Abdominal pain

definition

Abdominal pain is pain of varying character that is located in the lower part of the abdomen, i.e. below the navel.

These occur proportionally more often in women and can have a different character, a different location and a different intensity.

The abdominal pain usually conceals harmless problems and the pain is usually only temporary, but in some cases it can also lead to cramp-like pain, which in turn can severely affect the patient's everyday life.

The point at which a patient with abdominal pain should go to a doctor depends very much on the accompanying symptoms, the intensity and the other signs of the disease.
The pain can also be felt more like a burning sensation.

Read more on the topic: Burning in the abdomen

causes

For Abdominal pain there are a multitude of causes and it is usually very difficult for the patient to differentiate exactly which cause is being considered for the abdominal pain.

The cause almost always lies in the im Lower abdomen localized organs. These include parts of the large and small intestine, the Rectum as well as the bladder (vesica urinaria), the ureters (ureters) and the male or female Genital organs. So there is a multitude of organs which, due to inflammation or illness, can lead to the patient suffering from abdominal pain.

But nerves or blood vessels are also possible causes of abdominal pain. Therefore it is important to consult a doctor to clarify the exact cause of the abdominal pain and possibly dangerous causes to fix quickly.

Most of the time, however, the cause of abdominal pain is very great harmless. Often, especially in women, tension in the lower abdominal muscles or the pelvic floor muscles lead to a slight tugging in the lower abdomen.

So-called "Period pain" in patients. These period pains always occur when the patient is in her period (Menstruation) or has it shortly afterwards. The cause of this period pain is that the uppermost layer (endometrium) in the patient's uterus is shed. On the one hand, this leads to a Muscle contraction and on the other hand, that the Blood supply for this top layer is cut off. Due to the muscle contraction, the patient may feel light Pain has, which in turn leads to the patient becoming tense and thus get worse abdominal pain.

But not only during the period abdominal pain can occur in a patient.

Some patients report having mild abdominal pain the day they ovulate. While this is rare, it can be the cause of short wave-like abdominal pain in a patient who is then called Middle pain are designated.

If the patient is pregnant, the abdominal pain may be caused by the unborn child, as the patient's body first has to get used to the new situation and adapt, as the child has to evade all organs.

Still, it is important to have this abdominal pain with one Specialist in gynecology (Gynecologist) to discuss because in rare cases it can also be an ectopic pregnancy, which can be very dangerous for the patient.

In the case of a non-pregnant patient, the abdominal pain may be caused by inflammation of the ovaries (adnexitis) or inflammation of the uterus.

In general, there are several causes that lead to abdominal pain and only or mainly affect patients. These include various Ulcersaffecting the female genital organs, for example ovarian cancer (ovarian cancer) or cervical or Uterine cancer (Endometrial cancer).

Furthermore, it can happen that a patient is often sexually transmitted Infectious diseasewho infects chamydia. This is especially the case with frequent unprotected sex with different men.

Also, a fairly common cause of abdominal pain in women is an accumulation of Polyps or Fibroids in the womb (uterus).
Fibroids are benign muscle growths, while polyps are benign growths of the mucous membrane acts.

In some cases it happens that the mucous membrane from the uterus (endometrium) is not only in the uterus but also in other places, for example the Intestines (Colon) or the ovaries (ovaries). This is known as endometriosis, and this dislocation of tissue can also lead to abdominal pain in a patient.

Especially with elderly patients Abdominal pain may be caused by varicose veins in the pelvic area. These can sometimes lead to severe pain and are more common in patients who have had multiple pregnancies.

Another cause of abdominal pain can be a Pelvic floor depression be due to muscle weakness.

But not only at female patients abdominal pain occurs.

Also male patients may suffer from abdominal pain. Specific pains that only occur in men are, in percentage terms, rarer, but then usually have no "harmless" Explanation such as the period pain in a patient.

Especially in young men it can become one Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) come, although this can only be acute or chronic.

One also leads to acute and severe abdominal pain Testicular torsionat which it becomes a Rotation of the testicle comes around the axis. This is one emergency, which must be treated immediately in a hospital.

In addition to specific diseases that only affect men or women, there are also general causes which too Abdominal pain being able to lead:

In addition to the genital organs, the Intestines Be the cause of the abdominal pain. Here it can be caused either by constipation (constipation), by a gastrointestinal infection (for example with the adenovirus) or by an irritable bowel (Colon irritable), which is often accompanied by gas (flatulence). Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, can also be the cause of long-lasting abdominal pain and should be taken seriously. Also one Food intolerance can cause the intestines to become irritated, causing pain in the lower abdomen and often also in the upper abdomen.

