Everyone who has recently felt a tummy-ache, raise your hands up and say ‘AYE’!
Did you? And your friends? Members of your family, too?
I’m sure most of you would have very quickly raised your hand up and shouted AYE in unison because tummy trouble is so common that it rarely feels like something worth distressing over.
However, tummy-ache or abdominal pain can be particularly debilitating for people – adversely affecting your quality of life; what’s more, it can also be an indication of more than a few underlying conditions that have the potential to be significantly detrimental to you and your health.
What Is Characterized As Abdominal Pain?
A tummy-ache, stomachache, or abdominal pain is the pain which occurs anywhere between the chest area and your pelvic region. It can be localized – that is limited to one particular spot, or it can be generalized –widespread over a large surface area. Abdominal pain can be described as sharp or dull, crampy or achy, continuous or episodic.
Types of Abdominal Pain
There are three basic types of abdominal pain: acute, chronic and progressive.
Acute abdominal pain is the pain that usually has a sudden onset and escalates to the peak right from the get-go. More often than not acute abdominal pain typically lasts anywhere between a few hours to a few days, only.
Chronic abdominal pain is when the pain is continuous or intermittent which persists for more than a few days, easily progressing into months, or even years without relief.
Progressive abdominal pain, as the name suggests, is the discomfort that escalates slowly over a certain period of time. It begins small and dull and steadily increases in both duration and intensity as time passes.
There are various reasons and conditions that cause abdominal pain in each category.
Typical Causes for Abdominal Pain
- Infections – viral, bacterial, or parasitic (including diarrhea or gastroenteritis)
- Stress
- Acid Reflux or Gasreoesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Lactose intolerance
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Appendicitis
- Traumatic injury to the abdomen or pelvic region
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Menstrual Pain or Dysmenorrhea
- Fibroids
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Gallstones
- Kidney stones
- Pneumonia
- Ovarian Cysts
- Hernia
What Should You Do?
Abdominal pain not only varies, and is classified according to the duration of time that it lasts. The location of the pain as well as the pattern that it follows is also very important in helping the doctor determine the underlying cause for the abdominal pain.
Abdominal pain that arises and goes away on its own, such as in the case of mild food poisoning is rarely a cause for concern. However, if the frequency and intensity of your abdominal pain is such that it is affecting your quality of life, it is essential that you visit your primary care physician at first opportunity to examine, and investigate to diagnose the root cause of the issue.
If you’re suffering from any sort of undiagnosed abdominal pain, schedule an appointment with Dr.Parikh at the irvingprimarycare.com clinic for a thorough Physical check-up at first opportunity. To do so, call 469-262-5762 or visit www.healthonemedicine.com for more information.