Abdominal Pain - When Should You Not Ignore It & Visit A Doctor?

Abdominal pain also referred to as stomach ache mainly appears in the pelvic and chest regions. The pain can be dull, crampy, sharp or recurrent. It occurs mainly due to a disease or inflammation that affects the abdominal organs. It is very important to seek the assistance of a doctor, especially if the pain is severe and is associated with pain in the chest and trauma or injury. It is not necessary that the pain in the lower abdomen be a cause of alarm, but it is essential to know the cause of the pain.

Symptoms of Abdominal Pain

• Belly ache is not something one should get worried about, but if the pain radiates downwards from the chest it could be a sign of heart attack. If chest pain radiate to left arm or back then think of cardiac and rarely pancreatitis ( especially for radiation to back).
• In case the symptom is accompanied by lightheadness or shortness of breath, it is very important that the doctor is contacted immediately.
• To avoid serious medical conditions, it is best to avoid pain killers as the symptoms would get hidden and the cause of pain would be difficult to identify.

What are the Main Causes of Abdominal Pain?

• The major organs of the abdomen include the stomach, gall bladder, small and large intestines, kidneys, liver, pancreas, appendix and spleen.
• Significant abdominal pain is caused mainly due to bacterial, parasitic and viral infections that affect the abdomen.
• The abdominal pain could be caused due to inflammation, intestinal disorders and blockages.
• The other common reasons that can produce pain in the lower right abdomen include diarrhea, constipation, stress, vomiting, stomach flu, and acid reflux.
• In the case of acid reflux the contents of the stomach go back into the esophagus and cause symptoms such as heartburn.

Common Causes of Pain in the Abdominal Region
The most common cause of abdominal pain is constipation, which is caused by difficulty in the digestive tract to push the waste out of the body. Severe pain in the lower abdominal area can rupture the organs and result in appendix. Infection in the kidney or occurrence of stones in the gallbladder can also cause pain in the abdominal region. Pain in the abdomen can also be caused by different types of cancer.

Some of the causes of abdominal pain are life threatening and therefore it is important to consult a doctor if the pain persists or lasts for a few days. It has been observed that even a heart attack can cause pain in the upper abdominal region or even cause back pain. Immediate medical attention should be sought in cases where the patient has fever, severe pain, weight loss, persistent vomiting and nausea, swelling of the abdomen and severe tenderness on touching the abdomen.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!