Complaints of severe abdominal pain are one of the common reasons for seeking medical help. Often, even a qualified medical professional cannot make a diagnosis without a specific study. In this place there are several important organs, and each of them is capable of causing discomfort. What to do if your stomach hurts, what causes this phenomenon? This will be discussed in the article.
Probable reasons
Pain occurs for two main reasons:
- smooth muscle spasm - develops suddenly and acutely;
- inflammatory process - the increase in pain is slow.
The causes of pain, depending on the localization, are as follows:
- Epigastric region (upper abdomen - a triangle under the ribs) - if it occurs at night, it indicates a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastritis in the afternoon after eating.
- What to do if you have a stomach ache in the left hypochondrium? It is urgent to visit a doctor, as this can be an acute form of pancreatitis, gastric ulcer, gastritis, inflammation of the spleen.
- Under the right rib is the pathology of the liver, gall bladder, biliary tract or duodenum.
- Left ileal region - disturbances in the work of the colon, inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract, gynecological diseases are possible.
- The right ileal region is inflammation of the cecum. What to do if your stomach hurts? Should not be delayed call an ambulance. It is impossible to delay in this case - peritonitis is possible.
- The umbilical region - cramping and sharp pains occur in case of obstruction of the small intestine.
- Above the pubis - can be caused by inflammation of the appendages, problems with the uterus (in women) and the bladder.
- Across the abdomen - acute pain occurs with inflammation of the peritoneum. What should I do if my stomach hurts? With such symptoms, you cannot postpone the ambulance call, the condition is life-threatening.
When contacting a doctor, the patient must be told about the nature and location of abdominal pain. This information will help in the diagnosis.
Pain in the umbilical region and in the epigastrium
Belly button navel hurts - what to do? Sometimes aches in the area of the navel and epigastrium does not occur due to disruption of the digestive system, but in connection with myocardial infarction. If at the same time the heart rhythm is disturbed and chest compression, severe weakness and nausea are felt, urgent medical attention is needed. Only after removing the ECG, the doctor makes a conclusion about myocardial infarction. With the exception of this diagnosis, the patient undergoes an examination to detect abnormal functioning of the digestive system.
Female diseases causing abdominal pain
Often, children, men and women have a stomach ache. What to do in such situations? The following are the causes of discomfort associated only with gynecological problems:
- Ovarian apoplexy - a sudden rupture of organ tissue is accompanied by bleeding in the abdominal cavity and pain, which often occurs in the lower abdomen. Usually the pressure decreases, the pulse quickens, chills appear, the body temperature rises. Often occurs after intercourse or physical exertion. Urgent medical attention is required. In mild cases, therapeutic treatment is prescribed, but more often it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
- Uterine fibroids are a benign tumor. When it grows, it puts pressure on neighboring organs, causing pulling and aching pains in the lower abdomen. Sometimes there are vaginal bleeding, possibly an increase in the volume of the abdomen and pulling pain from below. It is often found during gynecological examinations. It is treated with hormonal drugs, invasive methods are used, in extreme cases, removal of the uterus is indicated.
Inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system in men
In the pelvic area are important organs, inflammation of which is accompanied by various kinds of painful sensations. However, they are slowly progressing. Consider why a man has a stomach ache and what to do in each case:
- Prostatitis is an inflammatory process of the prostate gland, accompanied by aching and burning sensation when urinating, giving in the groin and lower back. There is difficulty with urine withdrawal as a result of squeezing the urinary canal, the erection mechanism is disturbed, potency decreases, anxiety and mental depression appear. If signs of the disease occur, do not delay the treatment. For each man, therapeutic measures are selected individually, taking into account the causes of inflammation, the course of the disease and the complications that arose. Be sure to follow all the doctor's prescriptions.
- Orchitis and epididymitis - inflammation of the testicle and its associated spread to the appendages. The causes of this pathology are untreated sexually transmitted infections. Acute orchitis is accompanied by sudden pain in the lower abdomen, fever and a significant increase in the scrotum. A chronic inflammatory process can occur without any symptoms, except for the soreness that occurs when touching damaged organs. The disease necessarily requires appropriate treatment, without which irreversible changes are possible, leading to atrophy and the inability to produce high-quality sperm.
Men are usually reluctant to visit a doctor, so diseases often take a chronic course and are difficult to treat. A timely diagnosis and therapy, begun in the early stages, lead to good results without serious health consequences.
What to do if it hurts in the lower abdomen?
Pain in the lower abdomen occurs with the following ailments:
- Pyelonephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys caused by bacteria. The ailment proceeds in acute and chronic form. In the first case, pain appears in the lower abdomen during urination, the temperature rises, there is blood in the urine, and chills appear. In the second - mild symptoms, the period of exacerbation gives way to remission. It should be remembered that the disease never goes away on its own, long-term treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is required. If therapy is ineffective, surgical intervention is indicated.
