Abdominal pain is not much fun. For a while, it may even feel as if you are enduring a slow, painful demise. Fortunately, in most cases, your abdominal discomfort is nothing serious. This article is not a substitute for a medical examination by a trained physician, but it might help you diagnose the cause of your painful abdomen. Let us look at the most common causes of severe abdominal pain.
Indigestion
Indigestion is very common. Most of us suffer from a bout of indigestion every once in a while. Usually, it occurs after eating a fatty meal or spicy ingredients, or perhaps shoveling food down too quickly. Whatever the cause of your indigestion, it’s painful, with serious stomach cramps and waves of pain radiating outwards.
Taking some anti-acid medication might help ease your symptoms, but if the pain doesn’t go away, or your symptoms worsen, consult a doctor.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is deeply unpleasant. It often strikes when we are on vacation since food hygiene is not always adhered to in foreign countries. Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. They typically appear within 12 hours of eating tainted food or drink and can last for several days.
Food poisoning is not nice, but it usually isn’t serious. However, it can leave you dehydrated and if the affected person is very young, old, or the symptoms are getting worse, seek help.
IBS
Stomach cramps are one of the symptoms of IBS, along with diarrhea, constipation, and other gastric problems. The underlying cause of UBS is unknown, but IBS pain often comes and goes. If your abdominal pain is accompanied by the above symptoms and is a regular issue, suspect IBS. There is now a blood test that detects specific blood markers found in IBS patients, so ask your doctor to confirm or rule out IBS.
Menstrual Cramps
Menstrual cramps typically occur in the 24 hours before a woman’s period starts. The pain is down in the lower pelvis and can feel like a series of sharp cramps. You will feel like curling up with a hot water bottle, but the best way to deal with the pain is to take an over-the-counter painkiller and do some exercise instead.
Stress
Don’t overlook stress. Extreme stress manifests in many ways, including physical symptoms. Abdominal pain with no other underlying cause can sometimes be caused by stress.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis will cause excruciating abdominal pain. To begin with, the pain may start as a dull ache, but within a short time, it will get rapidly worse and the patient may start vomiting. If you suspect appendicitis, call a doctor immediately, as a ruptured appendix can cause sepsis and death.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is caused by an allergy to gluten and grains. The body’s immune system wages war each time food containing wheat, gluten, and grains is ingested. Celiac patients can’t absorb certain nutrients and suffer from a range of gut-related problems.
Don’t ignore severe abdominal pain, as it could be symptomatic of a serious health problem.
