Sharp pain in the lower abdomen is one of the most common situations in clinical practice. However, this is a non-specific symptom, it can bother both men and women, and it also occurs with a variety of diseases, which is the main diagnostic problem.
The fact is that the concentration of nerve ganglia in this area is relatively low, pain impulses coming from the organs located here are not well differentiated in the central nervous system, and the pain seems to be radiating. In any case, you need to see a doctor. He will analyze all the symptoms, prescribe examinations, and on this basis he will make a diagnosis.
Appendicitis: dangerous pain in the lower abdomen
This disease is an inflammation of the appendix. With it, pain usually begins in the epigastric region, that is, closer to the center, but then sharp pains appear in the lower abdomen on the right.
Additional symptoms should be noted, such as:
- general weakness and other manifestations characteristic of intoxication of the body, because of which the patient may confuse this pathology with food poisoning;
- increase in body temperature;
- deterioration of appetite or its complete loss;
- sometimes vomiting;
- digestion disorder.
Appendicitis is treated exclusively by surgery. And the sooner the patient seeks medical help, the better, since peritonitis is a complication of appendicitis, and it can be fatal.
Of course, it is not always possible to independently recognize acute appendicitis. The listed symptoms can be masked by other diseases, in women, for example, gynecological. Therefore, in a situation where the lower abdomen is very sharply ill and dizzy, you should definitely call an ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors, you should not give the patient an anesthetic so as not to smear the clinical picture.
Cholecystitis as a cause of pain in the lower abdomen and lower back
Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis) is a disease that both men and women experience. This mainly occurs when there are stones (calculi) in this organ. The most common symptom is sharp pains in the lower abdomen, most often on the right, but they can also be herpes zoster. It also happens that the lower abdomen and lower back hurt sharply, and sometimes these sensations radiate under the collarbone and in the back. Moreover, the pain intensifies after eating.
Other symptoms of this disease are:
- itchy skin caused by increased bilirubin levels;
- a feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
- dyspeptic manifestations, including nausea and vomiting;
- fever.
If these symptoms are present, the doctor will send you an ultrasound scan and a laboratory test.
Treatment includes antispasmodics to relieve pain (for example, "No-shpy"), antibacterial agents and drugs that enhance the biliary function of the liver. This, for example, "Allohol" and "Liobil", produced in tablets. When the acute stage of cholecystitis subsides or during remission, physiotherapeutic treatment is prescribed. For example, it can be microwave and ultrasound therapy, electrophoresis using a solution of magnesium sulfate (10%) or a solution of novocaine (5%).
Large stones must be removed surgically. Moreover, today there are minimally traumatic methods for this.
Sharp pain in the lower abdomen on the left: the main causes
The situation when the lower abdomen on the left sharply fell ill may be associated with pathologies of the spleen. This is an unpaired organ that plays an important role in the immune system, for example, it is responsible for the formation and accumulation of blood cells, acting as a kind of backup storage. However, when the spleen is removed, the liver and lymph nodes can take over its functions, therefore, surgical treatment is often practiced with the pathology of this organ.
When asked why the abdomen fell sharply ill, we are talking about diseases such as:
- Inversion of the spleen, in which the vessels and nerve bundles of this organ are completely or partially twisted. As a rule, individual anatomical features become the cause of this phenomenon. When the lower abdomen sharply fell ill (at night or in the afternoon - it doesn’t matter), sometimes pain can be given to the upper part of the leg. This is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, indigestion. Treatment is exclusively surgical.
- Expansion of the spleen associated with the inflammatory process and impaired blood flow in the portal vein. The main symptom is a sharp pain in the lower abdomen on the left, however it can migrate to the remaining areas of the abdomen. Diagnosis of the pathology is possible with the help of ultrasound, which will show the smoothing of the sharp edges of this organ. Additional symptoms - fever, nausea, vomiting. As a rule, inflammation of the spleen is not an independent pathology, so the treatment in this case depends on the underlying disease. If it is a bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics.
- An abscess of the spleen is also an inflammatory disease, only it is purulent in nature, and therefore in such cases there is a high risk of peritonitis, and it can lead to death. Therefore, you must immediately call an ambulance, as the patient requires urgent hospitalization and surgical intervention. Small abscesses of the spleen can end almost without a trace for the patient, large ones require long-term monitoring, since there is always a risk of complications.
