Therapists and gastroenterologists often receive complaints from patients about a hard lower abdomen. This condition may be accompanied by pain, spotting from the rectum or genitals, puffiness and bulge of the abdominal region. In some cases, the temperature rises. A common feature of all these conditions is a solid, as if petrified, lower abdomen. In some cases, you need to immediately seek emergency medical care. Why the lower abdomen is solid, and how this condition threatens the health of the patient, is described in the article.
List of common causes
This is a very common symptom both in case of usual, non-life-threatening poisoning, and in case of serious chronic diseases. Among the whole variety of reasons why the lower abdomen is hard and sore, the most common are:
- Women have gynecological problems, during the period of premenstrual syndrome it pulls to the very bottom of the abdomen, it “stiffens” a little - in gynecology this concept is called uterine tone. It is quite normal for women of childbearing period and does not pose any threat to life or health. If it is accompanied by severe pain, you should take a tablet of an analgesic or antispasmodic.
- Diseases of the pancreas (most often it is chronic pancreatitis, which can develop into pancreatic necrosis and provoke a fatal outcome) provoke the girdle nature of the pain, while the upper and lower abdomen are hard and sore. In parallel, indigestion develops, diarrhea, and severe bloating can disturb. The symptoms of pancreatitis should not be ignored - this is a very dangerous disease, which in some cases causes the death of the patient. A simple intake of fermented preparations will not work - you will have to change your diet and lifestyle fundamentally.
- Diseases of the liver and gall bladder are a common reason that the lower abdomen is hard and sore. In this case, the patient is simultaneously tormented by heaviness and discomfort in the right hypochondrium, the skin may acquire a somewhat icteric hue (not always). The condition requires a quality examination and long-term treatment. After the aggravation has passed, the lower abdomen will again become soft, and the heaviness in the right hypochondrium will disappear.
- The symptom is characteristic of diseases requiring immediate surgical intervention, and is one of the manifestations of peritonitis, appendicitis, perforation of a stomach or intestinal ulcer, infringement of a hernia, intestinal obstruction. This is the condition of the so-called "acute abdomen", which is accompanied by severe weakness, unbearable pain (they may be absent), and fever. The combination of symptoms and the fact that the lower abdomen is solid, eloquently speaks of serious health problems.
- With exacerbation of urolithiasis, discharge of stones, blockage of the excretory ducts, tension of the abdominal wall is observed. This is another common cause of a hard lower abdomen. The passage of stones in the ureters may be accompanied by sharp, sharp pain. In some cases, the patient is literally unable to tolerate it - an urgent emergency call is required, otherwise the case could be fatal. Most often, the stones come out safely. Much depends on the phosphate composition of the stones, if sand comes out, the patient may not feel anything at all except that the lower abdomen has become hard.
Urolithiasis and stone discharge
Without laboratory tests, it is impossible to say with accuracy how serious the pathology is and what are the ways of its treatment. The fact is that the composition of the stones is different. Some metabolites are resistant to some drugs, but are destroyed by others. And if the nature of the composition of the stones is different, then the treatment will be fundamentally different. Therefore, with the first symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor and undergo all the necessary studies for an accurate diagnosis:
- Prickly, piercing pain in the lower abdomen on one side or immediately on both.
- Painful urination in small portions. The patient is forced to visit the toilet once every fifteen minutes, but the bladder still does not empty completely.
- Hard lower abdomen, painful on palpation. It is characterized by a rather serious increase in unpleasant sensation when pressing on the area of the bladder. It is undesirable to carry out palpation on your own, as this can lead to a puncture of the wall of the bubble with the sharp edge of the stone.
Without ultrasound it is impossible to know the shape and size of the outgoing stone, so it is better to call an ambulance and go to the hospital for examination. In some cases, the stone comes out on its own, and sometimes special medications are required that can break it down into sand and allow it to leave painlessly. Sometimes you need a special operation, in which using special equipment the stone is crushed into tiny particles, and they leave the kidney or bladder.
Treatment of diseases of the urinary system
Stones do not form on their own. Most often, this pathology occurs as a result of a prolonged violation of the proper diet, alcohol abuse, the presence of untreated pyelonephritis, cystitis, glomerulonephritis. A history of kidney disease is a serious risk factor. Many people who get rid of acute pyelonephritis develop stones over time.
If the patient knows that he has a tendency to kidney and bladder diseases, an ultrasound of the urinary system should be done once a year to monitor the condition. If sand is found that has not yet formed into stones, it is necessary to drink a course of drugs. The exact dosage and name will tell the attending nephrologist. Most often it is Fitolizin, Monural, Kanefron. It may also be necessary to take antibiotics in parallel to prevent an inflammatory process in the kidneys that can cause sand or stones to leave.
Cirrhosis, hepatitis and other liver diseases
If the lower abdomen is pouty and firm, while there is an indigestion and pulls in the right side, it can be said with confidence that there are problems with the liver. This body acts as a "protector" from all poisons and harmful substances for the body. There is an opinion that liver diseases make themselves felt by an icteric skin tone. This is not always a marker of the condition - the skin turns yellow only in the very late stages of hepatitis C or cirrhotic disease. With these conditions, it is already impossible to help the patient. Therefore, it is important to take a complete examination and fix your health when fixing the initial symptoms of liver disease.
Reasons that provoke the development of liver diseases:
- often abuse of fatty foods, fast food;
- obesity caused by malnutrition;
- regular abuse of alcohol;
- undergoing chemotherapy;
- taking certain drugs in high doses for a long time;
- severe poisoning by production products;
- ingestion of poisons and toxic substances.
