What causes abdominal pain?


What causes abdominal pain?

There are many different causes of abdominal pain. Some cause short-term pain, some cause long-term pain or pain that comes and goes (recurring pain) and others cause sudden and severe pain.

Short-term abdominal pain

Among the most common causes of stomach cramps are trapped wind and bloating, which can be embarrassing, but are easily dealt with. Your chemist can recommend a product, such as charcoal tablets, which can be bought over the counter to relieve the wind.
If your stomach cramps are accompanied by diarrhoea, the cause is probably gastroenteritis. This is a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel, which your immune system will usually fight off after a few days.
Severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea that make you feel very ill (for example, causing chills or a fever) could be due to a more serious infection, such as food poisoning. This also usually gets better on its own without treatment.

Long-term or recurring abdominal pain

Common causes of long-term or recurrent abdominal pain in adults include:
  • 1)irritable bowel syndrome – a condition where the muscle of the bowel wall tends to spasm (tighten); pain is often relieved when you go to the toilet.

  • 2)a urinary tract infection that keeps returning.

  • 3)a peptic ulcer – an open sore that develops on the inside lining of your stomach or duodenum (upper small intestine)

  • 4)constipation

  • 5)heartburn and reflux – stomach acid leaks from the stomach and up into the oesophagus (the tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach).

  • 6)period pain – crampy abdominal pain occurring in a menstrual cycle.

Sudden and severe abdominal pain

There are a number of conditions that cause severe and sudden pain, including:
  • 1)a perforated peptic ulcer – an open sore that develops on the inside lining of your stomach or duodenum (upper small intestine) that has broken through the lining.

  • 2)gallstones – small stones that form in the gallbladder.

  • 3)appendicitis – inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis is a medical emergency, and your doctor will refer you to hospital immediately
  • gastroenteritis – an infection of the stomach and bowel
  • kidney stones – stones of calcium and other matter that form in the kidney
  • diverticulitis – inflammation of the small pouches that are part of the bowel
  • bleeding aneurysm – the aorta, which is the main artery from the heart, leaks.

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