Severe Abdominal Pain
Overview
Causes
There are many causes for abdominal pain, such as:
Inflammation in the:
- Appendix
- Gallbladder
- Pancreas
Health problems, such as:
- An infection or abscess
- Diarrhea
- Peptic ulcer
- Diverticulitis
- Ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Hernia
- Gallstones
- Kidney stones
- Ruptured or leaking abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Cancer
Other problems such as:
- Blockage in the small or large intestine
- Lack of blood flow to the organs in the belly
In women:
- Menstrual cramps
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Ovarian cysts
- Pelvic inflammatory disease —inflammation around the organs in the pelvis because of an infection
- Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
In babies:
- Intussusception —the intestines telescope causing a block
- Volvulus —a twisting of the large intestine around itself
- Hirschsprung disease
SymptomsandDiagnosis
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. You will be asked about your pain. A physical exam will be done. This will involve checking the pelvis and rectum.
Other tests may be:
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
- X-rays
- MRI scan
- Exploratory laparotomy —surgery look for problems inside the belly
Treatments
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Edits to original content made by Denver Health.
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a (Severe Stomach Ache; Abdominal Cramps)
RESOURCES
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians https://familydoctor.org
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases https://www.niddk.nih.gov
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Association of Gastroenterology https://www.cag-acg.org
Canadian Digestive Health Foundation http://www.cdhf.ca
References
Abdominal pain (stomach pain), short-term. Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians website. Available at: https://familydoctor.org/symptom/abdominal-pain-stomach-pain-short-term. Accessed October 27, 2020.
Acute abdominal pain in adults—approach to the patient. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/approach-to/acute-abdominal-pain-in-adolescents-approach-to-the-patient. Accessed October 27, 2020.
Cartwright S, Knudson M. Diagnostic imaging of acute abdominal pain in adults. Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(7):452-459.
Reust CE, Williams A. Acute Abdominal Pain in Children. Am Fam Physician. 2016 May 15;93(10):830-836.