancreas, intestines and spleen;
- diseases of the peritoneum, abdominal wall, kidneys and urinary tract;
- disturbances of blood flow in the abdominal cavity, food poisoning, diffuse connective tissue diseases, rheumatism;
- some systemic blood diseases (hemorrhagic vasculitis, thrombophlebic splenomegaly) or diseases of the lumbar spine (spondyloarthrosis);
- in addition to acute coronary insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis and some other diseases can also be causes of abdominal pain;

The above list is not a complete list of possible causes of abdominal pain, and even from this example you can see that there are quite a lot of causes of abdominal pain.

You can get preliminary information on the topic “Why does your stomach hurt” (but not a diagnosis; only a doctor can make a diagnosis) by selecting the appropriate pain department in the figure on the right.

Why does my left stomach hurt?

The left side of the abdomen contains the spleen, stomach, pancreas and part of the intestines. Certain pathologies of these organs can cause pain in the left side of the abdomen. It should be noted that pain in the left side of the stomach is less common than in the right. The spleen may hurt as a result of its enlargement or rupture. Quite often, pain in the upper left side does not indicate any serious illness and is the result of a simple accumulation of gases. If the cause of the pain is the stomach (except for a stomach ulcer), and the pain is not acute, then further testing for the presence of gastritis is necessary. Causes of pain in the left side of the abdomen (upper) can also be pancreatitis, duodenal ulcer, or renal colic.

Why does my stomach hurt on the right?

Pain in the right hypochondrium in the presence of bitterness in the mouth, radiating to the lower back or right shoulder blade may indicate the presence of cholecystitis. Typically, these symptoms occur after eating excess amounts of fatty or spicy foods. There is also appendicitis on the right side of the abdomen. It is necessary to call an ambulance if the pain first appeared on the right in the epigastric region and gradually subsided; it intensifies when walking and trying to lie on the left side. Fever and nausea may occur. Kidney stones, gallstones, and hepatitis may also cause pain in the right upper abdomen

Why does my stomach hurt after eating?

It should be noted that food is the most common cause of abdominal pain. Excessively salty, fatty, hot or cold foods can cause abdominal discomfort. Regular pain that occurs within an hour after eating and constantly intensifies indicates the development of a peptic ulcer. After a few hours, the pain usually goes away without any treatment. Remember that abdominal pain after eating can be either harmless or a symptom of a serious illness. If the pain seriously bothers you and does not go away for a long time, you should consult a doctor.

Abdominal and lower back pain

Pain in the lower abdomen and at the same time in the lower back can be caused by both acute and chronic diseases.

1. Appendicitis. Pain from appendicitis can radiate to any area of ​​the abdominal cavity, as well as to the lower back. The pain can be either sharp or dull, depending on the stage of the disease.
2. Strangulated inguinal hernia. Protrusion and pinching of the muscles of the internal organ causes very acute pain, not only at the pinched site, but also in the lumbar spine. The pain may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
3. Urolithiasis disease. The pain can be intermittent and dull, or it can be constant and very sharp (depending on the advancement of the stone). Its localization is often noted in different parts of the abdomen and lumbar spine.
4. Disc herniation, osteochondrosis. Degenerative changes in the lumbar vertebrae cause pinching of the nerve roots, thereby causing pain in the lower back and abdomen. The pain can radiate to the groin area and even the legs.
5. Coxarthrosis, prostatitis, urinary system infections (cystitis), intestinal infections, colitis– can also cause pain in the lower back and various parts of the abdomen.

Lower abdominal pain causes

Pain in the lower abdomen is usually a female symptom, but in men, attacks of such pain can also be a consequence of some common diseases. What can cause pain in the lower abdomen?

1. Pathology of the intestinal structure. It should be noted that intestinal pathology can cause groin pain in both men and women. As a rule, these pains are not acute and are often accompanied by stool disturbances, nausea, and vomiting. Retrorectal or retrouterine location of appendicitis, intussusception of intestinal loops and intestinal obstruction can cause acute groin pain.
2. Diseases of the genitourinary system. In women, pain in the lower abdomen can be caused by complicated cystitis, urethritis, endometritis and endometriosis, ovarian apoplexy, ectopic pregnancy, cervical erosion, pelvioperitonitis and other inflammatory and infectious (chlamydia, ureaplasmosis) diseases.
3. Pain in the lower abdomen can be caused by the growth of benign or malignant tumors or hernias.
4. Menstrual pain in the lower abdomen is typical exclusively for women.
5. In women, lower abdominal pain may be associated with pregnancy.

