Causes of Abdomen Pain
Abdominal pain can result from numerous conditions. But these are the key reasons:
- infection
- inflammation
- abnormal growths
- impediment (blockage)
- intestinal disorders
- illnesses that affect the abdominal organs
Bacteria can enter your digestive tract as a result of infections in the blood, intestines, and throat, which can cause stomach pain. Additionally, these illnesses may alter digestion, resulting in constipation or diarrhea.
Although they are more frequently recognized to induce pelvic discomfort, menstrual cramps can also result in lower abdomen pain.
Other common causes of abdominal pain include:
- constipation
- diarrhea [1]
- gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
- acid reflux (when stomach contents leak backward into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms)
- vomiting
- stress
Diseases that affect the digestive system can also cause chronic abdominal pain. The most common are:
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- irritable bowel syndrome or spastic colon (a disorder that causes abdominal pain, cramping, and changes in bowel movements)
- Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) [2]
- lactose intolerance (the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and milk products)
Causes of severe abdominal pain include:
- organ rupture or near-rupture (like a burst appendix, or appendicitis)
- gallbladder stones (known as gallstones)
- kidney stones [3]
- kidney infection
The location of the pain within the abdomen may be a clue as to its cause.
Pain that’s generalized throughout the abdomen (not in one specific area) may indicate:
- appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix) [4]
- Crohn’s disease
- traumatic injury
- irritable bowel syndrome
- urinary tract infection
- the flu