lunes, 17 de septiembre de 2018

What Causes Abdominal Pain?

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By Ananya Mandal, MDReviewed by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab)

Abdominal pain or belly pain can occur due to several underlying pathologies. While some of these are minor and do not lead to serious damage, some may be a symptom of a life-threatening underlying condition.

Classification according to severity

The causes of abdominal pain may be classified according to their severity and level of urgency in management. These are outlined as below:-

Emergencies

True emergencies that might lead to life-threatening consequences if not managed urgently:-

Rupture of abdominal or thoracic aorta aneurysm
Ectopic pregnancy
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Myocardial infarction or heart attack
Peritonitis or inflammation of the membrane like layer within the abdomen
Perforation of the stomach wall due to a peptic ulcer

Urgent conditions

Urgent conditions that require treatment within a few hours of onset:-

Appendicitis
Cholecystitis or gall bladder stones leading to inflammation of the gall bladder
Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas
Intestinal obstruction or blockage of the intestines
Peptic ulcer
Sickle cell crisis seen in individuals with Sickle cell anemia
Renal colic
Injury to the abdominal structures including spleen and liver
Urinary retention or inability to pass urine for several hours leading to painful collection of urine within the bladder

Non-urgent causes of abdominal pain

Non-urgent causes of abdominal pain include:-

Constipation
Gastritis
Gastroenteritis
Hepatitis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Urinary tract infection
Dysmenorrhoea
Endometriosis
Hernia
Ovarian cyst
Pelvic inﬂammatory disease

What causes abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain can start due to a pathology of any of the structures within the abdomen or the abdominal wall. The pain may also originate from the chest, back, or pelvis and may be felt in the abdomen. For example, patients with heart attacks or severe lung infection pneumonia sometimes complain of upper abdominal painrather than chest pain.

Classification according to site of origin

Causes of abdominal pain may also be classified according to the site of origin. Some of the common causes include:-

Those originating in the chest

Pneumonia (lung infection)
Collection of fluid and inflammation within the membranes surrounding the lungs or pleurisy
Pulmonary embolism that is caused by blood clots to the lungs
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Inflammation of the rib cartilages or Costochondritis

Those originating from the abdominal wall or from the skin over the belly

Shingles or herpes zoster infection
Injury to the abdomen
Muscle pull or sprains of the abdomen muscles
Nerve irritation over the abdomen
Hernias
Scars

Those originating from the upper abdomen organs

Peptic and duodenal ulcers
Esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastritis
Pancreatitis
Cholecystitis and Choledocholithiasis which indicates obstruction of the bile duct with passage of gall stones
Hepatitis
Infection or inflammation of the colon or colitis

Those due to diseases and disorders of the abdominal organs

Non-ulcer dyspepsia
Irritable bowel syndrome
Cancers including liver cancer, bile duct or gall bladder cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Stomach cancer, Lymphoma etc.
Crohn’s disease
Diverticulitis or inflammation of pouches that form in the colon
Appendicitis