The causes of aching abdominal pain may be:
pathological (various diseases);
physiological (pregnancy).

Drawing (aching) pain is of two types: with temporary discomfort and when the pain is unbearable (can seriously threaten health).

Temporary illness:
disorders of the digestive organs, indigestion;
gastrointestinal disorders;
kidney disease (if the pain radiates to the back);
diseases of the genital organs.

Digestive system disorders, indigestion

Causes:
stomach ulcer
gastritis;
cholecystitis;
pancreatitis.
Symptoms:
It's a dull pain;
often - nausea and vomiting.

Gastritis

Nature of pain:
not intense;
dull, aching;
with chronic gastritis it occurs immediately after eating, especially if the food is sour and rough.

Other symptoms of chronic gastritis:
often - heaviness and distension in the epigastrium;
a feeling of pressure and fullness in the pit of the stomach (begins or intensifies during or after eating);
nausea;
belching;
regurgitation;
sometimes heartburn;
burning in the epigastrium;
unpleasant taste in the mouth.

These symptoms may be accompanied by signs of intestinal damage (defecation disorders). As a rule, they are episodic, but often become the basis for the appearance of irritable bowel syndrome.

Symptoms of general disorders during chronic gastritis:
irritability;
fatigue;
weakness;
disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system: arrhythmia, heart pain, fluctuations in blood pressure;
pallor, sweating and drowsiness (after eating);
burning, pain in the mouth and tongue;
sensory disturbances in the arms and legs (symmetrical).

Peptic ulcer

Symptoms:
the main one is epigastric pain. Its intensity may vary: after surgery, the pain is mild or absent at all. Sometimes the pain can be intense, requiring urgent measures to be taken for relief;
connection with food intake: with gastritis, pain occurs immediately after eating, and with an ulcer, not so quickly, but no later than one to one and a half hours after eating.
relapsing course (alternating seasonal exacerbations and remissions;
often – heartburn, belching;
nausea, vomiting after eating;
weight loss.

A dangerous symptom when the pain becomes sharp, “dagger-like”, cutting (up to painful shock) - this may indicate perforation of the stomach wall with an ulcer (through an opening in the stomach, the acidic contents enter the peritoneal cavity). The condition is threatening and requires immediate intervention!

Stomach polyps

The disease is rare. Diagnosed by chance. But sometimes a dull, aching pain in the abdomen can indicate a polyp.

Associated symptoms:
pain on palpation of the abdomen;
bleeding;
nausea, vomiting.

Stomach cancer

Nature of pain:
non-intensive;
weak;
constant.

Other symptoms:
at an early stage - dyspepsia;
feeling of early satiety, fullness of the stomach after eating;
decreased appetite;
asthenia;
anemia;
aversion to meat;
weight loss;
in later stages – the pain becomes more intense;
bleeding;
vomiting "coffee grounds";
changes in stool (melena - black stool).

Functional disorders of the stomach

Causes:
binge eating;
food digestion disorders;
muscle tension in the anterior abdominal wall;
constipation;
smoking;
alcohol abuse.

Stress

Stomach pain can be triggered by heavy physical exertion and neuropsychic trauma. The stomach is very sensitive to any extreme influences. An example is “bear disease” due to its effect on the nervous system.

Symptoms of stress:
stomach pain;
vomit;
bowel disorders.
Constant stress can lead to chronic gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Food intolerance, allergies

The pain is diffuse, aching in nature. It is associated with the consumption of allergenic foods.
Some people are born intolerant to milk sugar (lactose). When consuming dairy products they experience:
stomach ache;
bloating (flatulence);
nausea, vomiting;
loose stool.

Pancreatitis

Acute inflammation of the pancreas begins with pain in the upper abdomen. It lasts for several days and may resemble stomach pain. It is quite strong and constant. It often spreads to the back and becomes encircling. The intensity of the pain increases while eating.

Other symptoms:
high sensitivity of the anterior peritoneal wall to touch;
bloating;
nausea, vomiting;
temperature;
rapid pulse;
weight loss;
bowel movements with a lot of fat;
in severe cases – dehydration, drop in blood pressure;
exhaustion of the body.

