Abdominal pain, one of the most common forms of pain is used to refer to pain felt in the abdomen or for the sake of simplicity, the belly. Several conditions can lead to abdominal pain. Even though, the most common causes are not serious, it can be distressing and difficult to tell the mild from the serious causes. For this reason, knowing the characteristics of abdominal pain, including location, frequency and nature are indispensable in finding causes and best treatments.
Abdominal Pain Characteristics
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Location
The abdomen can be divided into nine (9) regions. Two imaginary lines divide the abdomen horizontally into the upper, middle and lower regions, while two additional vertical lines sub-divide each into the left, center, and right sub-regions. Consequently, the nine (9) regions are
- 3 Upper regions : left hypochondriac (upper left), epigastric (upper center), right hypochondriac (upper right)
- 3 Middle Regions : left lumbar (middle left), umbilical (middle center), right lumbar (middle right)
- 3 Lower Regions : left iliac (lower left), suprapubic (lower center), right iliac (lower right)
These Nine (9) Regions In Turn Map To Various Organ
- Left hypochondriac (upper left) : pancreas, left kidney, colon, spleen
- Epigastric (upper center) : adrenal glands, spleen, pancreas, duodenum, liver, stomach
- Right hypochondriac (upper right) : small intestine, right kidney, gallbladder, liver
- Left lumbar (middle left) : left kidney, descending colon
- Umbilical (middle center) : duodenum, ileum, descending colon
- Right lumbar (middle right) : right colon, liver, gallbladder
- Left iliac (lower left): sigmoid colon, descending colon
- Suprapubic (lower center): sigmoid colon, urinary bladder, ovaries
- Right iliac (lower right):
Nature Of Pain
Pain may be felt differently with different diseases. Being able to describe what we feel can provide important clues for identifying the specific cause of an episode of abdominal pain. The nature of pain is usually categorised as sharp/cramping, pulsating, dull or aching. There are other technical categories but they can still be described using one or a combination of these basic terms.
- Sharp or cramping pain is often severe and piercing.
- Pulsating pain, just as its name suggest, comes and goes with timing similar to a heartbeat.
- Dull pain is mild and often persists longer.
- Aching pain is somewhat between sharp and dull pain. It is moderate, may feel like a sore and persists for a while.
Onset
How an abdominal pain starts is another important clue doctors use to assess its cause. Pain onset can be sudden, rapid or progressive. Sudden pain is sporadic and severe. Rapid pain may start moderately and quickly become severe. Progressive pain starts out mild and gradually increases in intensity.
Frequency
Abdominal pain can also have variable frequency depending on the cause. It can be constant or intermittent. Constant abdominal pain is present continously for a period of time. Intermittent pain on the other hand may repeatedly come and go.
Duration
Depending on how long abdominal pain persists, it may be categorised as acute or chronic. Acute abdominal pain usually lasts for a couple of minutes, hours, or days and does not extend beyond a month. Chronic abdominal pain on the other hand, is generally reserved for any type of pain which lasts beyond three months. In-between, clinicians generally reserve the name sub-acute.
Associating Symptoms
While the focus has been on the primary characteristics of abdominal pain, accompanying symptoms are equally important for finding specific causes. Common symptoms which may accompany abdominal pain include
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Distension
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Abdominal Tenderness and
- Difficult or Painful Urination or Stool.
Common Conditions Which Cause Abdominal Pain
Indigestion
The food we eat must be broken down into nutrients before the body can use them for its activities. The process which ensures this is called digestion. Digestion requires certain conditions in order to complete successfully. If these conditions are not met, food is not broken down adequately, and may undergo fermentation. This can lead to pain, in association with gas, diarrhea, and nausea.
Acid Reflux Disease
When we eat, food travels from the mouth through a tube called the oesophagus into the stomach before it goes to the intestines. The stomach contains an acid which it uses to break down food into nutrients which the body can use. Acid reflux disease occurs when this acid supposed to stay in the stomach get pushed into the oesophagus and results in burning sensation in the chest area, nausea, a feeling of bitterness or sourness in the throat, and sometimes pain. Eating spicy foods, eating in excess, abdominal obesity, pregnancy, abnormalities of the muscles at the opening of the stomach are among the factors which can cause acid reflux disease.
Intestinal Gas
Even though gas is something we deal with everyday, it can set us thinking with the severe pains it presents with. Intestinal gas commonly results when we swallow air during eating or drinking or when bacteria ferment food that was not well digested. Pain resulting from intestinal gas may be associated with a feeling of fullness in the abdomen called bloating and usually goes away after flatulence or belching. Intestinal gas can be worsened by talking while eating, eating too quickly, eating certain foods which include high fibre foods, dairy foods and some plant protein-rich foods like beans.