Treating Abdominal Pain
Most people will experience abdominal (belly) pain at some time. Most abdominal pain is not serious. However, some abdominal pain may be a sign of serious illness.
Common Causes of Abdominal Pain
There are many reasons for abdominal pain, including but not limited to:
- Constipation (which can cause hemorrhoids)
- Stomach flu
- Menstrual cramps
- Indigestion
- Food poisoning
- Food allergiesGas
- Lactose intolerance
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Hernia
- Kidney stones
- Gallstones and bile duct stones
- Pancreas pathology
- Ulcers
- Endometriosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Urinary tract infections
Contact your doctor if you have abdominal pain that is severe or accompanied by any of these symptoms:
- Nausea, fever, inability to keep food down for several days
- Bloody stools
- Difficulty breathing
- Vomiting blood (GI bleed)
- Pain during pregnancy
- Abdomen tender to the touch
- Pain due to recent injury to the abdomen
- Pain lasting several days
Symptoms can be caused by internal inflammation, infection or gastrointestinal bleeding (BI bleed) and require treatment as soon as possible. Some symptoms may even be caused by colorectal, ovarian or an abdominal cancer.
Treating Severe Abdominal Pain
In more severe cases such as appendicitis and hernia, surgery is necessary. Unlike most other gastroenterology practices, Center for Digestive Diseases also uses endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to thoroughly examine the abdomen for a more accurate diagnosis and better treatment, especially for pancreatic disorders such as chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and gallbladder disorders. In some cases, we may use capsule endoscopy.
For more information about abdominal pain treatment, call us at 908-688-6565 or use our Request an Appointment form.