Duodenitis (inflammation of the small intestine)

The intensity of pain in the epigastric region is significant. Often appears after stress.
Other symptoms:
nausea, vomiting;
weakness;
pain on palpation of the epigastrium;
temperature.

Usually the acute process in the small intestine ends on its own after a few days. Repeated duodenitis or lack of adequate therapy can cause a chronic process and complications (bleeding, intestinal perforation, development of acute pancreatitis).
Pain in chronic duodenitis – aching, dull.

Other symptoms of chronic duodenitis:
decreased appetite;
feeling of fullness after eating in the upper abdomen;
pain on palpation deep in the epigastric region;
nausea, sometimes vomiting.

Hunger pain due to duodenal ulcer

Pain in this disease occurs in the epigastric and epigastric region. As a rule, the pain is insignificant, but in some patients it is severe and cramping.

The location of the ulcer in the duodenum is characterized by late pain - no earlier than two hours after eating. The pain often occurs at night. It can be aggravated by certain foods: spicy and sour, marinades, canned food, black bread.

The pain also increases with exercise, drinking alcohol and a long break between meals. Seasonality is typical (exacerbations in spring and autumn).
Products with a high content of alkaline substances have an enveloping effect and delay the onset of pain, reduce or even eliminate it.

These are the following products:
baking soda;
mashed potatoes;
liquid milk porridges;
boiled minced meat and fish;
some mineral waters.

A dangerous complication is perforation of the ulcer.
Symptoms:
sharp, stabbing pain in the epigastric region;
sudden;
severe pallor of the skin;
sweating;
sometimes – loss of consciousness.

The condition is urgent and requires urgent hospitalization and surgical intervention!

Lesions of the large intestine

Colitis

Pain at the site of the projection of the stomach onto the anterior wall of the peritoneum occurs with inflammation of the colon mucosa.

Symptoms:
constant urge to defecate;
rumbling;
bloating;
diarrhea, sometimes containing blood and mucus.
Acute colitis lasts several days, then becomes chronic - the pain weakens in intensity, but becomes constant.

Nonspecific ulcerative colitis

Causes of non-infectious lesions of the large intestine:
hereditary predisposition;
individual food intolerance;
allergic factors;
frequent stress.

Symptoms:
weakness;
temperature increase;
lack of appetite;
body weight loss;
obligatory urge to defecate;
false urge to defecate;
frequent diarrhea;
mushy stool consistency;
feces mixed with blood, mucus, pus;
water balance disturbances;
joint pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome

One of the most common causes of nagging pain in the left part of the lower abdomen. The syndrome is expressed in chronic pain. There are no organic diseases.

Symptoms:
abdominal discomfort;
pain in the lower abdomen (sometimes in the epigastric region);
rare (1-2 times a week) or frequent (more than three times a day) bowel movements;
the stool is either “sheepy” and hard, or watery and unformed;
straining during bowel movements;
imperative urge to defecate;
mucus in stool;
feeling of incomplete bowel movement;
sometimes pain during bowel movements;
the pain sometimes goes away after a bowel movement;
bloating;
heartburn;
backache;
muscle pain;
headache;
chronic fatigue syndrome;
anxiety and depression.

Sometimes the pain temporarily disappears, and the person thinks that he has recovered. However, the disease returns and progresses, the pain intensifies. General disturbances plus discomfort last from three months to one year. Then bloating occurs, and diarrhea and constipation alternate. You should not put off visiting a doctor, since advanced stages will be difficult to treat and will take more time.
Please note that nagging pain in the left abdomen can worsen during nervous disorders or nervous breakdowns.

Sigmoiditis

Sigmoiditis – inflammation of the sigmoid colon (part of the large intestine)
Causes:
infection (pathogenic bacteria);
autoimmune process (immune system disorders) - antibodies are produced that identify the cells of the sigmoid colon as foreign.
Symptom: aching pain in the left and lower abdomen.

Damages of the cardiovascular system

Cardiac ischemia

A pathological condition in which the blood supply to the myocardium is disrupted due to damage to the arteries of the heart. Pain in coronary artery disease is associated with increased physical activity or stress. Localized behind the sternum. Sometimes it radiates down to the epigastric region (can simulate pain in the stomach).