Therapies for liver disease
If the lower abdomen is firm and slightly increased, while pulling in the right hypochondrium, you should drink a course of hepatoprotectors. These are special drugs synthesized to restore the integrity of liver cells. In some cases, one course is enough to restore health to the body. You can not prescribe hepatoprotectors yourself. Only after examination and making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will be able to compile a clinical picture and write out an adequate treatment. Often, patients prescribe medications for themselves and subsequently suffer from side effects.
Here is a list of the most commonly prescribed hepatoprotectors:
- Essential Forte contains essential phospholipids. These are substances that inhibit the fatty degeneration of liver cells. Release form - capsules with oily contents. Take two capsules after meals. In serious diseases such as cirrhosis or hepatitis, a practically useless drug. But in the early stages of the development of the disease, it can help - the inflated and firm lower abdomen comes to normal after two to three days of admission.
- Heptral is a rather expensive (1,500 rubles for 20 dragees) modern drug for treating the liver, and also has a slight antidepressant effect. A very popular medicine for those who regularly abuse alcohol and fatty foods. After one course, the patient feels great - the heaviness in the hypochondrium goes away, the stomach becomes soft, the tissue tone goes away, digestion normalizes.
It is important to understand that taking medications alone will not be enough. In order to get rid of chronic liver diseases, you will have to radically revise your diet and forever abandon the use of alcohol.
Chronic pancreatitis and its manifestations
Pancreatitis manifests itself in different ways. With accuracy, this disease can be diagnosed only after a comprehensive examination. A swollen and hard lower abdomen is just one of its many symptoms. You can try to independently diagnose this condition: if after eating (especially very fatty and heavy food) severe pain begins in the left hypochondrium, if there are undigested food particles in the stool - most likely, the patient has pancreatitis.
Over time, the disease progresses and develops into pancreatic necrosis. And this is a deadly condition. Even timely contact with an ambulance does not always save the patient's life. Therefore, it is important not to try to self-medicate, but to seek help from a gastroenterologist in the early stages, when the disease still makes itself felt only with a solid lower abdomen.
Therapies for chronic pancreatitis
Most patients prefer self-medication, taking Festal or Pancreatin enzymes at every meal. And then they suffer from the fact that a very hard lower abdomen and severe pain in the left hypochondrium deprive them of their working capacity.
The basic rule of success in treating pancreatitis is diet. The patient should forget about fatty foods, barbecue, fast food, fatty cakes and pastries, meat broths for many years. The diet should be as gentle and dietary as possible, each ingredient in the dish is grated. About alcoholic beverages, too, have to be forgotten once and for all. Only in this case can a relatively long remission be achieved.
Female reproductive system diseases and hormonal disruptions
Why is the lower abdomen firm in a girl? If otherwise it is healthy and there are no accompanying symptoms (bloating and heaviness of the abdomen, pain in the left or right hypochondrium), then the causes of the condition are either ovulation or premenstrual syndrome. In some cases, the lower abdomen is stony and pain appears during inflammatory processes in the ovaries. For an accurate diagnosis, you need to visit a gynecologist and undergo an ultrasound.
With menopause, the lower abdomen is hard, what does this mean? This condition is quite natural, since the body is undergoing complete hormonal changes. In order to accurately exclude oncological diseases (which quite often manifest precisely during menopause in women), it is necessary to visit a gynecologist and pass all the prescribed tests. The state of “fossilized” abdomen in women can also in some cases indicate a myoma or cyst. It is still impossible to determine the cause on your own anyway - you need to get to the doctor more quickly.
Appendicitis as a cause of hard lower abdomen
Inflammation of the appendix provokes the condition of the so-called "acute abdomen" - it hardens, the patient experiences severe pain and may lose consciousness.
It is very important to have time to call an ambulance. Rupture of the appendix often leads to death. To prevent this, surgical intervention is required.
The five most striking symptoms of appendicitis in an adult are:
- nausea and vomiting in the first few hours of exacerbation (while the patient ate as usual and could theoretically not be poisoned by anything);
- when examining the abdomen, lag during breathing of the lower abdominal wall is often determined;
- the stool may be completely absent - constipation begins, bloating is most often not observed (the exception is severe intoxication, then the patient may begin to have very rare thin bowel movements);
- an attack of acute, unbearable pain in the right iliac region;
- the tongue at the beginning of the development of inflammation of the appendix is overlaid, with the development of the condition it becomes dry and white.
However, the symptoms and course of acute appendicitis are not always so characteristic. The clinical picture of the disease in children, the elderly and senile, as well as in the atypical arrangement of the appendix, can be especially peculiar. If you experience symptoms similar to appendicitis, you should call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Prevention of the condition: a healthy lifestyle and the advice of a gastroenterologist
Why the lower abdomen is solid, you find out. In order to prevent such a state, you should adhere to simple rules that everyone is able to fulfill:
- Refuse bad habits - smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Reduce the proportion of food that is harmful to humans (sweets, trans fats, fatty meats, rich broths, sugary sodas, strong black coffee in large quantities).
- To reduce the share of bakery products in the diet - these simple carbohydrates are practically of no value to the body, but they are very burdensome on the digestive tract and often lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
- To show moderate physical activity several times a week - walking, aerobics, short jogging.
- If there is chronic gastritis, pancreatitis, liver disease - be sure to be examined every six months, so as not to miss the moment of disease progression to the next stage. It is also important to drink the necessary preparations with the course.