- The spleen cyst is a benign tumor in the form of a cavity consisting of a capsule inside which contains liquid. The spleen cyst is one of the complications of the abscess of this organ described above. Often it also requires surgical intervention.
- Spleen infarction is a pathology associated with blockage of the arteries of this organ. This leads to necrosis, that is, the death of tissues and blood vessels. Although most often with spleen infarction, pain is felt in the left hypochondrium, it can radiate down the abdomen as it progresses. Pain intensifies with sudden movements and inspiration. Often such a pathology is accompanied by a strong increase in temperature (up to 39 degrees). The danger lies in heavy blood loss. With the described symptoms, you need to call an ambulance.
Other reasons
Why not abdominally abruptly fell ill, not everyone knows. Causes can be leukemia. With them, the blood forming organs are affected, including the spleen, which increases in size and presses on the internal organs, which causes pain. In addition to treating the underlying disease, in such cases a splenectomy is performed, that is, removal of the spleen.
The cause of sharp pain in the lower abdomen on the left can be diseases of the large intestine. On the left are some parts of the colon, so problems are usually associated with them. These can be inflammatory diseases, but if we are talking about severe pain, you should immediately call an ambulance, because this indicates a serious worsening of the situation. For example, such symptoms are characteristic of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other similar pathologies, where sharp pain can indicate internal bleeding and the need for surgical intervention.
Malabsorption can also cause sharp pains in the lower abdomen. This disease can be either congenital or acquired. With it, the mucous membranes of the small intestine can not cope with the absorption of certain substances, for example, milk sugar or some compounds contained in fruits. Additional symptoms are flatulence and indigestion. As a rule, pain disappears after bowel movement. The treatment is dieting.
In some cases, pain in the lower abdomen is associated with gluten intolerance. This disease is called celiac disease. Gluten is a vegetable protein that is part of the gluten content of most cereals, in particular wheat. When gluten enters the body (with food like cereals and baked goods), sharp pain in the lower abdomen may occur, associated with the reaction of the small intestine. It is accompanied by bloating, flatulence with pronounced rumbling, as well as diarrhea. At the moment, there is only one treatment - the removal of products containing gluten from the diet.
Sharp pain in the lower abdomen and loss of consciousness in a woman with gynecological diseases
In women, sharp pain in the lower abdomen on the left or on the right can be associated with such a dangerous pathology as ovarian apoplexy. This means that in the middle of the menstrual cycle, under the influence of some factors, hemorrhage occurs in the ovarian tissue. The mechanism here is the same as during menstruation, that is, the egg matures, leaves the ovary, while the main follicle breaks and adjacent vessels are damaged. Blood from them enters the abdominal cavity and surrounding tissues.
Despite a common misconception, the cause of this pathology is not only too active sexual intercourse, but simply excessive physical exertion. Pain occurs on the right or left, depending on which ovary is damaged. In this case, a decrease in pressure is observed, the skin becomes very pale. Often sharp pain is accompanied by loss of consciousness.
With ovarian apoplexy, there is only one treatment option - urgent surgery.
During pregnancy
When a woman has sharply ill lower abdomen during pregnancy, this is always an occasion for a visit to the doctor. If the situation is accompanied by phenomena such as spotting or feelings of fullness in this area, you need to immediately call an ambulance. We can talk about several serious problems, one of which is uterine hypertonicity.
In such cases, if the girl's abdomen sharply fell ill during pregnancy, the expectant mother is usually hospitalized. The aim of the therapy is to maintain pregnancy. For this, doctors prescribe hormonal drugs, and antispasmodics to relieve pain. You cannot take anything on your own in such cases, it is simply dangerous.
The cause of sharp pain in the lower abdomen during pregnancy may be premature detachment of the placenta (even if it is located normally). This pathology may be accompanied by bleeding of varying degrees of intensity. It is possible that a retroplacental hematoma develops inside. In such cases, there is only one option - carrying out an urgent delivery by caesarean section.
There is another gynecological pathology, and it makes itself felt in the early stages. This is an ectopic pregnancy in which a fertilized egg does not attach to the uterus, as usual, but to some other organs that cannot perform this function. Usually these are tubes, ovaries, in rare cases, the abdominal cavity. It is clear that these organs do not withstand the growth of the fetal egg. For example, a pipe rupture occurs, and this is accompanied by sharp pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding.
