Lower Abdominal Pain

Such pain could be on the right lower abdomen or on the left lower abdomen. It could also be directly just below the belly button or umbilicus in the mid line, also called suprapubic pain.

It is a fairly common problem, especially in women, because of the presence of the womb, tubes and ovaries in this region of the abdomen, in addition to the other organs found in men.

Other causes of pain in the lower abdomen include intestinal gas or trapped wind, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, crohn's disease, bowel polyps, bowel cancer, cancer of the womb or fallopian tubes, premenstrual syndrome and pelvic pain syndrome.

Like in other parts of the abdomen, an understanding of the position of the various organs lying in various regions of the lower abdomen will help shed more light on what could go wrong in the lower abdomen.

Lower Right Abdominal Pain

The most common causes of lower abdominal pain on the right side of the body occurs if there is problems (such as injury, infection, inflammation, twisting, retention of wind, tumors or cancer involving any of the above mentioned organs. Severe anxiety too could cause pain in the lower abdomen.

Let's briefly go through possible individual causes of lower right abdominal pain here:

Appendicitis?

Do you have any of these symptoms:

• Pain in the right lower abdomen that came on within the last few days?
• Is the pain always present?
• Does movement or direct pressure to the abdomen worsen the pain?
• Do you feel like vomiting, or have you actually vomited after the pain started?
• Is your appetite now poor?
• Any fever - feeling of hot and cold?

You can learn more about lower abdominal pain caused by appendicitis here.

Ovarian Cyst?

Are you a lady between ages 12 to 59? Do you have any of the following:

• Sudden onset pain in the right lower abdomen?

• Moderate to severe in intensity?

• Does the abdominal pain spread to your thigh?

• Do you feel sick, sweaty and feel like passing out (faint)?

• Are you bending over with the pain?

Kidney Stone?

• Will you describe the pain as been perhaps the most severe pain ever (7-8/10 on a scale of 0 -10)?
• Did the pain start from your upper flank or loin and spread along the right side to your lower abdomen?
• Are you feeling the urge to vomit... or actually vomited?
• Did you find yourself moving from one position to the other trying to seek a position of comfort or perhaps pacing in the room?

Lower Central Abdominal Pain

Other structures that could also be found in the lower middle abdomen include parts of the bowels, muscles and skin in the region, and deep in the back are the large blood vessels and lower part of the spine (also called lumbar vertebrae).

Common specific causes of central lower abdominal pain include:

1. Urine Tract Infection (or UTI)
2. Cystitis
3. Bladder Cancer
4. Menstrual pain
5. Miscarriage
6. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (or PID)
7. Endometrosis
8. Endometritis
9. Endometrial Cancer
10. Fibroids
11. Adhesions if you have had previous abdominal surgery
12. Trapped wind or Intestinal gas
13. Constipation
14. Lactose Intolerance
15. Ruptured Abdominal Aneurysm (or AAA)
16. Anxiety
17. Twisted testicles in the male

Lets take a look at three common causes of lower abdominal pain from the above list.

Urine Tract Infection?

Have you been having this dull vague lower abdominal pain just below your navel?

• Hate you also noticed that you go to the pass urine more often than you normally would?
• Any pain or burning sensation on passing urine (does it hurt or sting when you pass urine)?
• Do you feel hot and cold sometimes?
• Do you feel like vomiting?

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

• Has this pain been nagging for some time now?
• Any unusual vaginal discharge?
• Any pain during sex, deep inside you?
• Have you noticed any change with your menses?

Fibroids?

Are you a lady in the age bracket of 13 to 59? Having lower abdominal pain?

• Are you from an Afro Caribbean extraction (black lady?), or Asian? (Fibroids could occur in Caucasians - white women too, but more in women of Afrocaribbean heritage)
• Does your pain come on with a very heavy menstrual bleeding?
• Do you sometimes feel heavy under your lower abdomen (this is a late sign in large fibroids)?

Follow this link to see more causes of lower central abdominal pain.

Lower Left Abdominal Pain

1. Irritable bowel syndrome (ibs)
2. Diverticulitis
3. Constipation
4. Ulcerative Colitis
5. Crohns disease
6. Coeliac disease
7. Lactose intolerance
8. Left kidney stone
9. Left ovarian problem
10. Left ectopic pregnancy
11. Miscarriage
12. Endometrosis
13. Bowel cancer
14. Hernia
15. Epiplocitis
16. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

These could arise from the lower pole of the left kidney, descending part of the large bowel and coil of small intestines, sigmoid colon, rectum, left ureter, left fallopian tube, left ovary, part of the uterus - left margin, the aorta, muscles, and skin overlying this region.

Again, let see how a few of the above causes of lower left abdominal pain presents.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

• Is this a cramping abdominal pain?
• Do you also feel bloated often?
• Often constipated?
• Have you noticed that certain food items worsen your pain?
• Are you a young to middle man or woman?
• Have the doctors been unable to find what is causing your pain despite numerous tests?

Sometimes, lactose intolerance could also present like this. The difference is that you tend to have diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating after taking food contain milk.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion (meaning that every thing else that could cause this type of problem needs to be checked and excluded before the tag of ibs can be suggested). It is therefore imperative that you see your doctor to examine you and make that diagnosis.

If you are keen on finding out by yourself if you have lactose intolerance, or some form of food allergy, then get YORKTEST Kit online to check your food tolerance status.

Ectopic Pregnancy?

Are you are lady of child bearing age?Just missed your menses (period)? Or did you have your menses within the last 4 to 12 weeks? Do you also have lower abdominal pain?

• Are you also bleeding from the vagina?
• The pain and the bleeding, which started first? Is it the pain, then bleeding?
• Any dizziness or shoulder tip pain? Feeling fainty?
• Is the pain more to one side of the lower abdomen?

If you answered yes to more than two of the above questions, you may be having an ectopic pregnancy that has ruptured or a miscarriage. You need to call an ambulance immediately and be taken to the hospital. Please do not delay. If it a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, delay may be deadly.

We have dealt with a few of the more common causes of lower abdominal pain in men and women.

Please for more information on causes of lower left abdominal pain, click here.

We hope you found our page on lower abdominal pain useful!

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