Generally, lower abdominal pain is felt below your belly button and can have an extremely negative impact on your daily life, sometimes preventing you from being able to move around at all. Since it can be related to various tissues and organs in that part of your body, trying to find the reason for constant pain and discomfort can be a difficult task.
This article explores some of the most common causes of lower abdominal pain and offers some tips for treating it that will hopefully make your life easier.
Causes of Lower Abdominal Pain
There are various conditions that could cause lower abdominal pain. The most common culprits include:
Constipation:
Constipation is one of the more easily identifiable causes of abdominal pain that often goes hand in hand with nausea, bloating, and similar symptoms. It can be felt all over your abdomen area or focused on its left-hand side where the large bowel descends to the rectum.
Irritable bowel syndrome:
Pain and cramps in the lower abdomen are two of the main symptoms of IBS, typically caused by the oversensitivity of the gut. The pain can be felt anywhere in your abdomen and also lead to bloating which further increases the discomfort.
Back pain:
Many people are not aware of the fact that low back pain can cause lower abdomen pain.
Pain originating from your back can actually be felt in the abdomen as ‘referred pain’. This makes finding the right reason for your pain even more difficult as you might mistakenly be thinking that it is coming directly from the place you are feeling it.
Stress:
Abdominal pain is not always related to physical problems. Oftentimes, people with stressful lives have to deal with lower abdominal pain and other symptoms. So in case you have been wondering whether anxiety can cause lower abdominal pain, the answer is definitely yes. When you are stressed, your body releases more cortisol into your bloodstream which can also trigger abdominal pain.
The above-mentioned reasons are some of the most common ones, however, there are also some gender-specific issues that could be causing you discomfort.
What Causes Lower Abdominal Pain in Females?
Causes of lower abdominal and back pain in females can be related to menstruation, especially severe menstrual pain called dysmenorrhea. This pain usually occurs once menstruation begins and typically lasts less than three days. However, it is always a good idea to check for possible underlying issues that could be causing it.
Among others, endometriosis or ectopic pregnancy can also be the one to blame for abdominal pain. The latter can be especially painful as a fertilised egg is trapped in your fallopian tube. It is also a dangerous condition that can pose a threat to your life, which is why seeing your doctor as soon as possible is of extreme importance.
What Can Cause Lower Abdominal Pain in a Man?
Men can also suffer from some gender-specific problems resulting in lower abdominal pain. Firstly, it is common for pain related to the testicles to be felt low in the abdomen, either centrally or to one side. This can be the result of inflammation or infections.
Additionally, the pain can be related to the prostate. If the prostate becomes inflamed or infected, it can result in the condition called prostatitis, leading to pain that is felt in the genitals as well as in the lower abdomen. If left untreated, some types of prostatitis can cause worsening infection or other health problems, which is why it is important to pay attention to any changes that would require medical attention.
When Should I Be Concerned About Abdominal Pain?
Many types of stomach pain related to indigestion, gas pain, or bloating are safe to treat at home. However, when your lower stomach hurts really badly or your pain just does not seem to go away for days, this means there might be a more serious reason for your lower abdominal pain that should be identified and treated as quickly as possible.
Causes of severe abdominal pain can include organ rupture, gallstones or kidney stones, and kidney infection which, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications and even kidney failure.
Additionally, if your lower abdominal pain is so unbearable it interferes with your daily life or you are suffering from chronic onsets of pain, this is another warning you should consult your doctor as the reason behind it might be more serious.
How Do You Relieve Lower Abdominal Pain?
In case you believe your pain is related to bloating, menstruation, digestion, or similar issues that do not need immediate medical intervention, here are some tips that should help you treat lower abdominal pain:
1 Exercise
One of the possible causes of abdominal pain is gas, which can be released with exercise. Do not worry if you are not up for anything too strenuous as even a short walk after lunch should help you alleviate discomfort related to bloating and get your digestive system moving.
2 Hydrate
Especially if your lower abdominal pain is related to constipation, it is extremely important to stay well-hydrated. Dehydration can lead to cramping and acid reflux because your stomach becomes unable to produce digestive acid. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, drink Donat and use its unique combination of minerals to successfully kick-start your digestion and boost your wellbeing.
3 Apply heat
In order to alleviate your abdominal pain, put a hot water bottle on your abdomen area, especially if you are suffering from period-related problems. Heat therapy will relax your uterus muscles and increase blood flow.
4 Avoid caffeine and alcohol
When dealing with abdomen pain, you should reduce your intake of coffee and alcohol as these can make the pain worse by increasing the acidity in the stomach and slowing down your digestion. Rather opt for herbal infusions that will calm down your stomach.
5 Try medication
If you are dealing with heartburn and other natural remedies do not seem to be working, try over-the-counter antacids that should help reduce some types of pain. For abdominal pain that is not related to acid reflux, you can also try mild painkillers. However, you should always check what the right dose is and avoid anti-inflammatory drugs which can make some types of abdominal pain worse.
Conclusion
There are various different causes of lower abdominal pain that vary from less to more serious ones. If your pain is most likely the consequence of unhealthy lifestyle choices or temporary disease, you can use the advice in this article to put the unpleasantries behind faster. However, if the pain persists, we recommend that you discuss it with your doctor, who will determine the exact cause of the issue and prescribe the right treatment.
However, if you are dealing with period pain or pains you are more familiar with, the above-mentioned tips should help you speed up the whole process and get you out of bed.
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