Abdominal pain refers to dull ache or cramps (involuntary muscle contraction) in the tummy. Pain is defined as abdominal if it affects the area on the lower margin of ribs, diaphragm above and pelvic bone plus flank on both sides.

The general meaning of stomach pains is discomfort from organs within abdominal cavity including the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreases, spleen, small and large intestines. Abdominal pain is usually mild and short-lived, but severe pain is a cause for alarm especially when the concentration is in a particular area. It requires immediate medical attention.

Many conditions can cause stomach pains, but these are the most common:

Mild Stomach Pains

These are the most common causes of mild abdomen pain.

Trapped wind

Stomach cramps with bloating often occur due to trapped wind. It causes pain and discomfort around digestive system. Trapped wind can occur in different parts of digestive system causing symptoms such as flatulence, burping and bloating.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a tummy bug that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea. It is a symptom of bacterial or viral infection in the bowel and stomach due to getting into close contact with an infected person or taking contaminated food (food poisoning).

Recurring bouts of diarrhea and stomach cramps could be a sign of long-term condition like irritable bowel syndrome.

Sudden and severe abdominal pain

Sudden agonizing pain affecting a specific section of the stomach could be a sign of severe infection that could worsen without quick treatment. Such pain requires a visit to a general practitioner or a gastroenterologist.

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Causes of severe abdominal pain include:

Gastroenteritis-An injury or a pulled muscle can cause sudden and severe pain in the abdomen.

Other causes are:

Kidney stones- Larger stones in the kidney that cannot pass in your urine can block kidney tubes causing stomach pain until they are broken in an in-clinic procedure.

Acute cholecystitis- Acute cholecystitis is gallbladder inflammation that often occurs due to gallstones formation. The treatment in many instances needs removal of the gallbladder.

Diverticulitis- occurs after inflammation of small pouches in the bowel and may require hospital treatment using antibiotics.

Appendicitis- Appendicitis causes severe pain on the lower right side of the abdomen after swelling of the appendix, a finger-shaped pouch connecting to the colon. Inflammation of the appendix might require removal of the appendix.

Perforated or bleeding stomach ulcer- Occurs when an open bleeding sore manifests in stomach lining or duodenum (first part of small intestine).

If a doctor suspects one of the above conditions, he may immediately refer you to a specialist for further examination and treatment.

Recurring or Long-Term Abdominal Pain

A doctor's intervention is essential when abdominal pain persists or occurs repeatedly. Managing the causes of long-term abdominal pains after diagnosis is possible.

The causes are:

Constipation- Constipation occurs when there are difficulties in bowel movement usually because of stool hardening. Constipation causes localized or generalized pain in the lower abdominal area near the rectum. The pin can be severe in children and mimic serious conditions such as intestinal obstruction or appendicitis.

Menstrual pain- Menstrual cycle can cause painful muscle cramps

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - A condition that causes stomach cramps, diarrhea, bloating or constipation. Going to the toilet can relieve the pain.

Recurrent urinary tract infection- UTI causes stomach pain together with burning sensation when urinating.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - A long-term conditions that cause gut inflammation. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are some of the IBD.

Medication- Some types of medicine such as long time use of ibuprofen for pain relief causes abdominal pain.

Other triggers of stomach pains are pregnancy and bowel obstruction. Pregnant women should visit a doctor to know the cause as it could a sign of ectopic pregnancy. Bowel obstruction makes the abdomen to swell and become tender to touch at the point where it is located.

H.pylori is a type of bacteria that enters and lives in the digestive tract and cause ulcers on the stomach lining, or the upper section of the small intestine is another cause of stomach pains.

Stomach pain can occur due to numerous causes hence it is essential to ask a doctor to diagnose the cause and allow appropriate treatment.

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