However, there are some serious causes which too Abdominal pain and must be treated immediately. For example, a small bulge in the bowel can become inflamed (diverticulitis). Inflammation of the appendix (appendicitis) can sometimes lead to very severe pain in the lower abdomen, especially the right lower abdomen is affected.

So-called inguinal hernias (inguinal hernias) are also possible causes of abdominal pain.

Abdominal pain occurs rather rarely in colon cancer (colon cancer), although here the pain is only one advanced stage occur and not in the early stages.

Especially in female patients Urinary tract problems a more common cause. Because of the very short urethra (urethra) of women, germs can, for example, after Sexual intercourse, get very easily from the urethra into the bladder. This can then lead to severe abdominal pain. It is important that the cystitis is treated in good time so that the germs cannot rise up through the ureters (ureters) into the kidneys. In this case, the abdominal pain slowly disappears and pain in the area of ​​the Upper abdomen and above all that Back comes.

Also Bladder stones can sometimes cause severe abdominal pain and also Herniated discs of the breast- and Lumbar spine can in rare cases cause a patient to experience abdominal pain.

Also the impact of the psyche the patient's body should not be underestimated. For example, it can be propagated through stress develop irritable bowel syndrome, which in turn leads to abdominal pain. However, it can also be that depression or other mental illnesses affect the patient's intestinal motor skills and thus increase abdominal pain. This is known as psychosomatic illness because mental instability leads to a physical illness or, in this case, to a physical symptom, namely the Abdominal pain comes.

diagnosis

To get the exact diagnosis and the root cause for the Abdominal pain determine, it is best for the patient to consult a specialist.

Since abdominal pain can have several causes and it is often unclear for the patient which cause leads to the abdominal pain, it makes sense to use a hospital to go there are many Doctors in various fields are located.

With the help of the doctor-patient conversation (anamnesis), the doctor can initially provide a Suspected diagnosis put. Here it is important that the patient all symptoms mentioned which he was accompanying to the Abdominal pain Has. Based on the accompanying symptoms and the intensity and des Character the doctor can often already have one of the abdominal pain diagnosis put.

With the help of a physical examination (palpation and percussion) the doctor can confirm his suspected diagnosis or revoke. That too Wiretapping of the lower abdomen using the Stethoscope (Auscultation) can be helpful in making a diagnosis.

Often it is also necessary for the patient to have an ultrasound examination (sonography). With the help of the ultrasound, the doctor can receive important information about any problems or diseases in the lower abdomen.

Only in rare cases and only if the diagnosis is suspected, the doctor must further imaging measures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). However, a physical examination and, if necessary, an ultrasound are usually sufficient for a doctor to make the right diagnosis.

Frequency distribution

Abdominal pain comes at Women more often in percentage terms than men as many women experience mild to severe abdominal pain once a month during their period.

Furthermore, inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) is much more common in patients because the urethra (urethra) is shorter in women and thus the path for the bacteria to the bladder is also shorter.

Symptoms

Abdominal pain has different causes, depending on the cause Concomitant symptoms associated.

It is important to mention all accompanying symptoms when visiting a doctor, as the doctor is only able to distinguish between the many different causes of the Abdominal pain can differentiate and only in this way will it be possible to determine how urgently the patient should be treated.

Patients who complain of abdominal pain are often consulted by a specialist in the Gynecology (gynecologist) investigated as it is very often a gynecological problem acts.

A patient has abdominal pain that is caused by warmth and Llie (such as a hot water bottle or a hot bath) get better and those that also come with your period are more likely to be menstrual pain.

A patient suffers from abdominal pain and has accompanying symptoms morning sickness, increased urination or a Tension in the chest, it can be a pregnancy. However, if there is severe abdominal pain and the patient knows that she is pregnant, she should definitely have an ectopic pregnancy or a Departure of the baby (abortion) be excluded. Here the abdominal pain is mostly more convulsive and more violent.

In addition to abdominal pain, a patient experiences fever, sweats and general sweats Exhaustion it can be an inflammation of the ovaries or uterine or ovarian cancer.