Other symptoms:
weakness;
dyspnea;
interruptions in heart function;
feeling of heart rhythm disturbances;
forced sitting position;
swelling of the lower extremities.

Aching pain in the lower abdomen in men

Causes:
intestinal diseases;
pancreatic diseases;
hernias;
diseases of the urinary system;
diseases of the genital organs (including inflammation of the testicles);
inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis).

Prostatitis

Inflammation of the prostate gland is a fairly common disease of the genital area in men.
Symptoms:
lower abdominal pain;
difficulty urinating;
frequent urge to urinate;
sometimes painful urination;
burning sensation after urination.

Aching pain in women

Aching, nagging pain in the lower abdomen in women can be caused by inflammation of the female genital organs:
ovaries (oophoritis);
fallopian tubes (salpingitis);
uterine appendages;
combined inflammation – salpingoophoritis.
These diseases are usually chronic.
Characteristics of pain:
the pain is not intense;
the course is long;
There are periods of relapse (increased pain) and remission (decreased pain).

Tumors of the uterus

Symptoms:
aching pain in the lower abdomen;
iron deficiency anemia (anemia);
an increase in the volume of the abdomen, sometimes significant (with uterine fibroids).

Endometriosis

With endometriosis, endometrial cells (the lining of the uterus) grow in other organs and tissues of the pelvis.
Symptoms:
dull pain in the lower abdomen;
as the disease progresses, discharge (bloody) from the genitals (outside of menstruation);
blood when urinating.

Abdominal pain during pregnancy

The pain is associated with the fact that the growing uterus puts pressure on nearby organs - the bladder, large intestine, kidneys, ureters.

When the pain is urgent

Other symptoms may accompany the aching pain. It is necessary to seek urgent medical help in cases where:
pain intensifies;
the pain becomes unbearable;
nausea and vomiting appear;
if a woman begins to discharge blood from the genitals;
the temperature also rises;
chills appear.

But even if emergency help is not required, you need to consult a doctor, undergo diagnostics and find out the cause of the pain in order to start treatment earlier, avoid the process becoming chronic and prevent the development of complications.

A situation where your stomach hurts for a week can be a real torment. In such a situation, it is necessary to seek help from a qualified doctor as quickly as possible, but this is not always possible - for example, a person may be far from civilization. A difficult situation arises when a tourist falls ill in another country and contacting local doctors is not only expensive, but also difficult due to the language barrier.

Should I worry?

If your stomach hurts badly, this probably indicates a serious illness, and it is difficult to predict which one - such symptoms are characteristic of a wide range of pathologies. It is not always the stomach disease that manifests itself as pain; the pathology can be completely different, only indicating itself through this symptom. To understand what the reason is, you need to come to an appointment with a doctor and describe in as much detail as possible what kind of pain syndrome is bothering you. It is precisely by the characteristics of sensations that one can often significantly limit the list of possible patient conditions.

If a child or adult has acute abdominal pain, an ulcer is possible. In such a situation, the sensations are sudden, sharp, and very strong. Pancreatitis manifests itself in a similar way. Severe and sharp pain is possible from a chemical burn or poisoning. Sometimes patients describe the sensations as being like being stabbed. This is more typical of ulcer perforation. A peptic ulcer can manifest itself as a burning sensation. The same is true for gastritis. The initial, chronic form of these pathologies often manifests itself as aching, dull, and exhausting pain.

What should you pay attention to?

If the pain becomes stronger after eating or while hungry, there is a high probability that the cause is gastritis. Spasms, unpleasant sensations reminiscent of contractions, may indicate an ulcer or an inflammatory process in the intestines. The syndrome is more often activated during a night's rest or soon after a meal (after an hour or several). It also happens that the pain is acute, but quickly passes, as if shooting, and the duration of the attack is a few seconds. More often this is typical for inhalation or when changing body position. The reason is the spasmodic reactions of the diaphragm, provoked by insufficient blood flow and inflammatory processes.

