Complaints of severe abdominal pain are one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help. Often, even a qualified medical worker cannot make a diagnosis without a specific study. There are several important organs in this place, and each of them is capable of causing discomfort. What to do if your stomach hurts, what reasons contribute to this phenomenon? This will be discussed in the article.
Probable causes
Pain occurs for two main reasons:
- spasm of smooth muscles - develops suddenly and sharply;
- inflammatory process - the increase in pain is slow.
The causes of pain, depending on the location, are as follows:
- Epigastric region (upper abdomen - a triangle under the ribs) - if it occurs at night, it indicates a stomach ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer, during the day after eating -gastritis.
- What to do if your stomach hurts in the left hypochondrium? An urgent need to visit a doctor, as it may be an acute form of pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, gastritis, inflammation of the spleen.
- Under the right rib - pathology of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract or duodenum.
- Left iliac region - possible disorders in the colon, inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract, gynecological diseases.
- Right iliac region - inflammation of the caecum. What to do if your stomach hurts? You should not hesitate to call an ambulance. It is impossible to delay in this case - peritonitis is possible.
- Perumbilical 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 bladder.
- All over the stomach - acute pain occurs with inflammation of the peritoneum. What should I do if my stomach hurts a lot? With such symptoms, you can not postpone calling an ambulance, 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 making a diagnosis.
Pain in the umbilical region and in the epigastrium
Stomach hurts at the navel - what to do? Sometimes aches in the region of the navel and epigastrium occur not due to violations of the digestive organs, but due to myocardial infarction. If this disrupts the heartrhythm and chest compression, severe weakness and nausea, urgent medical attention is needed. Only after the ECG is removed, the doctor makes a conclusion about myocardial infarction. If this diagnosis is excluded, the patient undergoes an examination to detect the malfunctioning of the digestive organs.
Women's diseases causing abdominal pain
It is not uncommon for children, men and women to have stomach pains. What to do in such situations? The following are causes of discomfort related only to gynecological problems:
- Apoplexy of the ovaries - a sudden rupture of the 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 sexual intercourse or physical exertion. An urgent visit to the doctor is required. In mild cases, therapeutic treatment is prescribed, but more often it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
- Uterine fibroids are benign tumors. When growing, 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. 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 areathere are important organs, the inflammation of which is accompanied by various kinds of painful sensations. However, they are slowly progressing. Consider why a man’s stomach hurts and what to do in each case:
- Prostatitis is an inflammatory process of the prostate gland, accompanied by aching and burning sensation during urination, radiating to the groin and lower back. There is a difficulty in the passage of urine as a result of squeezing the urinary canal, the mechanism of erection is disturbed, potency decreases, anxiety and mental depression appear. If signs of illness occur, treatment should not be delayed. For each man, therapeutic measures are selected individually, taking into account the causes of inflammation, the course of the disease and the complications that have arisen. 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, high fever and a significant increase in the scrotum. A chronic inflammatory process can occur without any symptoms, except for the pain that occurs when touching damaged organs. The disease necessarily requires appropriate treatment, without which irreversible changes are possible, leading to atrophy and the impossibility of producing high-quality sperm.
Men are usually reluctant to visit a doctor, so diseases often take a chronic course andamenable to treatment. Timely diagnosis and early therapy lead to good results without serious he alth consequences.
What to do if it hurts in the lower abdomen?
Pain syndrome in the lower abdomen occurs with the following ailments:
- Pyelonephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys caused by bacteria. The disease occurs in acute and chronic form. In the first case, pain occurs in the lower abdomen during urination, the temperature rises, there is blood in the urine, chills appear. In the second - mild symptoms, the period of exacerbation is replaced by 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.
- Violation 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 goes to a general practitioner, undergoes the necessary studies. Depending on which organ's work is impaired, treatment is prescribed, in which all the doctor's recommendations are strictly observed.
Everyone needs to be attentive to their he alth and seek medical help immediately if discomfort occurs in the stomach.
First aid for abdominal pain
Often, painful sensations in the abdomen arise from overeating, indigestion, untimely defecation. But sometimes there arecritical situations:
- acute inflammation leading to gastric ulcer;
- appendicitis;
- kidney failure;
- liver and pancreas damage.
You need to call an ambulance if:
- no relief from vomiting and bowel movements;
- resi localized to the right;
- there are traces of blood in the vomit or stool;
- had trouble urinating.
Many people are interested in: "The stomach hurts. What to do at home?" However, self-medication is unacceptable here - antispasmodics or analgesics can blur the clinical picture and prevent an accurate diagnosis. Before the arrival of the ambulance team, you can put a cold on the stomach and ensure complete rest for the patient.
What is not recommended?
List of what not to do 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 problems in the body, and it must be responded to. 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, damage to new parts of the organ is possible, and the pain is localized in a different place, and not there,where usually. An exacerbation often occurs due to a violation of the diet, medication, stressful situations, physical activity. Prolonged abdominal pain is 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, with a chronic illness, the stomach hurts for a week, what should I do? In this case, discomfort may be caused by a serious illness. Therefore, it is imperative to 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 stomach lining, where gastric juices and protective mucus are produced. The patient is tormented by heartburn, nausea, pain often occurs when a person does not take food for a long time, there is heaviness and bloating in the abdomen. If the stomach and stomach hurt, 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, so you need to follow a diet and exclude all foods that irritate the gastric mucosa: fried, fatty and spicy dishes. In the acute stage, limit fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat food in small portions with a break of four hours.
Bile diseasebubble
The onset of a dull pain under the ribs in the right side, which begins to increase 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. Nausea, vomiting, and a bitter taste in the mouth often occur. Intolerable hepatic colic occurs when stones move along the bile ducts. What should I do if my stomach hurts a lot? You can't stand it, you need to seek help from a doctor. An abdominal examination will be scheduled immediately.
In diseases of the gallbladder, ultrasound is effective in terms of diagnosis. Exacerbation of cholecystitis is treated with antibiotics, a fasting 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 the glandular tissue of the inner layer of the uterus (endometrium) outside of it: into the vagina, cervix, ovaries, and abdominal cavity. A woman's menstrual cycle is disturbed, abundant discharge is noted. This causes severe pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the groin and lower back. They can occur during sexual intercourse, urination and defecation. What to do if your stomach hurts? In case of menstrual irregularities, a consultation with a gynecologist and the necessary examinations are required. Treatment is usually conservative,the doctor prescribes hormonal and pain medications. In extreme cases, surgery is used.
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized cell does not reach the uterine cavity and attaches to its cervix, ovaries, fallopian tube. With her growth, organs that are not adapted for this rupture, internal bleeding occurs, and a dangerous condition for the life of a woman sets in. Symptoms of the disease are severe stabbing pains in the lower abdomen, bleeding, fever, low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting. What should I do if my stomach hurts a lot? When these signs appear, immediate medical attention is required. The rupture of the pipe leads to infertility, and in difficult cases, the condition threatens the life of the patient. To avoid such cases, a woman who becomes pregnant should immediately register with a gynecologist and regularly attend scheduled examinations.
Conclusion
Any pain in the abdomen: sharp, pulling, aching, cramping, regularly recurring should alert you. If there is no relief, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is impossible to independently determine which organ is failing. Even a doctor, before prescribing treatment, prescribes laboratory and hardware studies.
