What is Lower Abdominal Pain?

Pain in the lower abdomen is felt below the ribs and down to the pelvis. It is described as a sharp, stabbing feeling in the stomach and can sometimes result in severe anxiety. The lower abdomen contains many organs, therefore, there are a great number of conditions leading to its discomfort.

Gallstones, appendicitis, and inflammation can all be the direct causes behind abdominal pain. When women are going through this type of pain, it is usually due to an ovarian torsion, a rupture of an ovarian cyst or ectopic pregnancy. On the other hand, men may be suffering from testicular torsion or injury. If the pain comes and goes, it might be a sign of a kidney stone.

Even though the pain generally goes away and there is no serious health problem behind it, there might be an underlying condition that is way more serious. With that being the case, you should seek immediate medical care if the pain is frequently happening.

After being diagnosed by a doctor and depending on the reason causing the pain, the treatment will be decided. In order to lessen abdominal pain signs, over-the-counter pain relievers can be prescribed. But not all conditions can be treated with medication; the doctor may ask the patient to start fasting until the reason is diagnosed or inject fluids in their body as a means to correct the fluid loss.

Supposing that the pain does not need any special treatment, the patient can take care of themselves at home and do things that help ease the pain such as placing a hot bottle on their abdomen, taking a hot shower, and taking mild painkillers. It is important to avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs unless prescribed by the healthcare provider.

What causes lower abdominal pain?

Conditions related to the digestive tract, the bowel tract, pregnancy, heart problems can all be inducing the pain sensation in the stomach, specifically the lower abdomen. Here are the most frequently seen reasons:

• Appendicitis: This condition causes pain in the lower right side of the abdomen as a consequence of an infection resulting from the blockage of the lining of the appendix; it is known as the inflammation of the appendix. It normally starts around the navel, then the pain radiates to the lower right abdomen.

• Gallstones: Gallstones may happen if the bladder is not being emptied completely and if the bile has too much cholesterol or bilirubin. These stones form in your gallbladder and usually need surgery to be removed. Signs of having gallstones vary from a person to another. You may experience sudden pain in the right side or the center of the abdomen, pain between your shoulder blade, nausea, or vomiting.

• Bacterial, parasitic, or viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract: Infections cause gastroenteritis, which is the inflammation in the stomach and the small intestine. Dehydration can be the main reason behind the infection; hence rehydration is essential since infections are self-limited and might go away in a few days. Many microorganisms lead to this infection for example Adenovirus, Campylobacter, Clostridium Difficile and others.

• Celiac disease: Also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy is an immune disease that affects your digestive system and your small intestines. If someone suffers from celiac disease, their body becomes sensitive to any food that contains gluten, a protein found in wheat. The symptoms vary depending on the amount of gluten consumed by the person. They can experience abdominal bloating, weight loss and fatigue.

• Diverticulitis: It is the inflammation or infection of pouches called diverticula; they show up anywhere in the intestines but mainly in the weakest spots. The diverticular disease does not always have symptoms, but it can rupture your stomach. Its exact reason is still unidentified. The signs of having Diverticulitis should always be taken into consideration because it may lead to life-threatening problems.

• Lactose Intolerance: It is a condition where the body is not able to digest the milk’s sugar known as lactose due to a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar found in milk. It is a very common disease and harmless, but its symptoms will make you feel uncomfortable. Symptoms appear after consuming food containing dairy products. Over-the-counter medications can be used instead of the enzymes to digest the sugar. If you suffer from a high fever, abdominal swelling, and unintentional weight loss, you should seek medical care as per the fact that it might be a serious condition.

• Inflammatory bowel disease: This disease includes 2 conditions: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. One of its symptoms is diarrhea caused by pus, bleeding, and redness that were produced after an inflammation in the small intestine and large intestine. Despite the fact that Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two similar conditions, the latter is only limited to the colon and mainly in its lower part and rectum while the first one can extend to other organs in the digestive tract and affect the full thickness of intestine. Common symptoms of IBD are characterized by bloody stool, fatigue, and low red blood cell count.

• Irritable bowel syndrome: It is a common condition that causes bloating, stomach cramps and constipation. Researchers have not found a cure yet but a change in your diet can help you face this syndrome and control the symptoms. The cause also remains unknown however it is linked to the oversensitive nerves in your gut. The pain can be located anywhere in the abdomen but mostly in its lower part.

• Ovarian cysts: Fluid-filled sacs that can be formed on the ovary or inside of it during the ovulation. Most of the cysts disappear with time, nevertheless, some of them may rupture and cause serious problems. Large ovarian cysts cause pelvic pain, a feeling of fullness in your abdomen and bloating.

• Urinary tract infection: It is an infection that can happen anywhere in your bladder and can cause a burning sensation whenever you try to urinate. It is usually treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.

• Ectopic pregnancy: ectopic pregnancies could be life threatening situations because the baby cannot develop if the egg were stuck between the fallopian tubes. The pregnancy cannot be saved, and it should be removed using medication or through an operation. Symptoms can be vaginal bleeding, any sign of pregnancy, pain in the tip of your shoulder and tummy pain.

How are the causes of abdominal pain diagnosed?

First of all, your health care provider will have to ask you several questions in order to figure out the nature of the pain, these questions include: when did the pain start? Is it the first time you suffer from such pain? When do your symptoms worsen? Are you taking any medication?

They might also ask you to take some tests:

• The basic metabolic panel (BMP) and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) tests: these blood tests measure the level of specific substances in your blood. The doctor may have asked for them to see the level of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glucose, carbon dioxide, bilirubin, and albumin.

• Urinalysis: it is a laboratory test that indicates any problem present in your urine. Problems in your bladder can affect the amount of toxins and wastes that remain in your body.

• Abdominal film (X-Ray): gallstones, kidney stones, abdominal cavity are all conditions that need an X-Ray to be detected. Abdominal film can be performed when you have been suffering from chronic nausea, ongoing vomiting, and abdominal pain.

• Abdominal CT scan: it is also another form of X-Ray, but it is specialized for a specific area in your body. It allows the doctor to see inside your abdominal cavity.

• Transvaginal ultrasound: also known as endovaginal ultrasound, has a job to create images of your internal organs and to examine a female’s reproductive system.

How to treat lower abdominal pain?

Here are some home remedies to help you lessen the pain:

• More fluid intake is advisable to make up for the fluid loss.

• Daily exercises

• Over-the-counter painkillers: avoid anti-inflammatory medications and take nsaids or paracetamol.

• Healthy diet

• Say yes to water.

• Reduce your consumption of alcohol and coffee as they make the pain unbearable.

• Antibiotics to treat infections.

• Surgeries in case of ruptured appendix

When to seek immediate medical care?

You should go straight to your doctor if you are suffering from:

• Pain which is persisting for several hours.

• Vaginal bleeding in case of pregnancy.

• Vomiting blood.

• Shortness of breath.

• Pain in scrotum for males.

• Pain radiating to chest, neck, and shoulders.

• Inability to urinate.

• High fever.

• Symptoms interfering with daily life.

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If you or anyone you know is suffering from lower abdominal pain, call us today on (469) 562 4188 to book an appointment with our expert doctors.