Unpleasant sensation in the stomach periodically occurs in every person. Discomfort can be painful, lasting from a couple of hours to two or three days, then subsiding, then reappearing. Unpleasant sensations can be caused by various factors, including dangerous pathologies. When discomfort occurs, its nature should be understood so that it is easier for the doctor to identify the cause.
Main causes of discomfort
In the abdomen, especially its lower part, many organs are concentrated: digestive, urinary, reproductive. Discomfort can be a symptom of dysfunction of one organ or a disorder of the system as a whole. Similar clinical manifestations may indicate completely different pathologies. The most common causes of discomfort in the lower abdomen:
- Disorder of the digestive tract. Unpleasant sensations arising from a disorder of the digestive system usually haveacute, paroxysmal character.
- Pathologies of the urinary system. The nature of sensations depends on the nature of the origin of diseases.
- Diseases of the reproductive system. In men and women, the symptoms of pathologies are different. When making a diagnosis, a complex of clinical manifestations is taken into account.
- Benign and malignant neoplasia. More often, pathological neoplasms are asymptomatic. Unpleasant painful sensations indicate severe forms of pathology.
- Neuralgic diseases.
Separately, it is worth noting the occurrence of discomfort in pregnant women. Discomfort in the lower abdomen in women in position is far from always associated with a pathological condition.
Associated symptoms
Depending on the pathology, in addition to discomfort in the abdomen, there are a number of accompanying symptoms. It is the complex of clinical manifestations that makes it possible to make a preliminary diagnosis. Most common accompanying symptoms:
- Pain radiates to the lower back, upper abdomen, groin.
- Dizziness, noise, headaches.
- Pain during bowel movements, urination.
- Nausea, heartburn.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- General weakness, fatigue.
- Fever rises from mild to feverish.
One or more symptoms may appear. Such a clinical picture is a good reason to see a doctor.
Types of discomfort in the lower abdomen in women
The weaker sex is sensitive andemotionality. Any discomfort, first of all, delivers psychological inconvenience. A woman immediately tries to find the cause of an unpleasant sensation in her stomach, and, as you know, pathology is better treated in the early stages. Unpleasant sensations can be different. Based on their nature and accompanying symptoms, you can independently identify the alleged cause of the discomfort:
- Dull pain accompanied by spotting may indicate inflammation of the urinary system.
- Intense pain, copious discharge with blood, high fever are often signs of pelvic infections.
- Cramping blurry abdominal pain, bloating, nausea may indicate gastrointestinal disorders.
Gynecological diseases
Most often, the appearance of discomfort in the lower abdomen in women is associated with gynecological pathologies. The most common ones are:
- Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina, characterized by damage to the mucosa by opportunistic microflora. The disease is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen and a feeling of fullness in the genitals. Women also experience pain when urinating.
- Endometritis is an inflammatory process in the endometrium of the uterus. The disease is acute and chronic. Both forms are accompanied by aching pain in the lower abdomen, especially during intercourse.
- Polycystic ovaries - multiple cysticformations inside and outside the ovaries. The disease has a number of disorders that allow a woman to independently suspect a pathology: irregular menstruation, the appearance of acne, a sharp increase in weight. Polycystic disease is characterized by chronic moderate pulling pains in the lower abdomen.
- Fibroma of the uterus is a benign neoplasm formed from the connective tissue of the walls of the uterus. The clinical picture depends entirely on the size of the tumor and its location. Main symptoms: soreness in the lower abdomen during defecation and intimacy.
Discomfort and soreness in the lower abdomen after menstruation
Menstrual disorders are common in gynecological practice:
- Dysmenorrhea is a pathological process characterized by the appearance of unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen after the onset of menstruation. The pains are of a pronounced permanent nature, subside only on the second day of the cycle. Dysmenorrhea is also accompanied by dizziness, bloating, emotional disturbances, and sometimes a slight increase in temperature.
- Menorrhagia - heavy periods. Prolonged menstruation, accompanied by large blood loss, is considered a pathology. They often become the cause of the inflammatory process of the female genital organs. Inflammation is usually accompanied by pain.
Also, the cause of discomfort in the lower abdomen can be an incorrectly installed intrauterine device, biochemical pregnancy, hormonal failure. Pain is a reactionbody for damage. Its appearance is associated with pathological processes occurring in the body that require therapy.
Unpleasant sensations in the abdomen during pregnancy
During the gestation period, any discomfort in a woman's body causes her to panic. Expectant mothers react especially sharply to pain. Before you panic, you should understand the causes of discomfort in the lower abdomen during pregnancy.
All types of pain are divided into obstetric and non-obstetric. Obstetrics are directly related to pregnancy, non-obstetrics - gastrointestinal disorders, structural changes in the abdomen, inflammatory diseases of internal organs.
