Everyone experiences abdominal pain from time to time.  Pain alerts us to changes in processes within the body that may require medical attention. The severity, duration, and pattern of pain helps physicians determine a course of action. Some types of pain are medically urgent while other types are temporary consequences of behavior.

Most simply, abdominal pain refers to any pain that originates in an organ within the abdomen.

Patients can determine whether they need to see a doctor depending on other symptoms that they are experiencing.

Patients who have these symptoms should call their physician to determine whether further examination is necessary:

• Severe pain or tenderness
• Pain interrupting sleep
• Blood in stools
• Vomiting blood
• Jaundice (yellowish discoloration of the skin)
• Swelling of the abdomen
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Persistent constipation
• Persistent nausea or vomiting

Some questions doctors often ask questions to further diagnose pain’s origin:

• When does the pain occur? In the morning? After eating? Always?
• Where does the pain occur? In the entire abdomen or a specific area?
• What type of pain are you experiencing? Dull ache? Sharp pain? Persistent or in waves?
• What makes the pain worse? Coughing?
• What makes the pain better? Eating? Not eating?
• How long have you experienced this pain? Days? Months?

While the presence of abdominal pain does not point to any one condition, some common causes are:

• Acid Reflux
• Constipation
• Gas
• Menstrual cramps
• Food poisoning
• Food allergies
• Lactose intolerance
• Stomach flu
• Ulcers
• Hernia
• Gallstones
• Crohn’s disease
• Kidney stones
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Urinary tract infections

Doctors can diagnose abdominal pain and it’s underlying causes by:

• Taking a medical history
• Performing a physical exam
• Performing diagnostic tests

The treatment for abdominal pain depends on the underlying reason for the pain.