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Female Abdominal PainFemale abdominal pain is often caused by problems affecting the female reproductive organs, as well as from organs shared by both men and women. The presence of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and vaginal in women, mean that females have more organs to worry about than their male counterpart. To fully understand what could be causing lower abdominal pain in a woman, we shall take each of the regions of the lower abdomen in a woman and describe the organs and structures that are there. We will then briefly discuss a number of disease conditions that would cause female abdominal pain.
Organs found here include the:
These organs are off course in association with the other organs normally found in the right lower abdomen like the appendix, part of the large intestines or bowel (called the ascending colon), lower pole of the right kidney, the right ureter, and possible part of the bladder if it is filled up or large enough.
The part of the abdomen directly below the belly button is here described as the central lower abdomen.Organs that could be found here in the female include:
These are essentially the same as on the right. There is however, no appendix here. The last part of the large intestine and rectum lies here. This makes conditions like constipation and diverticulitis more likely to cause female abdominal pain on the left,just as in men, in association with all the other conditions on the right except of course appendicitis. Because these unique female reproductive structures are located in the lower abdomen also called the pelvis, female abdominal pain or lower abdominal pain in women is also called pelvic pain or female pelvic pain. We shall define female abdominal pain or lower abdominal pain in a woman as pain occurring in the abdomen of a woman below the level of the umbilicus or belly button. This pain could be further described as right lower abdominal pain, central lower abdominal pain or left lower abdominal pain. It is important to mention that sometimes, the cause of lower abdominal pain in a woman may not be due to any specific problems with an organ or structure in the abdomen of the woman. Psychological factors, anxiety, constipation, trapped wind irritable bowel syndrome which are problems from the gut or urinary tract such as kidney stones can cause lower abdominal pain. Some of these bizarre causes of female abdominal pain shall be discussed too.
As said above, conditions that cause irritation or undue excitation of the organs found in the female’s lower abdomen or pelvis would lead to female abdominal pain. This is also true of pain refereed to the lower abdomen from events or structures far removed from the female’s lower abdomen. Common conditions that cause female abdominal pain or pelvic pain in women in rough order of frequency include: Use of pain killers like panadol or stronger non- steroidal anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen helps in overcoming menstrual pain. This needs to be taken a day or two before the expected onset of your period and a couple of days into the period. For very troublesome period pain not responding to simple pain killers, use of oral contraceptive pills is an option you could discuss with your family doctor. Read more on menstrual pain here
Pain killers or oral contraceptive pills would do, as in menstrual pain. Please read more on this topic here Diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease is made by your doctor taking a thorough sexual history, examining you and then request for blood test, vaginal swabs to take to the laboratory, and use of ultrasound scans too. PID is a very common cause of female abdominal pain that could lead to loss of the essence of the female reproductive organs. Treatment is achieve using the right antibiotics like doxycycline and flagyl taken together at a dose of 100mg three times a day of doxycycline, and flagyl 400mg three times a day. Please ensure you contact your doctor if you suspect you may be suffering with PID. They need to test you to identify the specific bacteria responsible, and then choose a matching antibiotics that would help clear the bugs. Read more about PID here
Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is made from the history given by the patient to the doctor, the findings on examination, blood and urine test to confirm pregnancy and an urgent ultrasound scan of the abdomen where possible. Treatment of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy is by emergency operation. There are medications that can be given to dissolve a non-bleeding ectopic pregnancy. Discuss with your doctor. Please read more about ectopic pregnancy by following this link .
These abnormally situated uterine cells behave life normal uterus, producing menses at the end of each month. This could cause blood to accumulate at that site. Excess blood accumulating in a confined space would lead to pressure and pain. The blood could form clots and adhesions, binding other structures like the intestines together too, causing obstruction. The symptoms of endometriosis may be just lower abdominal or female abdominal pain during sex. Other signs may include abdominal pain and increase in weight during the menstrual period. Female abdominal pain from fibroid is a common cause of abdominal pain especially amongst women of African descent, who tend to have fibroids more than their Caucasian counterparts. Fibroids are an abnormal lumpy growth of muscles of the uterus, causing a hard stone like mass in the wall or inside of the womb. They are also called womb stone. The pain from fibroids is usually in the central lower abdomen. The pain could be moderate to severe. It is crampy, and may last all day. It is often worse during the menstrual period, though could occur at any time. Women with fibroids would also have heavy period bleed associated with the lower abdominal pain. They may notice their abdomen looking bigger than expected, and may even be able to feel a lump mass in the lower abdomen. They may become perpetually anaemic from the continuous blood loss. They are also more prone to developing recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI). Fibroid commonly leads to infertility, if the womb stone blocks off both fallopian tubes or even occupy the space in the uterus where babies are suppose to stay, causing repeated miscarriages. An ultrasound of the abdomen requested by the G.P or family doctor is the surest way of diagnosing fibroids. Treatment depends on the number and size of the fibroids, and if it is in a woman who still wants a child or not. A recent advance in treatment of fibroids includes blocking off the blood supply of part of the uterus where the fibroids are leading to their shrinkage in what is called uterine embolectomy. Microwave ablation of the surface of the uterus is done for persistent bleeders. Removal of the whole womb in what is called hysterectomy is the definitive treatment for fibroids, especially where the woman has completed her family. It is less risk operation compared to myomectomy, and offers cure. See your doctor if you have any suspicion of fibroids as a cause of female abdominal pain in you. This is an intermittent contraction of the uterus during pregnancy. It is also called false labour. It is ordinarily not a painful, but could become so, especially after several pregnancies. Please read more on this condition For more causes of female abdominal pain, or lower abdominal pain in women, see the section on causes of female abdominal pain during or after sex Also see causes of female abdominal pain in pregnancy
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