If a woman or man has a stomach ache, the sensation is weak, aching, and does not stop for a long time, there is a high probability of a malignant neoplasm. Gastric polyps exhibit similar symptoms. If metastases penetrate the pancreas, the nature of the pain changes to girdling. But infection can be suspected by painful sensations of a high degree of intensity, reminiscent of contractions. Colitis and other intestinal diseases often manifest themselves first as severe pain in the upper abdomen. After a couple of days, the pain becomes weaker, but does not disappear completely. When observing such symptoms, it is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor as quickly as possible to formulate an accurate diagnosis.

Problems and manifestations

It's not always easy to understand why your stomach hurts. Abdominal pain of increased intensity, localized near the navel, lasting several hours, shifting to the abdomen on the right, slightly above the original area, suggests appendicitis.

With irritable bowel syndrome, the patient also suffers from stomach pain. Often a child has a stomach ache due to intestinal obstruction. The syndrome is provoked by trauma, aortic dissection, vascular intestinal thrombosis and ischemia, and nervous pathologies. Perhaps the reason is an allergy.

Should we panic?

If you experience pain in the sides of the abdomen, lower or upper, regardless of the nature of the sensations, you should make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. Pathologies that manifest themselves as such sensations are, for the most part, quite serious, and medical care is needed very urgently. For example, survival in cases of appendicitis, ulcerative perforation, intoxication, and ischemia directly depends on how quickly help was provided to the patient. Sometimes it is not a matter of hours, but minutes; delay can lead to the most negative results. If the pain is very severe, there is no way to go to the hospital, you need to call an ambulance.

What to do?

If you feel pain in the lower abdomen (and in any other location), you need to see a doctor as quickly as possible. Self-medication for such sensations is strictly prohibited; there is a high probability of the situation worsening, even death. Even an experienced, qualified doctor cannot always clearly formulate just during the initial examination what is the cause of the pain syndrome.

Primary care that can be provided for pain in the lower abdomen (and other localizations) is limited to a fairly small set of measures. You should call an ambulance or go to the clinic if your condition allows it, and for relief you can take a spasm reliever or pain reliever. If heartburn occurs, special drugs from the group of antacids will come to the rescue - they lower the acidity level. Help can be provided by drugs that stop the secretory function - thanks to them, acid will be produced in a smaller volume. It is necessary to understand that sometimes such measures are not effective, since heartburn is provoked by a variety of factors. There is a risk of worsening the condition when using these groups of drugs.

What will help me?

If you experience abdominal pain (in women, men), you must use medications with extreme caution - taking them is associated with considerable risk. The influence of such a drug can significantly change the symptoms of the disease, which will complicate the diagnosis for the doctor. The most modern remedies are really effective, taking them allows you to relieve pain, and the duration of action is often quite long, so the patient believes that he has recovered. This opinion is erroneous; the absence of symptoms does not indicate the disappearance of the root cause. By resorting to painkillers without consulting a doctor, the patient is wasting his time. Eliminating the effect does not stop the cause, and the condition gradually worsens.

It is common to think that abdominal pain can be eliminated with a heating pad. With the exception of some isolated cases, this method of solving the problem is strictly prohibited. For example, if the cause of the syndrome is inflammation associated with the separation of pus, additional heating will significantly worsen the patient’s condition. The heating pad will also have a strong negative effect in case of internal bleeding. The disease will progress faster, the condition will deteriorate rapidly.

What to tell the doctor?

When you see a doctor and wait for the ambulance to arrive, you should describe your condition in as much detail as possible. To begin with, they localize the sensations, saying, for example, that the lower abdomen hurts (or upper, right, left). The better the doctor understands what the patient is feeling, the more effectively he will help. It will not be superfluous to remember what circumstances preceded the appearance of sensations - what was eaten, done, at what time of day the pain occurred, how much time has passed since the last meal. The doctor must imagine what the nature of the sensations is, how strong they are, whether the focus is moving, how the syndrome is corrected over time.

So that the doctor can determine as accurately as possible why abdominal pain is bothering him, the patient should remember everything he ate in the last couple of days. This applies to both food and all drinks, as well as medicines, including vitamins and biological supplements. If there are additional symptoms, they should also be stated as accurately as possible. The doctor is notified if the pain is accompanied by nausea, stool disorders, vomiting, bleeding, gas formation, or belching. Sometimes a rash, fever, dizziness, and heart rhythm are additionally observed. You also need to notify your doctor about this to formulate an accurate diagnosis.

What is important?

