Cramping pains in the abdomen: below, near the navel, left and right
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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No doubt, spasmodic, spastic or cramping pains in the abdomen appear in pathological conditions. Exception - painful sensations during labor in childbirth.
In ICD-10, the pain that occurs in the abdominal area is attributed to the XVIII class - symptoms, signs and abnormalities, and the pain associated with the digestive system and abdominal cavity is coded R10-R19.
Causes of cramping abdominal pain
So, cramping pain in the abdomen is a symptom of the disease. And, given the prevalence of this symptom, the causes of spasmodic abdominal pain can be divided into several groups.
First, nausea, cramping pain in the abdomen and vomiting with diarrhea are the first signs of food poisoning. In some cases, certain foods (especially fatty ones, leading to bile stasis) or systematic overeating that slows the process of digestion of food and can often lead to functional disorders causing cramping pain in the stomach and intestines are to blame.
Periodic cramping pain in the abdomen can be not only physiologically caused (overeating, constipation, in women - menstruation), but appear in pathologies, the presence of which the patient does not even guess, for example, with the lowering of the stomach or intestines.
For more common reasons, the whole spectrum of intestinal infections, which cause severe nausea with vomiting, cramping abdominal pain and diarrhea, are rightly included. In particular, dehydration of the body and vomiting and diarrhea in a child are very often signs of rotavirus infection in children.
It should be remembered that in many ways similar symptoms are manifested when infecting worms-parasites (helminths).
In most situations, frequent cramping abdominal pain is a symptom of the pathologies of the digestive system and of gastrointestinal functions, that is, they reflect problems of a gastroenterological nature. For example, diverticulitis is characterized by cramping abdominal pain and vomiting, and for spastic gastroenterocolitis a and pancreatitis - nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
A separate group consists of genetically conditioned fermentopathies, first of all, the inability to digest the gluten of cereals - celiac disease, when due to damage to a well innervated small intestinal mucosa, frequent abdominal spasmodic sensations and intestinal disorders are noted. And people with lactose intolerance - intolerance to milk sugar - in addition to nausea, diarrhea and increased gas formation in the intestine (flatulence), complain about frequent cramping pains in the abdomen above the navel.
Sometimes the etiology does not find an explanation for a long time, even when cramping pains in the stomach and intestine occur constantly, as occurs with congenital anomalies - dolichosigma, intestinal atresia, Ledd's syndrome ; gastroenterological neurosis (painful sensations in the abdomen of psychogenic genesis) or abdominal form of epilepsy.
Almost all of these causes can provoke abdominal pain in the abdomen of a child and adolescent.
In addition, abdominal localization has organs of the urinary and female reproductive system. And in a significant number of patients, the appearance of this pain syndrome is associated with injury or inflammation of these visceral organs - with certain urological and gynecological diseases.
But in any case, the pathogenesis of abdominalgia is caused by the excitation of nociceptors and affector endings of nerve fibers that provide innervation of the abdominal cavity organs (hollow and parenchymal), mesentery and parietal peritoneum.
Localization of painful sensations
The circle of diseases in which one of the leading symptoms are cramping pains in the abdomen is extremely wide, so specialists distinguish such important diagnostic factors as the specific localization of pain and the dominant character of painful sensations.
And although both factors, as well as concomitant symptomatology, are considered in the complex, the place where the patient feels pain, that is, its localization, serves as an anatomical reference point for determining its etiology:
- in the upper abdomen most often indicates inflammation of the esophagus, gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and / or duodenum, giardiasis, but can be with inflammation of the mesenteric lymph nodes, croupous pneumonia and even with myocardial infarction;
- in the right side of the abdomen are associated with dyskinesia or inflammation of the gallbladder, cholelithiasis, chronic appendicitis, inflammation of the liver parenchyma;
- in the right side in the lower abdomen are noted with inflammation of the appendix, granulomatous enteritis (Crohn's disease);
- in the left side of the abdomen (from above) - an indicator of problems with the pancreas, from below - diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, and in women - left-sided inflammation of the appendages;
- in the lower abdomen are caused by problems with the large intestine (the same ulcerative colitis), the bladder (most often interstitial cystitis) and pelvic organs (with gynecological diseases);
- in the abdomen in the navel - the first sign of inflammation of the appendix, as well as intestinal spasms in gastrointestinal infections, helminthiases and aneurysm of the abdominal aorta;
- in the abdomen above the navel are characteristic for many gastropathies, including for gastric neurosis (nervous dyspepsia); can be with the pancreas cyst;
- in the middle of the abdomen may be caused by inflammation, or irritable bowel syndrome, or infringement of the small intestine loops. In cases of intense pain, nausea and fever, acute appendicitis with an abscess should be suspected; the consequences and complications of his perforation are the rapidly developing inflammation of the peritoneum (peritonitis) leaflets. This urgent condition often leads to sepsis and threatens to be fatal.
