Lower Abdominal Pain Causes"Causes of Lower Abdominal Pain" Abdominal pain symptoms are common in IBS. The pain is often described as stomach ache, a spasm or ‘discomfort’, which can be associated with bloating and trapped wind. It is usually worse in the morning, but can occur at any time of the day, although night time or nocturnal symptoms are unusual. The pain can be so severe that it can be mistaken for acute abdominal pain of other cause such as appendix pain. It is important to understand the cause for your pain in view of this. The pain is usually accompanied by a change in bowel habit with either diarrhea, constipation or a combination of the two. There is normally a history of recurring symptoms and this needs to be considered in the context of the IBS Rome criteria for IBS diagnosis. Other causes of pain should be considered as the diagnosis isn't always clear. It is important to seek guidance from your doctor about this. I will highlight some of the other causes of lower abdominal pain or stomach ache here to give you an idea of the broad spectrum of other causes.
BowelViral or bacterial gastroenteritis Acute inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis) Appendicitis - Apendix abdominal pain can start in the left side of the abdomen or midline, localising to the right lower abdomen as symptoms progress. The abdominal pain maybe associated symptoms of nausea, vomiting and fever, but it can be very difficult determine for certain that it is appendix pain. It's important to seek early help from a medical practitioner if you display any of these appendix abdominal pain symptoms. Cholecystitis (Inflammed gallbladder)- pain in the right upper abdomen radiating through to the back and sometimes the shoulder. Often associated with nausea, vomiting, sometimes change in bowel habit and fever. Pancreatitis (Inflammed Pancreas) a potentially serious cause of abdominal pain (usually upper), fever, nausea and vomiting. Early advice from a medical practitioner is again important here as you need to be examined and treated appropriately. Ischaemic Colitis (Usually in the elderly)- often associated with diarrhea which can be bloody, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. A potentially life threatening condition requiring early medical intervention. Tumours – Bowel cancer, rare tumours such as carcinoid.
Urinary TractUrinary tract infection/UTI Kidney or renal stones Hydronephrosis (Dilated ureter or urine tube due to various causes) Tumours
GynaecologicalPeriods Mittelschmertz syndrome (Mid-cycle bleeding into the fallopian tube) Fibroids Ectopic pregnancy Endometritis (Inflammed womb lining) Endometriosis
VascularLeaking abdominal aortic aneurysm (usually in the elderly) Acute bowel ischaemia (lack of blood flow to the bowel usually due to blood clot) Portal/Hepatic vein thrombosis Retroperitoneal bleeding of various cause
Bone/NerveRadiation of Lumbar back pain Neuropathic pain Radiation of Hip pain
The above list of causes of stomach ache are not there to frighten, but to highlight that there are other causes for lower abdominal pain and these should always be considered. Further investigations maybe required depending on your doctors impression and your concerns too. However, IBS symptoms are usually quite apparent and may need little investigation. Your doctor will be able to advise you in this matter.
Lower Abdominal Pain InvestigationLower abdominal pain investigation can encompass many different options. Simple investigations might include blood tests to see if you are anemic or whether your white cells (cells that are raised in infections or inflammatory conditions)are abnormal. Liver function blood tests to check your liver isn't inflammed (hepatitis) or affected in other ways. A urine test to look for evidence of infection or pregnancy in a woman would be fairly standard investigations. Other investigations may be considered. These might include: Abdominal X-rays Barium Enema - Using a dye (Barium) as an enema which shows up on x-ray to visualise your large bowel or colon. Ultrasound - using sound waves to image organs in your abdomen. CT Colonography - Using a special x-ray test to give good images of your colon and internal organs. Flexible Sigmoidoscopy - Using a flexible camera to visualise the left side of your colon. Colonoscopy Procedure - Using a flexible camera to visualise the whole of your colon. These are just a few examples of investigations that may be done.
Treatment of Lower Abdominal PainTreatment of lower abdominal pain really depends on the underlying cause. This may include analgesia (pain relief), antibiotics for infections, surgery and many other options that are really too vast to discuss here. If you have any specific questions, you could use the abdominal pain forum below. Feedback About Your Experience of Abdominal Pain To Help Others
Feedback about abdominal pain and how you manage it to help other sufferers! By feeding back you are letting other sufferers know your experiences of abdominal pain and also contributing to the IBS Help Online community. You may be helped from the comments from others too! What Other Visitors Have Fed BackClick below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
My lower right side hurts, What could this be?
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abdominal severe pain on the right side
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