Feeling like something is wrong with your stomach!
If you are one of those people who chronically feel that something is wrong with there stomach and have very severe abdominal discomfort.
If you want to relive your discomfort by bowel moment,
If you are looking for something to get rid of this discomfort.
Continue to read, I will tell you more about the main causes for this type of problem and how you can get rid of it.
what you will read next :
- What is abdominal discomfort?
- What are the types of abdominal discomfort?
- How to diagnose exact cause
- IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome)
- Comprehensive Diagnosis
- Treatment Options for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Epidemiology
- Location
- When to see a doctor
- Can anxiety and stress cause IBS?
- Home Remedies: Irritable bowel syndrome
What is abdominal discomfort?
Abdominal discomfort is a painful sensation in the stomach. The digestive tract is usually the source of abdominal discomfort, although abdominal discomfort can also be occur due to other problems of the body. Abdominal discomfort can be crampy, achy, dull, stabbing, mild, intermittent or sharp.
What is the causes of abdominal discomfort?
Here I have listed few main causes of abdominal discomfort:
- gastroesophageal reflux disease
- irritable bowel syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- lactose intolerance (the inability to digest lactose)
- organ rupture like appendicitis
- gallbladder stones
- Choleostatis
What are the types of abdominal discomfort?
Abdominal discomfort can be described as localized, cramp-like, or colicky.
Crampy pain may be due to diarrhea, constipation, or bloating.In women, it can occur due to menstrual cycle, abortion or any other reproductive complication. Crampy pain keeps coming and going and usually goes away on its own without treatment.
Localized pain is confined to one area of the abdomen. This type of pain is usually caused by problems in a specific organ. The most common cause of localized pain is stomach ulcers.
Colicky pain is a symptom of more severe conditions, such as gallstones or Choleostatis . It’s a sudden pain and cause alot of discomfort.
How to diagnose exact cause
General considerations:
The location of the pain within the abdomen may be a clue as to its cause.
Pain that’s generalized throughout the abdomen (not in one specific area) may indicate:
- appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix)
- Crohn’s disease
- traumatic injury
- irritable bowel syndrome
- urinary tract infection
- the flu
- Pain that’s focused in the lower abdomen may indicate:
- appendicitis
- intestinal obstruction
- ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).
Upper abdominal discomfort may be caused by:
- gallstones
- heart attack
- hepatitis (liver inflammation)
- pneumonia
Also other symptoms can help like whether does it get better or worse by bowel moments. Abdominal discomfort that gets better by bowel moment is called inflammatory bowel disease.
Exact diagnose of Admoninal discomfort:
The cause of abdominal discomfort can be diagnosed through a series of tests. Before ordering tests, your doctor will do a physical examination. This includes gently pressing on various areas of your abdomen to check for tenderness and swelling.
This information, combined with the severity of the pain and its location within the abdomen, will help your doctor determine which tests to order.
Imaging tests, such as MRI scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays, are used to view organs, tissues, and other structures in the abdomen in detail. These tests can help diagnose tumors, fractures, ruptures, and inflammation.
Other tests that can be done are:
- colonoscopy
- endoscopy
- For upper GI (a specific X-ray test that uses contrast dye to check abnormalities in the stomach)
- Blood, urine, and stool samples may also be collected to see if any bacterial, viral Or parasitic infection is present.
IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome)
The most common symptoms of IBS include a change in the appearance of stools, plus frequency of stools and abdominal discomfort that goes away by nowel moment i.e defecation.Other symptoms include bloating, distention, mucus in the stool, urgency, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation.Symptoms of bowel disorders include:
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Cramping
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
Comprehensive Diagnosis
Rome III criteria, a set of criteria to help determine functional bowel disorders, is also used to assess symptoms.To meet Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome:
symptoms must have begun at least 6 months ago.
stomach pain or discomfort for at least 3 days a month for the last 3 months.
