A Few of the Most Common Abdominal Pain Causes - Legacy ER

There are approximately 110 million emergency room visits annually for a variety of different reasons. But one of the most common reasons for a trip to emergency services is abdominal pain.

Abdominal pain is certainly a symptom that should never be ignored, but the nature of the pain may allude to its cause. Is it a stomach ache or a case of appendicitis? Here’s a short list of the most common abdominal pain causes and what to do if you find yourself experiencing them.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis most typically manifests in the form of a sharp, shooting pain in the lower right side of the abdomen. Some other common symptoms include pain near the belly button, diarrhea, and nausea. If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms and facing severe abdomen pain, it’s important that you go to seek out emergency care immediately.

Kidney Stones

These are unfortunately a pretty common cause of abdomen pain. Kidney stones are small, solid mineral deposits that originate in the kidney. They typically cause pain in the lower abdomen, but symptoms might not present until the stones have already started travelling through the ureters. These stones can be passed without emergency services, but a trip to urgent care is definitely advised if you haven’t had experience with them before.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

IBD refers to chronic colon inflammation. This happens because of an autoimmune problem in which the body’s immune system consistently attacks tissues in the small intestine and colon. While it’s a chronic disease, it can easily be managed with the right treatment. If you’re noticing consistent lower abdomen pain, it’s important that you relay the symptoms to urgent care and clinics or to your primary care physician. From there you can be referred to a specialist for treatment.

There are countless abdominal pain causes out there, and they’re all a possible cause of the discomfort you’re feeling. Regardless of which issue might be behind your pain, it’s important that you seek out proper medical treatment, no matter what. So the next time your stomach hurts, don’t be so quick to pass it off as just another stomach ache or a case of indigestion.