“A stomach ache” is one of the most frequent causes of the patients’ visits to the doctor. Pain is a body signal about a problem and you need to pay special attention to it.
Why does the stomach hurt, what are the reasons?
The answer to this question can only give a doctor, because there are a lot of reasons :
- appendicitis, including the acute form;
- pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis;
- acute cholecystitis, cholelithiasis;
- gastritis, peptic ulcer or duodenal ulcer;
- intestinal colic, acute intestinal obstruction;
- urological diseases – urolithiasis, renal colic, prostate adenoma in men;
- proctological diseases – diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis;
- gynecological diseases – endometriosis, fibromyoma, ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy;
- and this is only part of the list.
It is very important to correctly diagnose the cause of abdominal pain – after all, in the human abdominal cavity there are many organs: the stomach, pancreas, intestines, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, urinary organs.
When diagnosing the cause of pain, various factors are taken into account:
- intensity – there are sharp, aching, stabbing, sharp, pulling, encircling, and so on;
- localization – the place where pain is most pronounced. The stomach can ache in the upper section, in the left or right side, below, in the area of the navel, give back and so on;
- the presence of associated symptoms – can often be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, bloating, rectal or vaginal bleeding, aggravated by taking a certain posture or with certain actions;
- the presence of factors that could trigger the appearance of pain – eating, drinking, exercise, nervous tension, etc.
Important to remember! Pain in the abdominal cavity indicates a dangerous disease, which can be diagnosed by the doctor only during personal examination.
What to do?
If pain appears sporadically and for a long time – it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Urgent medical care is required if the pain in the abdomen:
- accompanied by fever, nausea or vomiting, change in urine color, jaundice;
- have a sharp pricking character, with vaginal bleeding;
- strong persistent after injury to the abdominal;
- sudden and very strong, lasting longer than 2 hours.
If the pain is accompanied by bright red rectal bleeding, or vomiting with blood, including coagulation, or dizziness, rapid pulse, cold sticky sweat – you need to call an ambulance and urgent hospitalization!
What not to do?
Do not self-medicate! Often, in pain, patients take different kinds of painkillers. Since abdominal pain signals a disease, ignoring it can lead to dangerous complications.
Taking of painkillers will help to get rid of pain for a while, but it will not eliminate its cause – in case of acute and long-term abdominal pains, taking painkillers may complicate the diagnosis of the disease.
