Abdomen extends from below your chest to your groin. Abdomen contains many other important organs, pain in the abdomen can come from any one of them. Severe pain does not always mean a serious problem, nor does mild pain mean a problem is not serious. Abdominal Pain in most of the patients can be diagnosed and treated successfully.
Causes of Abdominal Pain
- 1 Non-Abdominal Causes
- Pneumonia
- Heart Attack
- Pleurisy (Irritation of the Lining around the Lungs)
- Blood Clots to The Lungs
- 2 Abdominal or chest wall pain
- Shingles
- Inflammation Of The Rib Cartilages
- Injury
- Nerve Irritation
- Hernias
- Scars
Abdomen
- 3 Inflammatory conditions of the upper abdomen
- Duodenal Ulcer or Gastric Ulcer
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Gastritis
- Pancreatitis
- Cholecystitis
- Choledocholithiasis
- Hepatitis
- Colitis
- 4 Functional problems of the abdomen
- Non-ulcer dyspepsia
- Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
- Functional abdominal pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- 5 Cancers of the upper abdomen
- Liver Cancer
- Bile Duct Or Gall Bladder Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
- Cancer Of The Immune Cells
- 6 Vascular problems
Abdominal Anatomy
- 7 Inflammatory conditions in the mid-and lower abdomen
- Infections Of The Small Bowel Or Crohn’s Disease
- Infection Or Inflammation Of The Colon
- Inflammation Of Pouches that form in the Colon
- Appendicitis
- Adhesions
- Tumor
- Inflammation
- Colon Cancer
- 9 Urinary tract problems
- Kidney stones
- Urinary tract infections (kidneys, bladder)
- Tumors of the kidneys or bladder
1.10 Pelvic problems in women
- Ovarian cysts or cancer
- Infection of the tubes
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Fibroid tumors of the uterus
- Malignant tumors of the uterus or cervix
- Endometriosis
- Adhesions (scars)
Diagnosis of Abdominal Pain
Actual source of abdominal pain can be traced by an experienced Physician from the history alone 80 to 90% cases. Abdominal pain is analyzed with particular emphasis on six features:
- Onset
- Progression
- Migration
- Character
- Intensity
- Localization
For emergency center patients with acute abdominal pain, initial lab tests may include a CBC with differential, electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous), serum chemistries (e.g. bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, serum glucose, amylase and lipase), liver function tests (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin), urinalysis, and possibly coagulation labs and a pregnancy test. Blood may also be necessary for typing and cross matching, depending upon the clinical situation. an electrocardiogram may be considered as myocardial ischemia can present as isolated abdominal pain. Other Tests may include X- Rays, CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound or Endoscopy.
Treatment of Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain without fever, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, passing out, chest pain, or other serious symptoms often gets better without special treatment. The patient’s treatment will depend on what the doctor thinks is causing the abdominal pain. The patient may be advised not to eat anything, in order to carryout tests and further deterioration in condition. Pain relievers may also be given immediately in cases of severe pain.