At least two of the following statements are correct: Pain is goes away by having a bowel movement; pain is linked to a change in how often you have a bowel movement; pain is associated with change in the appearance of your stool.
doctors may order other tests to rule out other conditions, which can include
Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy: Used for initial diagnosis, to see the colon, small intestine and large intestine to see any ulcers, bleeding and inflammation.
- endoscopy:
passes through the mouth, following the digestive tract to the stomach and upper small intestine to look for bleeding, ulcers and inflammation.
- Manometry:
Used to measure the muscles of the esophagus and the function of the lower esophageal sphincter to see how well you are swallowing and digesting food.
- Anorectal manometry:
A thin, flexible tube with a balloon at the end is inserted into the rectum to measure the tone in the anal sphincter and rectal muscles to determine problems with moving the bowels.
- Lab tests:
Blood work and stool samples to check for bacteria and intestinal bleeding.
Treatment Options for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
There is no cute for functional bowel disorders. Patients who have these GI disorders will all have abdominal discomfort.
Treatment of IBS focuses is on relieving symptoms so that patients can live as normally as possible with less pain.
Mild symptoms can often be controlled by managing stress and by making changes in diet and lifestyle.
Here are few life style changes that can be made:
- Avoid foods that trigger symptoms
- Eat high-fiber diets
- Drink plenty of water and electrolytes
- Exercise
- enough sleep
It’s better to eliminate these from diet:
- High-gas eatables. bloating or gas can be avoided by not eating such items like carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages .
- Gluten. Few reports have shown that people with IBS have improvement in diarrhea symptoms if they stoped eating gluten (wheat, barley etc) .
- A dietitian can help you with diet changes.
- If you have depression or if stress tends to worsen bowel symptoms counselling is recommended.
In addition, based on symptoms doctor can suggest some medications like:
Fiber supplements. Taking a supplement such as psyllium with fluids may help control constipation.
- Laxatives:
If fiber supplement doesn’t help constipation laxatives are recommended such as magnesium hydroxide ora or polyethylene glycol.
- Anti-diarrheal medications:
Otc medications such as loperamide , can help control diarrhea .
- Anticholinergic medications
Medications such as dicyclomine can help relieve painful bowel spasms. They are sometimes prescribed for people who have bouts of diarrhea. These medications are generally safe but can cause constipation, dry mouth and blurred vision.
- Tricyclic antidepressants:
These medications help in depression and also inhibit the activity of neurons that control the intestines to help reduce pain. In Diarrhea and abdominal discomfort without depression, a lower than normal dose of imipramine, desipramine or nortriptyline can be recommended. These can cause some Side effects such as drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness and dry mouth.
- SSRI antidepressants:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, such as fluoxetine or paroxetine, may help if depression is present with abdominal discomfort and constipation.
- Pain medications :
Pregabalin or gabapentin (Neurontin) might ease severe pain or bloating.
Epidemiology
About 10% of the population has IBS at one time in their life . IBS patients are more usually young and a female have 2 times more chance of developing IBS.
Location
Location of pain within the abdomen can help in diagnosis :
Pain that’s generalized throughout the abdomen may indicate:
- appendicitis
- Crohn’s disease
- trauma
- IBS
- UTI
- Pain in the lower abdomen may indicate:
- appendicitis
- intestinal obstruction
- ectopic pregnancy
In women, pain in the reproductive organs of the lower abdomen can be caused by:
- dysmenorrhea
- ovarian cysts
- Abortions
- fibroids
- endometriosis
- PID
- ectopic pregnancy
- Upper abdominal discomfort may be caused by:
- gallstones
- heart attack
- hepatitis
- pneumonia
Pain in the center of the abdomen might be from:
- appendicitis
- gastroenteritis
- injury
- uremia (buildup of waste products in your blood)
Lower left abdominal discomfort may be caused by:
- Crohn’s disease
- cancer
- kidney infection
- ovarian cysts
- appendicitis
- Upper left abdominal discomfort is sometimes caused by:
- enlarged spleen
- fecal impaction (hardened stool that can’t be eliminated)
- injury
- kidney infection
- heart attack
- cancer
Causes of lower right abdominal discomfort include:
- appendicitis
- hernia (when an organ protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles)
- kidney infection
- cancer
- flu
- Upper right abdominal discomfort may be from:
- hepatitis
- injury
- pneumonia
- appendicitis
When to see a doctor
Mild abdominal discomfort may go away without treatment. However, in some cases, abdominal discomfort is so severe that there is need to go to the doctor.
