Abdominal pain

What is abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain is pain or discomfort that happens between your chest and pelvis. 

The pain can happen for various reasons, including digestive problems, period pain or long-term conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Most instances of abdominal pain are temporary and over-the-counter treatments from a pharmacy can help you. But persistent abdominal pain that is not relieved by self-care treatment may need to be investigated to find the cause. 

Causes

Abdominal pain can happen for different reasons. Common causes of abdominal pain include indigestion, trapped wind or period pain. Stomach aches are often temporary and will go away within hours or days, depending on the cause. 

If your stomach ache is caused by food poisoning or diarrhoea, you will need to wait for the symptoms to clear by themselves. For conditions like indigestion or period pain, over the counter medication can help ease symptoms.

Upper back pain can be a sign of kidney problems whereas pain in your groin or pelvis can be associated with a urinary tract infection. Speak to a doctor if you have any worrying symptoms, such as losing weight unexpectedly or if the pain is persistent and getting worse. 

Symptoms

The main symptom of abdominal pain is feeling discomfort or pain around your stomach. This pain can be a sharp cramp, a dull ache, persistent or intermittent. 

The lower abdomen is below your belly button. Pain in this area can happen due to period pain or other conditions related to your uterus. If you are struggling to urinate and have pain in the lower abdomen or groin, this may be a sign of a urinary tract infection.

If you are struggling to poo and have abdominal pain, you may have constipation. Feeling bloated or sick after you have eaten along with discomfort in your stomach can be a sign of indigestion. 

Some symptoms need urgent medical attention. Contact 999 immediately or go to your nearest A&E if:

•    Your poo is bloody or black and sticky and very smelly
•    A severe or sudden stomach ache
•    Touching your stomach hurts
•    You are unable to urinate, poo or pass wind
•    You are vomiting blood or a dark coloured vomit that look likes coffee grounds
•    You have pain in your chest
•    You are diabetic and being sick
•    Someone has collapsed

Diagnosis

A doctor will discuss your symptoms and examine your abdomen before considering some blood tests or scans for diagnosis. Blood tests check a wide range of factors that can cause a stomach ache. This includes your kidney and liver function and markers of inflammation.

An ultrasound scan will help your doctor look for any changes to your internal organs, such as your liver or bladder. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can detect inflammation in your soft tissue.

Your doctor can also ask you to provide a stool or urine sample to look for any signs of infection or inflammation. An endoscopy test uses a camera that goes either through your mouth or back passage to look inside the digestive tract.

Our team at the London Liver Group provides a comprehensive diagnostic service to diagnose conditions that can cause abdominal pain. One of our leading specialists will see you at our private state-of-the-art clinic near Harley Street.

Treatments

Abdominal pain can often be treated using a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. You can buy medication over the counter for indigestion remedies, pain relief and other anti-inflammatory treatments.

If your abdominal pain is caused by an infection, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics. Making some lifestyle changes to reduce stress and switching to a healthier diet can relieve the symptoms of abdominal pain.

In some cases, you may need surgery to treat the cause of abdominal pain, such as for serious conditions like IBD. At the London Liver Group, we are experts at diagnosing and treating a range of issues that may be causing abdominal pain. 

An expert multidisciplinary team will support you from your first consultation and throughout your treatment journey with us, including aftercare and follow-up.