In this case, it is possible to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy only with the help of ultrasound. There are no treatment methods, urgent surgical intervention is necessary, otherwise a fatal outcome is possible.
Sharp pain in the lower abdomen during and after intimacy
Of course, there can be several reasons for this phenomenon, when the lower abdomen sharply fell ill during sex. Sometimes they are not physiological, but psychological in nature, associated, for example, with fear of intimacy. In addition, if the lower abdomen is sharply ill during sex, unpleasant sensations can be associated not only with organic diseases, but also with injuries or adhesions (for example, after surgical interventions, and in women after childbirth).
Cystosis, endometriosis, varicose veins in the corresponding area, venous congestion - all this can cause pain. Therefore, the most common pathologies should be considered.
Postcoital cystitis: symptoms and treatment
Very often, sharp pain in the lower abdomen a couple of hours after intercourse, accompanied by a burning sensation, is a sign of postcoital cystitis, that is, an inflammatory process in the bladder. An accurate diagnosis in such cases, if after sex the lower abdomen sharply fell ill, only a gynecologist or urologist can make.
Since cystitis is a bacterial infection, you will need to take a urine test to identify the pathogen. And optionally, cystitis can be caused by sexually transmitted diseases. The cause may be commonplace streptococci, staphylococci, sometimes even E. coli. And to this should be added risk factors such as insufficiently thorough intimate hygiene, dysbiosis after prolonged use of antibiotics, or bacterial vaginosis.
Interestingly, cystitis, accompanied by sharp pains in the lower abdomen, often occurs after a period of prolonged abstinence. In such cases, sexual intercourse is especially intense, this can lead to microcracks and damage to the mucosa. In addition, with prolonged abstinence in women, an established microflora is observed in the vagina, and after sexual contact it changes dramatically, and even without pathogenic microbes such a change leads to inflammatory processes.
Menopausal women are at risk. Due to fluctuations in hormonal levels, they become lower in tone of the walls of the urethra, and this greatly facilitates the penetration of any infection into the bladder. In addition, a woman produces less hormones during this period, and this leads to atrophy of the vaginal mucosa and bladder. It also facilitates the development of a bacterial infection.
Postcoital cystitis is an occasion to consult a doctor. The fact is that they treat him with antibiotics, and self-medication is unacceptable here. Incorrectly selected antibiotics will not cure the disease, but will increase the resistance of pathogenic microflora to such therapy. Most often these are such funds as Monural, Nolitsin, Nitroxolin, and a number of others. Some work only against bacteria, others are effective for fungus.
At the same time, phytotherapeutic drugs are prescribed to improve the functioning of the urinary system, for example, Kanefron. During treatment, you need to limit the salt in the diet, drink more water and cranberry juice, and refuse tea and coffee.
To prevent cystitis, you need to abandon synthetic underwear, carefully observe all the rules of intimate hygiene, use only high-quality lubricant. Doctors also recommend not alternating between anal and vaginal sex.
Uterine fibroids: symptoms and treatment
The situation, if the lower abdomen and lower back are severely and sharply ill, can be associated with such a pathology as uterine fibroids - this is a benign formation, often it is hereditary. Small nodules may not make themselves felt. But with a large myoma, sharp pains occur in the lower abdomen. Most often during intercourse, but sometimes for no apparent reason. Other manifestations can be heavy menstruation, often with blood clots, pain during urination, digestive disorders, etc.
If the myoma is small, then hormone therapy is prescribed - these are drugs containing progesterone. You can’t take them yourself, only as directed by a doctor. In this case, the patient’s condition is constantly monitored, gynecological examinations are performed, an ultrasound scan is performed.
If the nodes are large, then hormone therapy in such cases is ineffective. In addition, she has a number of contraindications - for example, thrombophlebitis, diseases of the biliary tract and liver, and hypertension. Therefore, in all these cases, surgical treatment is proposed. With timely access to a doctor, it is possible to carry out the operation laparoscopically, that is, without large incisions, literally through punctures of the abdominal wall.
Conclusion
As it is now clear, there are many reasons for the occurrence of sharp abdominal pains, so you can not ignore this condition in any case. If the discomfort does not go away, it is recommended to immediately call an ambulance, since such a condition often ends in death.
Hoping that everything will go away on your own, you should also not take various drugs. Only a doctor, based on patient complaints and examination results, will be able to prescribe the correct therapy.