OB:
- Ectopic pregnancy - the development of a fertilized egg outside the uterus, often in the fallopian tube. The initial symptoms are the same as in a normal pregnancy: signs of toxicosis, delayed menstruation. Then there are unpleasant sensations in the abdomen, which quickly acquire a pulling intense character. Such pains indicate the termination of a tubal pregnancy, the woman needs immediate hospitalization.
- Premature abruption of the placenta is always accompanied by sharp pains, spasms of the muscles of the uterus, bleeding.
- The threat of miscarriage. Symptoms of spontaneous abortion are pulling suprapubic pain, smearing discharge.
Non-OB:
- Violation of the digestive tract.
- Stretch the abdominal muscles and round ligament.
- Diseases of internal organs of an inflammatory nature:cholecystitis, pancreatitis, inflammatory processes in the kidneys, urea.
Why do men have it?
Discomfort in the abdomen appears not only in women, but also in men, however, the latter is not so common. Representatives of the stronger half try not to pay attention to discomfort, preferring to just drink painkillers. Ignoring the problem seriously worsens the situation, the disease becomes chronic, characterized by relapses.
Causes of discomfort in the lower abdomen in men can be general or gender. General:
- Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Diseases of the urinary system.
- Neuralgic diseases.
- The appearance of neoplasms.
- Injuries.
Gender causes include pathologies of the genitourinary system.
Men's diseases
Urological diseases are more of a concern for older men. But that doesn't mean they can't cause stomach discomfort in young people:
- Prostatitis is an inflammation of the exocrine male gland. It is most often diagnosed in men aged 25-50 years. The main symptoms are intense pain in the lower abdomen, which eventually begin to radiate to the anus. Patients are also concerned about the frequent urge to deurinate.
- Cystitis is an inflammation of the urinary tract of an infectious genesis. The disease is accompanied by discomfort in the abdomen after urination. Pain is felt in the groin, scrotum, penis. For severe formsintoxication develops, accompanied by a high temperature.
- Vesiculitis - inflammation of the seminal vesicle. The acute form is characterized by a sudden onset. Patients complain of acute pain in the suprapubic region, groin, and rectum. Pain is aggravated by ejaculation, urination and defecation. In chronic vesiculitis, aching pains in the lower abdomen, in the region of the rectum, are disturbing. Both forms are characterized by frequent urination.
Digestive system disorders
The occurrence of discomfort in the abdomen and men and women are initially associated with digestive disorders. This is a perfectly logical and often correct assumption. The most common causes of discomfort are the following pathological diseases:
- Appendicitis is an acute inflammation of the appendage of the caecum. In an acute course, the patient experiences sudden severe pain in the right iliac region. At first, the pain is blurred, but after a few hours it is concentrated in the right side of the lower abdomen, aggravated by coughing, laughing and subsiding a little when lying down.
- Enterocolitis is a digestive disorder caused by infectious non-infectious inflammation of the intestine. The disease is characterized by acute symptoms: blurred abdominal pain, heaviness, rumbling. Often enterocolitis is accompanied by diarrhea, with an infectious nature, mucus and blood are found in the stool.
Pathologies of the nervous system
Often the causes of discomfort areneuropathy. Pathologies are not widespread. However, it is not uncommon for neuropathies to reduce performance for quite a long time, and sometimes lead to disability.
The defeat of the femoral nerve is characterized by sharp, shooting pains. It hurts not only the surface of the thigh, but also the pelvic region, lower abdomen, an unpleasant sensation extends to the very foot. The cause of discomfort can also be damage to the femoral-inguinal, iliac-hypogastric nerves.
How the diagnosis is made
If an unpleasant feeling in the stomach bothers you for several days, you should consult a doctor. During the conversation, it is necessary to describe in detail the nature of the pain, duration, frequency and prescription. Based on the symptoms, the doctor will make a preliminary conclusion. To confirm it and determine adequate therapy, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis, which includes the following studies:
- Clinical blood and urine tests.
- Blood biochemistry.
- Coprogram.
- Bacterial cultures of the vaginal microflora and cervical canal.
- Sonography of the digestive, pancreatic, urinary systems.
Treatment methods
The main cause of abdominal discomfort is inflammation of various organs. As a rule, the process occurs after infection enters the body. To eliminate the pathogen, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial therapy is used. Drugs are selected individually, especially carefully prescribedantibiotics for pregnant women.
Mandatory stage of therapy is the elimination of symptoms. If the lower abdomen hurts, the unpleasant sensation is eliminated with the help of analgesics or antispasmodics. NSAIDs are considered the most effective and less dangerous, they are used even during the gestation period.
In severe conditions (appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy), a decision is made on surgical intervention.
Prevention
To avoid unpleasant sensations in the abdomen, one should be engaged in the prevention of diseases that contribute to the appearance of discomfort. To prevent infection, it is necessary to monitor hygiene, use contraceptives during intimacy. Regular medical check-ups are also an effective preventive measure.
