Dorothy FarrarStomach pain
Abdominal pain is one of the most common, yet most imprecise, symptoms that the human body can exhibit. A long list of the most varied harmless and severe disorders of well-being or clinical pictures can be hidden behind the symptom of abdominal pain and, in the event of a very painful or protracted occurrence, extensive technical examinations may be necessary.
What is abdominal pain?
The stomach (abdomen) goes in the medical classification from the costal arch to the iliac crest and contains various organs. In addition to the abdominal organs of the stomach , intestines, liver, spleen or pancreas, abdominal pain should always be associated with radiating pain, for example in the context of a heart attack .
Gynecological diseases or abnormal sensations are also a common cause of lower abdominal pain in women.
The kidney or bladder can also play a role. In small children, meanwhile, almost all physical illnesses project onto the abdomen; an inflammation of the middle ear is also often primarily reflected in subjectively felt abdominal pain that is signaled to the parents.
Causes
There is a lot to tell about the causes of abdominal pain. In the vast majority of cases, abdominal pain is of course harmless and the result of temporary stress or malnutrition such as overloading the stomach or simply hunger.Another common cause of abdominal pain is gastrointestinal infections caused by salmonella or other bacteria or viruses, which occur immediately after eating or the next day and are usually accompanied by diarrhea , vomiting and abdominal cramps .
More protracted infections can also make a medical diagnosis necessary. In the case of longer-lasting abdominal complaints, especially with weight loss, a stomach ulcer or an infection with the fox tapeworm should also be considered, for example. Other parasites are possible causes of chronic abdominal pain. A stool examination can bring clarification here, but may have to be carried out several times.
General and frequent abdominal pain can occur with food intolerance. If possible, even before visiting the doctor, it should be checked whether the symptoms are related to food intake and, if so, to certain foods. In lactose intolerance, dairy products lead to cramping abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea .
A number of other food intolerances are possible and should be defined more closely by a doctor.
A chronic inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis should also be ruled out as part of a comprehensive abdominal diagnosis.
Some abdominal symptoms are assigned to specific localizations: Pain in the upper abdomen, especially in the middle under the costal arch, often comes from the stomach and can indicate an inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis) if it is related to food intake ( heartburn , etc.) .
Pain in the upper right abdomen or under the costal arch should be clarified by a doctor in terms of liver involvement. In the same place, gallstones can cause severe colic. The spleen on the left side of the upper abdomen can also be the cause.
Inflammation of the pancreas often manifests itself in belt-shaped pain that also affects the back.
Pain in the lower right abdomen may indicate appendicitis, especially if the pain moves from the navel to the right flank.
Abdominal pain in the left lower abdomen can indicate a so-called diverticulitis, i.e. an inflammation of the bulges in the mucous membrane of the large intestine, which should definitely be clarified by a doctor.
The kidneys can manifest themselves in the form of unilateral flank pain if, for example, inflammation or high-seated kidney stones make it difficult to drain urine.
Last but not least, about 50% of all abdominal pain symptoms that occur from time to time cannot be narrowed down and can therefore be assigned to the psychosomatic diagnosis ” irritable bowel syndrome “. This means: the pain cannot be traced back to any organic cause and is therefore usually harmless.
Diseases
Diagnose
Due to the large number of possible causes of abdominal pain, there are also a wide variety of diagnostic methods. First, the doctor tries to record the exact clinical picture and personal habits of the patient in a survey (anamnesis). The doctor asks, for example, about the type and duration of the pain, how long the abdominal pain has existed, whether the pain only occurs under certain circumstances (e.g. after eating high-fat food), about eating habits, general health (possible previous illnesses) and whether the abdominal pain are accompanied by other symptoms (e.g. constipation, nausea).
The patient is also physically examined. This includes taking a temperature, tapping and listening to the abdomen and palpating the rectum (rectal examination). Depending on the result of the previous diagnostics, further examination methods can be used. These include, for example, blood, urine and stool analysis or imaging procedures such as: ultrasound , X- ray , CT , MRT or a gastroscopy .
Treatment and therapy
The therapy depends on the underlying disease. Normally, nothing needs to be done if you have a stomach ache, physical rest and perhaps the application of external heat will help you get over any acute ” gastrointestinal flu “.Serious illnesses with prolonged abdominal pain or acute, very painful illnesses such as appendicitis must of course be treated differently.
Prevention
At this point, only the usual advice can be given for prevention: eat a healthy, balanced diet, do not overindulge, wash food well before eating and do not eat rotten or expired dairy products. Everything else is difficult to prevent.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.