But a chlamydial infection can also be accompanied by similar symptoms, which is why it is difficult to attribute the abdominal pain and its accompanying symptoms to a disease without consulting a doctor. However, with chlamydial infections, one often also occurs greasy discharge, which is a reference to the infection can be. However, it is important to know that a chlamydial infection can occur without many accompanying symptoms and that sometimes slight abdominal pain and discharge from the vagina are the only indications of the infection. That is why it is especially important for young patients to regularly visit their Gynecologist a Urine sample which is then tested for chlamydia, since the infection leads unnoticed in the worst case to infertility.

However, abdominal pain with a greasy or slightly bloody discharge can also suggest a polyp or fibroid in the uterus.

If a man suffers from abdominal pain, this can affect one Prostatitis indicate. This is a Inflammation of the prostatewhich are accompanied by symptoms such as Exhaustion, increased Urination, Pain when urinating or a fever.

At a Testicular torsion the abdominal pain is suddenly very severe and cramping and the patient can hardly stand on his feet. Since this is a emergency acts in which the testicle can die in the worst case, the testicular torsion treated immediately become.

If a patient suffers from abdominal pain due to constipation (constipation), he can usually make the diagnosis himself very easily because there is no bowel movement.

It usually occurs with a gastrointestinal infection convulsive Abdominal pain that gets slightly better when you lie down. Additional symptoms are usually nausea, sometimes vomiting or diarrhea and fever.

Irritable bowel syndrome usually results in abdominal pain with constantly changing bowel habits. Sometimes the patient suffers from diarrhea, sometimes from constipation. The feeling of fullness as well as gas and a bloated stomach are typical accompanying symptoms.

The symptoms are very similar for one Food intolerance, whereby the symptoms become worse after eating the intolerable food.

At a inflammatory bowel disease the symptoms can also be very similar, although in addition to abdominal pain, there is also blood in the stool. In general, the admixture of blood in the stool should always be an alarm signal for the patient, since in the worst case this could also be colon cancer.

Diverticulitis and appendicitis lead to severe, cramp-like abdominal pain combined with fever and general malaise. Many patients also vomit or feel very badly.

An inguinal hernia, on the other hand, often has hardly any symptoms apart from the slight abdominal pain, but the patient may be able to feel the hernia in the area of ​​the groin.

In addition to abdominal pain, the typical symptoms of a bladder infection are pain when urinating, dribbling when urinating and an increased urge to urinate, which is often difficult to control.

So in general there are specific ones for each cause of abdominal pain Concomitant symptomswhich can help the doctor narrow down his diagnosis and also tell him which organ is responsible for the abdominal pain.

therapy

The specific therapy for abdominal pain depends on the diagnosis.

In many cases, however, it helps if the patient lies down and takes care of himself. The basic therapy should consist of rest and protection as well as sufficient warmth (e.g. from a hot water bottle) on the abdomen. Sufficient drinking (preferably tea or water) and a simple diet (rusks) should also help the patient sufficiently.

If this basic therapy does not help or if the pain gets worse, it is important to consult a doctor so that he can determine the exact cause.

In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the patient must be operated on and the seedling removed, as the growth leads to a rupture of the fallopian tube. As a result, the unborn baby also dies.

If the cause of the abdominal pain is inflammation of the ovaries, prostate, bladder, intestine or appendix, therapy can also take place or, as recommended for the appendix, for example, surgical therapy in which the appendix is ​​removed.

Polyps or myomas in the uterus, endometriosis, varicose veins in the pelvis or testicular torsion should also be treated surgically so that the abdominal pain can be treated successfully.

In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or intolerance, there are no specific remedies that can help the patient; a healthy and balanced diet and avoiding harmful foods are recommended.

Whether an inguinal hernia or a herniated disc is treated surgically or with medication depends on the severity and must be decided individually for each patient.

prophylaxis

In order to avoid abdominal pain it is especially important that the patient keep recurring moments of the Quiet grant.

A relaxing bath can be especially useful for patients with Menstrual pain help very well, so that the patient can relax again and the abdominal pain becomes more bearable.

A sufficient one Drinking intake as well as a balanced and healthy diet also help to prevent or even avoid intestinal or bladder diseases. Above all, a sufficient one Drinking intake of about 2 liters of water per day can ensure that germs do not get through the urethra into the bladder and thus cannot lead to cystitis and abdominal pain.

A chlamydial infection can be prevented by always using a condom for contraception, so that no germs can ingest.

There is a specific prophylaxis not for each of the causeswhich can lead to abdominal pain. Still one can healthy lifestyle help the patient to minimize and prevent abdominal pain.