Cutting abdominal pain in women, men and children

By its nature, such a symptom as cutting pain in the abdomen - the cavity behind the anterior abdominal wall - is an acute pain arising from pathological changes and tissue damage or dysfunction of the visceral organs located in the abdominal cavity (cavitas abdominis). In clinical practice, the causes of cutting pain in the abdomen are determined during diagnostics depending on their topography - taking into account the intensity, triggers and the overall clinical picture.

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Causes cutting pain in the abdomen

Cutting pain in the left side of the abdomen may occur with:

• inflammation, thrombosis or infarction of the spleen (including acute leukemia);
• exacerbations of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
• strangulation of diaphragmatic hernia (hernia of the esophageal opening);
• obstruction of the small intestine.

Cutting pain in the left side of the lower abdomen is most often associated with:

• with intestinal obstruction;
• with a protrusion of the colon wall (diverticulitis), which is accompanied by fever, nausea, and constipation.

Cutting pain in the right side of the abdomen is observed in patients with:

• inflammation of the appendix;
• pronounced duodenostasis - congestion in the duodenum, the manifestation of which is cutting pain in the abdomen and bloating, nausea, belching, vomiting after eating;
• exacerbation of a history of inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) or the presence of stones in it (in this case, complaints of periodic pain are accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth and bitter belching with nausea).

Cutting pain in the right side of the lower abdomen is one of the main symptoms:

• small intestinal volvulus and obstruction;
• amoebiasis or yersiniosis;
• tuberculosis of the abdominal lymph nodes.

Cutting pain in the upper abdomen is typical for:

• exacerbation of chronic gastritis;
• perforation of gastric and duodenal ulcers;
• acute pancreatitis, in which a girdle-like cutting pain in the abdomen is accompanied by repeated severe vomiting;
• initial stages of development of ketoacidotic diabetic coma;
• myocardial infarction, if the lesion affects the posterior wall of the left ventricle or the inferior wall of its artery.

In addition, similar pains in children and the elderly can appear with pneumonia, as well as with pleurisy, primarily associated with tuberculosis.

Cutting pain in the abdomen in the navel area is included in the list of clinical signs:

• poisoning by food containing pathogenic bacteria (in addition to pain, patients often experience vomiting and intestinal upset);
• strangulated umbilical hernia;
• inflammation of the lesser omentum (omentitis) and/or its strangulation;
• superior mesenteric artery thrombosis. This pathology is characterized by sharp cutting pains in the abdomen and bloating.

You should know that a cutting pain in the middle of the abdomen can be a symptom of:

• peritonitis;
• the presence of adhesions in the small intestine;
• strangulation intestinal obstruction;
• dissection of abdominal aortic aneurysm;
• gastrointestinal variant of such a hereditary systemic disease as vasculitis;
• increased production of thyroid hormones with the development of thyrotoxicosis.

Sudden cutting pains in the lower abdomen - in the form of intestinal colic radiating to the lumbar region and pelvis - are often caused by ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, or in cases of intestinal obstruction of any etiology.

Intense cutting pain in the abdomen after eating is evidence of serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system. At the same time, many patients with gastrointestinal diseases complain of attacks after eating, which are accompanied by stabbing, cutting pain in the abdomen. For more information, see - Pain after eating

Also, periodic cutting pains in the abdomen are observed in the case of the formation of stones in the gallbladder or urinary bladder, that is, in case of cholelithiasis or urolithiasis.

Also read – Causes of Abdominal Pain

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Cutting pain in the abdomen of a child

Symptoms of bacterial, helminthic or toxic enterocolitis include cutting abdominal pain and bloating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Cutting pain in the abdomen and vomiting, as well as cutting pain in the abdomen and diarrhea

Characteristic of gastroenterocolitis of various etiologies, including viral. Thus, cutting pains in the abdomen in a child accompanied by dyspeptic symptoms appear when affected by rotavirus infection.

In the umbilical region, sharp cutting pains in the abdomen in children occur with a congenital pathology - Meckel's diverticulum and the resulting obstruction of the ileum.

Gastrointestinal tract damage and pathological consequences for the pancreas (in the form of cystic fibrosis), causing bloating and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, diarrhea and girdle-like cutting pains in the abdomen, may be a manifestation of a genetically determined pathology of a systemic nature - cystic fibrosis. See also the publication - Causes of acute abdominal pain in a child

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Cutting pain in the abdomen in women

In women, sharp cutting pain in the abdomen (on one side) can occur due to:

• left-sided or right-sided adnexitis - inflammation of the uterine appendages (fallopian tube and ovary), which is also accompanied by cutting pain in the abdomen and fever;
• twisting of the ovarian cyst stalk or rupture of the cyst. For this reason, women may experience cutting pain in the abdomen after sex;
• rupture (apoplexy) of the left or right ovary, which is accompanied by cutting pain in the abdomen radiating to the lumbar region and nausea.

