Causes
Abdominal pain has many potential causes. The most common causes — such as gas pains, indigestion or a pulled muscle — usually aren't serious. Other conditions may require more-urgent medical attention.
While the location and pattern of abdominal pain can provide important clues, its time course is particularly useful when determining its cause.
Acute abdominal pain develops, and often resolves, over a few hours to a fewdays. Chronic abdominal pain may be intermittent, or episodic, meaning it may come and go. This type of pain may be present for weeks to months, or even years. Some conditions cause progressive pain, which steadily gets worse over time.
Acute
The various conditions that cause acute abdominal pain are usually accompanied by other symptoms and develop over hours to days. Causes can range from minor conditions that resolve without any treatment to serious medical emergencies, including:
Abdominal arotic aneurym
Appendicitis
Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
Cholecystitis
Cystitis(bladder inflammation)
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Diverticulitis
Duodenitis (inflammation in the first part of the small intestine)
Ectopic pregnancy (in which the fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus, such as in a fallopian tube)
Fecal impaction (hardened stool that can't be eliminated)
Chronic (intermittent, or episodic)
The specific cause of chronic abdominal pain is often difficult to determine. Symptoms may range from mild to severe, coming and going but not necessarily worsening over time. Conditions that may cause chronic abdominal pain include:
Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
Celiac disease
Endometriosisls
Gallstones
Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Hiatal hernia
Inguinal hernia
Irritable bowel syndrome
Mittelschmerz (ovulation pain)
Functional dyspepsia
Ovarian cysts
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Pepti culcer
Sickle cell anaemia
Strained or pulled abdominal muscle
Ulcerative colitis