Causes of Abdominal Pain
Causes of Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain can have many causes. Often the specific symptoms help determine the cause of the pain. Causes of abdominal pain| Cause | Most common symptoms |
|---|
Infection with a parasite, such as giardia | | Urinary problems, such as a kidney stone, kidney disease, kidney infection, or bladder infection | - Burning when urinating
- Blood in the urine
- Flank pain or lower pelvic pain
- Need to urinate small amounts frequently
- Unable to urinate
- Fever
| Dietary, such as lactose intolerance or food allergy | - Chronic, generalized abdominal pain
- Diarrhea (nonbloody)
- Gas and bloating
| Inflammatory disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis | - Diarrhea (may be bloody)
- Fever (may come and go)
- Generalized abdominal pain (frequently awakens you at night)
- Weight loss
| Irritable bowel syndrome | - Chronic or intermittent abdominal pain with either diarrhea or constipation (pain does not awaken you at night)
- Increases with stress
- No weight loss
| Ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage | | Gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, gallbladder disease, bowel obstruction, pancreatitis, appendicitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or diverticulitis | - Abdominal pain or cramping
- Change in bowel habits
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bloating
- Blood in stool or in vomit
| Female reproductive problems, such as endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) | | Sickle cell disease | - Abdominal pain
- Pain in the arms and legs, the chest, or the spinal bones
| Blood vessel problems, such as an aortic aneurysm or peripheral arterial disease | - Sudden abdominal pain or back pain
- Drop in blood pressure
- Signs of shock
| Hernias, such as hiatal, inguinal, or umbilical | - Abdominal pain
- Bulging area in the belly or groin
|
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff | | Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine | | Specialist Medical Reviewer | H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | | Last Revised | January 13, 2011 |
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions. To learn more visit Healthwise.org © 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
|