And cutting pains in the abdomen during pregnancy indicate its ectopic development or premature detachment of the placenta. Read also Abdominal pain during pregnancy

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Cutting pain in the abdomen in men

In addition to all the reasons already mentioned, as well as the incarceration of the inguinal hernia radiating down into the abdominal cavity, it is necessary to emphasize that cutting pains in the abdomen in men, aggravated by problems with urination, cause a reasonable suspicion of both a benign tumor of the prostate gland (adenoma) and liver metastases of adenocarcinoma (prostate cancer).

Risk factors

Risk factors for the occurrence of such pain and often accompanying nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, etc. are associated with the presence of specific diseases.

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Forms

In the category of symptoms that manifest diseases of the digestive system and other abdominal organs, cutting abdominal pains that cover almost the entire retroperitoneal space occur in acute abdomen. In addition, the pain syndrome can be concentrated in the apical and medial areas of the abdomen, as well as in the lower abdominal cavity in the pelvic area (above the pubic symphysis). See - Abdominal pain

The main types or kinds of cutting abdominal pain are visceral and parietal. In the first case, the pathogenesis of pain is caused either by a spasm of the smooth muscle fibers of a specific abdominal organ (in this case, stabbing, cutting abdominal pain is defined as colic), or by dysfunction of hollow or parenchymatous organs, or by a decrease in their blood supply (ischemia).

In the pathogenesis of parietal pain, the leading role is played by an acute inflammatory (or destructive) process, and the mechanism of its development is associated with irritation of peripheral nociceptors - somatic pain receptors of the inner leaflet of the abdominal wall (paries abdominalis), intestinal mesentery, omentum and other abdominal structures. Therefore, such pain is often called somatic.

Acute cutting pain in the abdomen can be a sign of very serious organic damage; pain can radiate to nearby and distant organs and anatomical structures.

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Diagnostics cutting pain in the abdomen

The necessary tests, as well as instrumental and differential diagnostics are given in the publication - Diagnosis of abdominal pain

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Treatment cutting pain in the abdomen

What to do with a cutting pain in the abdomen? Seek medical help, which in many situations should be urgent: surgical treatment is required for acute surgical pathologies, including acute inflammation of the appendix, volvulus and intestinal obstruction, ulcer perforation, ectopic pregnancy, etc.

Read - Help with food poisoning, and also What to do during an attack of pancreatitis?

Only etiologically directed treatment of cutting abdominal pain can provide relief from abdominal pain syndrome. That is, it is necessary to treat intestinal infection (if it is detected during laboratory tests of blood and feces); treat the stomach or pancreas; treat exacerbation of chronic gastritis with drugs prescribed by gastroenterologists.

!!! The main painkillers are antispasmodics: No-shpa (other trade names are Drotaverine, Spazmonet, Spazmol), Otilonium bromide (Spazmomen), Meverin (Mebeverine hydrochloride, Duspatalin, Sparex, Niaspam).

No-shpa is not used for children under 6 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, or for glaucoma. The maximum daily dose of the drug for children under 12 years of age is 80 mg, after this age and for adults - up to 240 mg. Possible side effects include hypotension, headache, nausea, constipation, and sleep disorders.

Otilonium bromide can be taken one tablet (40 mg) three times a day. This drug is contraindicated for children under 12 years of age; during pregnancy, it should be prescribed by a doctor.

Meverin capsules are taken one piece (0.2 g) every 12 hours (half an hour before meals). The drug is contraindicated for children; when prescribing to pregnant women, the doctor must assess the balance of benefits for the mother and risks to the fetus. Occasionally, Meverin can provoke an allergic reaction.

In case of acute gastric or duodenal ulcer, Gastrocepin (Pirenzepine, Gastril, Gastropin, Riabal) is prescribed, which belongs to the group of anticholinergics. The use of this drug (a 25 mg tablet two or three times a day) can give side effects, which are manifested by dilated pupils, a feeling of dry mouth, increased heart rate, headache, dysuria. The drug is prescribed to pregnant women only in extreme cases, an absolute contraindication is an enlarged prostate and glaucoma.

More information in the material - Tablets for stomach pain

Complications and consequences

This refers to the consequences and complications of those diseases in which patients feel sharp cutting abdominal pain. For example, the most dangerous consequences and complications of gastric and duodenal ulcers are associated with their perforation.

Acute appendicitis may result in its rupture, leading to peritonitis. Thrombosis or embolism of the mesenteric vessels leads to intestinal infarction with tissue necrosis and peritonitis, and, accordingly, a very high mortality rate.

Hemorrhagic vasculitis can lead to intestinal gangrene, while cystic fibrosis can cause intestinal obstruction and lead to liver cirrhosis.

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Prevention

If there are no methods for preventing many diseases of the digestive system and other abdominal organs, then it is unlikely to prevent the appearance of a separate symptom - in the form of cutting pain in the abdomen. Although with some chronic gastrointestinal pathologies, the main thing in preventing their exacerbations is diet.

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Forecast

Obviously, the prognosis depends entirely on the pathogenesis of the underlying disease, its stage, the condition of the damaged organs and the degree of restoration of their tissue trophism, achieved as a result of complex therapy.

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