All you need to know about lower abdominal pain

What is the pain Lower abdomen?

The abdomen is the area between the chest and the pelvis. It contains vital organs involved in digestion, such as the intestines and liver. And the lower part of the abdomen contains part of the colon and ovaries in women!

Pain in the lower abdomen is often associated with the digestive system, but it can also be related to diseases of the body wall, skin, blood vessels, urinary tract or genitals. !

Pain in the lower abdomen occurs in the area between the pelvis and the chest. It can result from temporary causes that are not cause for concern, such as gas retention and stomach disorders such as indigestion. It may also indicate more serious diseases such as appendicitis. It can be acute, which is the type that affects a person and disappears on its own, and it can also be chronic, as if it lasts for several months.

pain symptoms Lower abdomen

Symptoms of lower abdominal pain vary according to the disease causing the pain. The pain may be general to the area between the chest and the pelvis, as it may be specific to a specific side below the pelvis. Possible symptoms include:

• Vomiting and nausea.
• Flatulence.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• The fever is mild.
• Anorexia.
• Difficulty passing gas.

Pain causes Lower abdomen

Causes of lower abdominal pain, both acute and chronic, include:

1. Constipation

Constipation can be caused by changes in dietary patterns that are low in fiber and fluids, lack of physical activity or taking certain medications. A hard bowel movement causes a feeling of bloating and pain in the lower abdomen, especially when suffering from obstruction.

2. Gases

Gases can accumulate in the digestive system as a result of eating foods that cause gases, which makes a person vulnerable to belching, flatulence and abdominal pain.

3. Menstrual cramps

Cramps occur during menstruation due to uterine contractions, which saves lower back pain and lower abdominal pain.

4. Appendicitis

The appendix causes pain in the lower abdomen as a result of infection or inflammation, which makes the person suffer with sudden pain in the right side of the lower abdomen, and around the navel. Failure to treat the symptoms of appendicitis can cause it to burst, transmit the infection to the rest of the body, and then develop sepsis.

5. Colitis

Colitis results from swelling of the large intestine as a result of infection, poisoning, or inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Among its symptoms are lower abdominal pain, in addition to bloating, diarrhea, frequent urge to defecate, and the presence of blood in the stool.

6. Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is characterized by the formation of swollen sacs in the large intestine or colon and their irritation as a result of infection, causing pain in the left side of the lower abdomen, which makes the person vulnerable to flatulence, cramps and constipation.

7. Hernia

A hernia occurs as a result of an organ or an internal part of the body pushing through the surrounding muscles or tissues, resulting in a bulge or the appearance of a mass in the abdomen or thigh, which causes pain at the hernia site.

8. Cystitis

Cystitis can be caused by bacteria, which may cause pain and cramping in the back and lower middle abdomen.

9. Kidney infection

Kidney infection begins after infection in the bladder, which is transmitted to the kidneys due to bacteria and fungi. Among the symptoms associated with it are back pain, under the ribs, and around the abdomen and groin.

10. Kidney stones

Kidney stones cause pain when they travel inside the kidney or into the ureter, which is the tube that connects the kidney and bladder. The stones cause severe pain in the back and in the side of the abdomen.

11. Testicular torsion

Testicular torsion results in a lack of blood flow to the testicles, and symptoms of infection include sharp and sudden pain and swelling in the scrotum, then abdominal pain.

12. Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis results in ulcers and inflammation along the lining of the large intestine and rectum. In addition to suffering from frequent diarrhea, bloody stools, and weight loss, the affected person suffers from cramps and lower abdominal pain.

13. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome causes many symptoms at the level of the stomach and intestines, including changes in the bowel movement such as diarrhea and constipation, and then the abdominal pain associated with them.

14. Food poisoning

Sufferers suffer from food poisoning resulting from exposure to a type of germ such as viruses, bacteria or parasites, causing diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and lower abdominal pain.

Complications of lower abdominal pain

Lower abdominal pain is considered one symptom among the symptoms of diseases responsible for pain, cramps, and spasms in the lower abdomen. Therefore, health complications are related to the causes responsible for contractures, which usually fall within the digestive system disorders and infections, which are recommended to be treated to avoid health complications associated with diseases.

Pain diagnosis Lower abdomen

Lower abdominal pain can be diagnosed to detect diseases that a person may suffer from, such as appendicitis, or complications of food poisoning such as dehydration and sepsis, through several tests, such as a urine test to confirm dehydration, or blood tests to confirm the possibility of infection or anemia. Imaging tests to detect diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Pain treatment Lower abdomen

Treatments for lower abdominal pain vary depending on what is responsible for the symptoms, and include:

Mild abdominal pain caused by indigestion or gas can be treated with over-the-counter medications.

• Diet change

It is usually advised to make changes to the diet and replace it with foods that do not cause gas, then probiotics, especially when suffering from colitis or irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

Some of the causes responsible for lower abdominal pain can be treated through a surgical procedure to avoid complications associated with the disease, such as appendicitis, which, if not treated, may lead to sepsis.

Pain prevention methods Lower abdomen

Pain can be prevented by avoiding gas-causing foods, such as soft drinks, beans, cabbage, and foods rich in fat. And replace it with fruits and vegetables rich in fiber, then whole grains.

In the event of infection with inflammatory diseases, it is recommended to avoid smoking because it stimulates symptoms in the patient.

When to visit the doctor for lower abdominal pain?

If the pain in the lower abdomen is severe and recurrent, it is recommended to see a doctor, especially if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Constant and severe pain in the abdomen.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Bowel movement disorder.
• Chronic constipation or frequent or bloody diarrhea.
• slight rectal bleeding or blood in the stool.
• Unusual vaginal discharge.
• Urinary tract infection.
• inability to urinate
• Fainting or loss of consciousness.