Lower abdominal pain is often characterized by cramping or even pins and needles. This complaint can be caused by minor problems, such as menstruation, to severe disorders, such as kidney stones or cancer.
Medically, lower abdominal pain can also be described as pelvic pain. This pain can be experienced by anyone, both men and women, although in fact it is more common in women.
Although it is common and looks mild, lower abdominal pain is not a condition that can be ignored, especially when accompanied by certain symptoms.
Various Causes of Lower Stomach Pain
Lower abdominal pain can be caused by an infection in certain parts of the body, such as the pelvis, bladder, or large intestine. There are several conditions that can trigger lower abdominal pain, including:
- Injury
- Crohn's disease
- Bowel disorders, such as ileus
- Appendicitis
- Bladder inflammation
- Constipation
- GERD or acid reflux disease
- Kidney infection
- Kidney stones
- hernia
- Diverticulitis
- Hip fracture
- Cirrhosis
- Food or drug allergies
Other Causes of Lower Stomach Pain
In addition to the conditions above, lower abdominal pain can also be caused by infections in the female reproductive organs, such as the vagina, ovaries, uterus, cervix, or fallopian tubes. This is the reason why women are more at risk of experiencing lower abdominal pain.
Some of the possible causes of lower abdominal pain in women are:
- Abdominal pain due to menstruation
- Ovulation
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Miscarriage
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Ovarian cysts or other disorders of the ovaries
- Endometriosis
- Placental abruption or other disorders of the placenta during pregnancy
- Miom or uterine fibroid
- Disorders of the cervix, such as infection or cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Inflammation of the fallopian tubes or salpingitis
Determine Causes of Lower Stomach Pain and Treatment
To find out the exact cause of the pain that appears, you can consult a doctor. Before doing a physical exam, your doctor will ask you some questions about your pain, such as:
- Are you pregnant?
- How long have you had pain in the lower abdomen?
- What's the pain like?
- When does the pain usually appear? Is it in the morning, at night, after meals, or during menstruation?
- Does the pain also affect other body parts, such as the buttocks, groin, shoulders, or lower back?
The doctor will perform a physical examination and supporting examinations, such as:
- Blood, urine and stool tests
- Examination of the genitals
- Pregnancy test
- X-ray photo
- ultrasound
- CT scan
- endoscope
- Colonoscopy
- Hysteroscopy
- Laparoscopy
After the test results come out, the doctor will provide treatment according to the cause, severity, and frequency of lower abdominal pain you are suffering from.
Lower abdominal pain that is mild in nature can generally be treated at home by simple means or using drugs. However, if the lower abdominal pain experienced is quite severe, medical treatment is also needed, for example through surgery.
If you experience lower abdominal pain accompanied by very severe pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal swelling, stomach pain to the touch, or bloody stools, immediately consult a doctor so that appropriate treatment can be given.
Similarly, if you feel lower abdominal pain after an accident, injury, or pain in the chest.