The same exacerbation is fraught with significant blood loss bundle and perforation of the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta.
The nature of pain
The nature of painful sensations - depending on the pathophysiological features - may have significant differences in duration, intensity, and its subjective sensory evaluation.
For example, with spasms of the intestine, slight pulling or aching pain can be felt, and with the same pathology after eating or physical effort, there may be severe cramping in the abdomen.
Sharp cramping pains in the abdomen, arising from intestinal infections, poisonings and other causes, are called intestinal colic. In cases of perforation of stomach ulcers or intestinal obstruction in patients, cutting pains; similar painful feelings are well known to those who often have cystitis, as well as those who have had inguinal hernia.
Acute inflammation of the appendix, pancreas, gallbladder or bladder gives and acute pain. Symptoms of inflammatory processes and general infectious intoxication - temperature - are often observed in gynecology (about this later).
A cramping pain in the abdomen after eating corresponds to the clinical picture of food error, irritated stomach syndrome, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux and gastroduodenitis, gastroenteritis of viral etiology, celiac disease, dyskinesia of the gallbladder and the presence of concrements in it.
Cramping abdominal pain in women
You understand why cramping abdominal pains in women are highlighted in a separate section, although all of the above reasons are relevant regardless of sex.
First of all, the physiological (conditioned by the functioning of the female reproductive system) include the pain in the lower abdomen before the menstrual period, when the painful sensations arise before the beginning of each menstruation due to ovulation syndrome. But in a significant part of women, cramping pain with menstruation is associated with algodismenosis.
There may be cramping pain in the lower abdomen in the middle of the cycle.
Gynecologists note pain in the abdomen in women with inflammation of the uterine appendages (adnexitis or salpingo-oophoritis); inflammation of the ovaries (oophoritis), ovarian cyst or its malignant tumor; pelvic peritoneal and uterine adhesions.
Cramping pain in the uterus can be caused by polyps, endometriosis or submucous myoma of the uterus formed on its internal walls.
What causes cramping abdominal pain during pregnancy?
Physiological causes:
- uterine contractions during the implantation of a fertilized egg in its endometrium (in the first two weeks);
- constipation and flatulence because of the elevated level of estrogen, which slows the motility of the gastrointestinal tract (during the entire period).
Pathological causes:
- intense spastic pain in the abdomen (often one-sided) - a sign of ectopic, i.e., ectopic pregnancy;
- severe cramping in the lower abdomen with bloody vaginal secretions for up to 20 weeks - a threat of spontaneous abortion;
- recurring several times during the hour periodic cramping abdominal pain with irradiation in the lower back and a sensation of increasing pressure in the pelvic region (contractions of Braxton-Hicks) at a period of up to 37 weeks - the signal of the onset of premature birth.
Cramping abdominal pains after childbirth are explained by the fact that overstretched muscular fibers of the uterine wall - due to the action of the oxytocin hormone - begin to contract in order to restore the body to its previous dimensions.
What to do, treatment
Symptomatic treatment is aimed at removing painful sensations. Categorically it is not recommended to take any painkillers for yourself in case of acute pain syndromes in the category of urgent conditions - acute appendicitis, perforation of the ulcer, intestinal obstruction, ectopic pregnancy, rupture of the ovarian cyst or twisting of its leg - when surgical treatment in the form of emergency surgery is required.
Special attention is paid to:
In other cases, assistance with cramping abdominal pains is a medicament for analgesic and antispasmodic actions - No-shpa, Meverin, Spazmalgon, and others.
Since spasmodic abdominalgia is a symptom of various diseases, it is necessary to conduct appropriate therapy of an etiologically related disease in which physiotherapeutic treatment can be used: electro and thermal procedures for gastrointestinal diseases, in gynecology for inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs
Some people benefit from traditional treatment, see - How to relieve pain in cystitis at home?
Treatment with herbs helps with diarrhea (decoction of oak bark, birch buds, plantain leaves, willow-tea, orchis, lapchatka, roots of wheat grass); with inflammation recommended water tinctures of a gold-thousandth, a mountaineer of a bird, a letter, a hernia, flowers of a chemist's chamomile or calendula; with spasms GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT gives a positive effect reception of decoctions of roots of valerian, leaves of lemon balm, mint, cuff or berries of barberry.
Homeopathy - preparations Helmintox, Bryonia Alba, Sulfur, Colocynthis - helps with helminthiasis. Although there are official means for this, such as Pirantel, Vormil, Mebex, and others.
Prevention
It is not possible to prevent all the causes of the appearance of cramping painful sensations, but the prevention of food poisoning, intestinal infections and helminthic invasions is quite possible for everyone, if we adhere to the principle: cleanliness is the guarantee of health.
Forecast
In this case, everything depends on the disease causing it, and only its successful treatment makes the forecast favorable.