If you are worried about abdominal pain, information about the accompanying pain syndrome - for example, in muscle tissue or joints - will help your doctor make a correct diagnosis. If the patient has recently experienced natural, pathological health changes, this should also be warned. Important nuances include menopause, childbirth, feeding a child, and gestation. Illness, nervous feelings, overwork, sudden changes in weight - all this will help the doctor determine the cause of the pain syndrome. Anxiety, depression, and lifestyle adjustments can play a role.

In order for the doctor to quickly determine where all the important information needs to be submitted systematically. When going to an appointment at the clinic or waiting for an ambulance to arrive, you need to think through all the important aspects, you can even write them down on paper so that nothing escapes your attention.

Correct diagnosis

Just knowing that the lower abdomen hurts, no pathology can be established. Correct diagnosis is a complex undertaking. First, the doctor collects anamnesis, interviewing the patient, examining him externally, palpating, listening to the heart and lungs. Based on the information received, a preliminary diagnosis is formulated and what instrumental and laboratory tests are needed to clarify the condition. Usually a test of urine, feces, blood, and stomach juices is prescribed. To ensure that the results are as accurate as possible, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and contrast X-ray are prescribed.

These measures in most cases make it possible to understand why pain in the lower abdomen developed in women and men (as well as with other localization options). In rare cases, there is a need for additional measures, for example, laparoscopy. This is a technology for examining the insides of a person through a small probe inserted through an incision into the internal organs. The probe is equipped with a camera that transmits an image to a monitor where the material is recorded.

How to treat?

If your stomach hurts (during pregnancy, during menstruation, at any other time), treatment should be selected based on the reasons that provoked the sensations, which means that only a doctor can select adequate measures. However, some well-known and widely applicable techniques are worth considering.

Heartburn

Pain in this condition is most often felt in the upper abdomen, near the sternum, slightly behind. The syndrome is caused by substances in the stomach entering the esophagus. This often occurs shortly before a meal. Heartburn is not an independent disease, but only signals other pathologies. Perhaps the reason is gastritis, peptic ulcers, cholecystitis. To determine a specific source, it is necessary to undergo specialized research.

As can be seen from medical statistics, ordinary people often mistake manifestations of heart pathology for heartburn. Such abdominal pain may include angina pectoris and high blood pressure. The symptoms, despite all the similarities, have nothing to do with the digestive system. To get rid of heartburn, you should treat the underlying disease, as well as switch to a proper diet, eating food up to five times daily in small quantities. Spicy, fatty, alcoholic, spices, smoked, salty, carbonated, and legumes are completely prohibited. Avoid eating fiber-rich foods.

Appendicitis

Sometimes severe pain in the lower abdomen in women and men is caused by inflammation of the appendix. This pathology develops very quickly, and the best results come from timely treatment. Currently, appendicitis is one of the most common problems with which people present to emergency department surgeons. At the very beginning, this disease can easily be cured with medications; surgery is not required, but many simply do not pay attention to the symptoms, so they have to undergo surgery. However, the forecasts are mostly favorable. Often, patients seek medical help a day after the start of the acute phase and even later. Slightly less than one percent of these situations result in death.

If your stomach hurts during pregnancy due to appendicitis, you should immediately seek qualified help. It must be remembered that the disease progresses very quickly, only three days are needed from the initial manifestation to gangrenous foci. Symptoms are often vague; a fifth of all patients, even with tissue necrosis, feel only mild pain, which they do not pay attention to until the situation becomes critical.

Responsibility is the key to health

If your stomach hurts during menstruation, during pregnancy, suddenly, without any obvious reason, you should seek specialized help as quickly as possible. Delay in such a situation can end disastrously, especially if the cause is toxicosis, peptic ulcer disease, or infection. There are known cases of death caused by such reasons.

Sometimes unpleasant sensations indicate only minor disruptions in the functioning of the body, but it is possible that very serious pathologies manifest themselves. For a non-specialist, it is not possible to determine what the matter is just by symptoms; different causes have too much in common. You can't ignore the pain. A reasonable and responsible approach is a timely visit to a qualified doctor.