- Disruption of the digestive tract - typical symptoms, in addition to discomfort in the lower abdomen, are heartburn, belching, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, putrid breath, plaque on the tongue. To determine the diagnosis, the patient consults a general practitioner, undergoes the necessary studies. Depending on the work of which organ is violated, treatment is prescribed, in which all the recommendations of the doctor are strictly observed.
Everyone needs to be attentive to their health and in case of discomfort in the abdomen immediately seek medical help.
First aid for abdominal pain
Often, pain in the abdomen occurs from overeating, indigestion, untimely bowel movements. But sometimes there are critical situations:
- acute inflammation, which leads to a stomach ulcer;
- appendicitis;
- renal failure;
- damage to the liver and pancreas.
You must call an ambulance if:
- no relief after vomiting and bowel movement;
- cramps are localized on the right;
- there are traces of blood in the vomit or feces;
- having trouble urinating.
Many people are interested in: "Stomach ache. What to do at home?" However, self-medication is unacceptable here - antispasmodics or analgesics can smear the clinical picture and prevent an accurate diagnosis. Before the arrival of the ambulance crew, you can put a cold on your stomach and provide complete peace to the patient.
What is not recommended?
The list of what is contraindicated for abdominal pain:
- drink and eat;
- take painkillers and antibiotics;
- apply heat;
- endure acute and prolonged pain when there is vomiting and loss of consciousness, the presence of blood in the feces, urine or vomit.
Pain signals about problems in the body, and it is necessary to respond to it. Early treatment leads to recovery.
Causes of Prolonged Abdominal Pain
As a rule, prolonged pain in the abdomen indicates an exacerbation of chronic ailments. During this period, lesions of new parts of the organ are possible, and the pain is localized in a different place, and not where usual. Exacerbation often occurs due to a violation of the diet, medication, stressful situations, physical activity. Prolonged abdominal pain occurs due to:
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- ulcerative lesions;
- gynecological problems;
- damage to the muscles of the abdomen or lower back.
All pathologies requiring urgent surgical intervention are characterized by acute pain. But if during a chronic illness a stomach ache within a week, what should I do? In this case, discomfort can be caused by a serious illness. Therefore, you must definitely visit a doctor and undergo an examination to make sure that there is no serious danger.
Pain in the stomach
Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa where gastric juice and protective mucus are produced. The patient is tormented by heartburn, nausea, pain often occurs when a person does not eat for a long time, heaviness and bloating in the stomach appear. If stomach and stomach hurts, what should I do? It is necessary to visit a gastroenterologist, undergo examinations that will help to make an accurate diagnosis. Complex therapy will be required, most often with an antibacterial course.
In the treatment of gastritis, nutrition plays a very important role, therefore it is necessary to follow a diet and exclude all products that irritate the gastric mucosa: fried, fatty and spicy dishes. In the acute stage, limit fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat small meals at intervals of four hours.
Gallbladder disease
The appearance of dull pain under the ribs in the right side, which begins to intensify after eating, is a typical sign of inflammation of the walls of the gallbladder called cholecystitis. The acute course of the disease is characterized by severe throbbing pain. Often there is nausea, vomiting and a bitter aftertaste in the mouth. Intolerant hepatic colic occurs when stones move along the bile ducts. What to do if my stomach hurts very much? You can not tolerate, you need to seek help from a doctor. An abdominal examination will be immediately scheduled.
With diseases of the gallbladder, ultrasound is effective in terms of diagnosis. Exacerbation of cholecystitis is treated with antibiotics, an unloading diet, painkillers and antispasmodics are prescribed, and choleretic drugs are also used. For therapy at an early stage of gallstone disease, drugs are used to dissolve them. Large stones are removed surgically.
What is endometriosis?
This disease is characterized by the growth of glandular tissue of the inner layer of the uterus (endometrium) beyond: the vagina, neck, ovaries, abdominal cavity. The woman has a menstrual cycle, abundant discharge. In this case, severe pains occur in the lower abdomen, giving in the groin and lower back. They can occur during intercourse, urination and bowel movements. What to do if your stomach hurts? In case of menstrual irregularities, consultation with a gynecologist and the necessary examinations are required. The treatment is often conservative, the doctor prescribes hormonal and pain medications. In extreme cases, surgical intervention is used.
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized cell does not reach the uterine cavity and attaches to its neck, ovaries, and fallopian tube. With its growth, organs that are not adapted for this rupture, internal bleeding occurs, and a dangerous condition for the woman's life sets in. Symptoms of the disease are severe stitching pains in the lower abdomen, blood discharge, fever, low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting. What should I do if my stomach hurts? When these signs appear, immediate medical attention is required. Rupture of the tube leads to infertility, and in complex cases, the condition threatens the life of the patient. To avoid such cases, a woman should be immediately registered with a gynecologist when she is pregnant and regularly attend scheduled examinations.
Conclusion
Any abdominal pain: sharp, pulling, aching, cramping, regularly recurring should alert you. If relief does not occur, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is impossible to independently determine which organ is malfunctioning. Even a doctor, before prescribing treatment, prescribes laboratory and hardware studies.