Abdominal pain is one of the most common, but most difficult to treat ailments in the United States. According to AbbVie, a pharmaceutical and research company, more than 72% of adults site experiencing abdominal pain a few times a month or more. Integrity Urgent Care is here to help provide information and guidance for the pain you may also have.
What is Abdominal Pain?
The area of the abdomen may commonly be referred to as the stomach, the belly, or midsection. It is the portion of the body between the chest and the groin, from side to side. The abdomen may be used for describing something externally or internally. The abdomen is home to a number of organs that do a lot to help the body function including the stomach, gall bladder, intestines, liver, and more. The pain you may experience in this area could range from normal to in need of attention and, unfortunately, the intensity of pain has no correlation with what may be taking place in your body. When evaluating your own pain, it is helpful to discuss whether it is localized or general, where the origin point seems to be, if the pain is steady or comes in waves, and how long the pain has been occurring.
What are some factors that could be contributing?
Abdominal pain could factor in dozens of situations and not all of them are serious health concerns. In fact, some abdominal pain is contributed to gas or issues needing to use the restroom. Abdominal pain paired with nausea or diarrhea can be related to gastroenteritis or a stomach bug. However this isn’t always the case and sometimes there are larger health issues at play, particularly when a fever is present when there is blood in your stool, or, according to the Mount Sinai health system, when pain doesn’t improve over 24-48 hours. They contribute less serious conditions to “constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, lactose intolerance” or more. Women may have additional issues to consider when experiencing abdominal pain, like menstrual cramps or pregnancy issues. The help of an obstetrician or gynecologist should be obtained in some of these cases.