Gastritis

This term is usually used to denote inflammatory processes that affect the mucous membranes of the gastric system. The cause of gastritis can be frequent and severe stress, adversely affecting colonies of microorganisms, metabolic problems, and infectious diseases. Gastritis is often caused by alcohol abuse and prolonged use of medications. Among the most common causes are autoimmune pathologies. Gastritis itself can provoke a gastric ulcer. When eliminating the symptoms of such a pathology, it is prohibited to use aspirin and ibuprofen. Despite the high effectiveness of these drugs as painkillers, they are not applicable for this situation, since they negatively affect the gastrointestinal mucosa. But adsorbents that envelop can bring benefits. If the disease is associated with bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe a course of antimicrobial medications.

An important aspect of the fight against pain caused by gastritis is strict adherence to a therapeutic diet. Normally, the patient is prohibited from eating salty, fried, spicy, fiber, or any foods that stimulate fermentation. You cannot drink milk, eat products based on it, bread and similar dishes. The ban is also imposed on a number of fruits, in particular grapes.

When we have a stomach ache, it can be difficult to figure out: whether it’s a minor thing and everything will go away in a couple of minutes, or whether we’ll have to suffer for a couple of days, or whether we urgently need to call an ambulance.

The stomach can prick, squeeze, press, swell, cut. And at the same time, it is not always possible to pinpoint exactly where it hurts, because it just hurts... in the stomach.

Pain can radiate to the stomach not only from the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, but also from the kidneys, bladder, and internal genital organs. In general, anything can hurt your stomach.

All these different types of pain require different actions. To understand what is happening and how to treat it, try to focus not on the pain, but on the other symptoms that accompany it.

What symptoms should you pay attention to?

Problems with stool

When you have constipation, then most likely the cause of the pain is precisely this disruption of the intestines. Lifehacker wrote in detail about how to get rid of constipation.

Loose stools most often accompany a variety of intestinal disorders, including infections and poisoning. In any case, loose stools are a reason to go on a gentle diet and drink as much as possible, because diarrhea often causes dehydration.

This is also a reason to take enterosorbents like activated carbon and its modern analogues in order to remove from the body what caused diarrhea.

Nausea and vomiting

Most often they occur due to poisoning and intestinal infections. When vomiting, you need to drink a lot, as with diarrhea. Choose pleasant drinks (not coffee or soda), drink often and in small sips so as not to provoke another attack of vomiting.

There is no need to make any solutions for gastric lavage. It is better to buy a rehydration solution at the pharmacy and drink it. Enterosorbents can also help if they are in liquid form and you are comfortable taking them.

Unpleasant sensations in the abdominal area

Maybe you don't feel pain, but rather bloating or nausea. Then, most likely, you have dyspepsia - what is called indigestion. It goes away on its own.

A burning sensation behind the sternum is already heartburn, in which the contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus. We described in detail how to cope with this feeling in one of the articles.

It just hurts and nothing else

Wait. Abdominal pain simply cannot be drowned out with painkillers or antispasmodics, because many serious symptoms begin with mild pain. And if the pain intensifies, you need to seek help.

Pills can mask the pain, so you will get to the doctors later than you should.

The exception is pain during menstruation, when you know exactly why and how your stomach hurts.

When to see a doctor

Common, everyday causes of stomach pain like dyspepsia (indigestion) or constipation may not require any medical attention. But see your doctor when:

1. The pain is very severe or gets worse and does not go away.
2. You feel pain coursing through you.
3. There is a sharp pain somewhere on the right (this could also be a problem with the gallbladder).
4. You are losing weight due to stomach pain.
5. Symptoms do not disappear in 2–3 days.
6. You have risen.
7. You think that your case of pain is not ordinary and you need to consult a doctor.

When to call an ambulance

In some cases, everything is so bad and confusing that a person with abdominal pain urgently needs to be taken to the surgeons’ table so that they can immediately determine what happened and quickly eliminate the cause of the pain. This condition is called acute abdomen. This is a set of symptoms that indicates that in this case only surgery will help, and the sooner the better.

Signs of an acute abdomen:

1. Severe pain in any area of ​​the abdomen.
2. Cold sweat.
3. Forced position: the patient can only be in a certain position.
4. Vomiting blood or vomit the color of coffee grounds.
5. Black or bloody stools.

In any case, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance, list the symptoms, and position the patient so that he does not have to make unnecessary movements. It is advisable to put something cold on your stomach. For example, an ice pack, even an improvised one, made from frozen vegetables.