One should see a doctor immediately if the pain is so severe that one cannot sit still or needs to curl into a ball to get comfortable.
One should also see a doctor if any of the following is present:
- bloody stools
- fever greater than 38.33°C
- hematemesis ( blood vomit)
- nausea from several hours
- Paleness of skin or eyes
- Redness and severe tenderness of the abdomen
- difficulty breathing
An appointment should be made with a doctor if any of this experienced as well :
- abdominal discomfort that lasts longer than 24 hours
- prolonged constipation
- vomiting
- Dysuria
- loss of appetite
- Sudden unexplained weight loss
Can anxiety and stress cause IBS?
The most common mental ailment people with irritable bowel syndrome have is generalized anxiety disorder, it is reported that more than 60% of IBS patients with a psychiatric illness have that type of anxiety. Other 20% have depression, and the rest have other mental disorders.
Anxiety , depression Or any other mental illness can lead to other symptoms that
include upset stomach, trembling, muscle aches, insomnia, dizziness, and irritability.
There are several research studies about the connection between IBS, stress, and anxiety:
Although psychological problems like anxiety don’t actually cause the digestive disorder but people with IBS may be more sensitive to emotional troubles.
Physchological ilnesees may make the mind more aware of spasms in the colon.
IBS can be triggered by the immune system, which is inturn affected by stress.
Home Remedies: Irritable bowel syndrome
From eating fiber-filled foods to exercising more, making some simple changes can help ease irritable bowel syndrome. Although your body may not respond immediately to these changes, your goal is to find long-term, not temporary, solutions:
- Fiber :
In irritable bowel syndrome, fiber can be a helpful. It helps to reduce constipation, it can also make gas and cramping worse. The best approach is to slowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet over a period of weeks. foods that contain fiber are whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. If signs and symptoms remain the same or worse, doctor should be consulte.Some people do better limiting dietary fiber and instead take a fiber supplement that causes less gas and bloating.Fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Citrucel, should be introduced slowly and plenty of water should be drank every day to reduce gas, bloating and constipation.
- Avoid these foods:
If certain foods make signs and symptoms worse, they should be stopped.
These may include alcohol, chocolate, caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas, medications that contain caffeine, dairy products, and sugar-free sweeteners such as sorbitol or mannitol.If gas is a problem ,foods that might make symptoms worse include beans, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
Fatty foods also may be a problem for some people. Chewing gum or drinking through a straw can lead to swallowing air, causing more gas.
- Eatting at regular times:
Meals should not be skipped .If one has diarrhea, eating small, frequent meals makes you feel better. But constipation is present, eating larger amounts of high-fiber foods may help move food through intestines.
- Dairy products:
If one is lactose intolerant, they should try substituting yogurt for milk. Or use an enzyme product to help break down lactose.
Consuming small amounts of milk products or combining them with other foods also may help. In some cases, though, you may need to stop eating dairy foods completely. If so, be sure to get enough protein, calcium and B vitamins from other sources.
- liquids:
Water is best. Alcohol and beverages that contain caffeine stimulate intestines and can make diarrhea worse, and carbonated drinks can produce gas.water is best to drink
- Exercise:
Exercise helps relieve depression and stress, stimulates normal contractions of intestines, and can help in feeling better . One should start slowly and gradually increase the amount of time for exercise. If one has any particular disease he should consult a doctor before exercise.
anti-diarrheal medications and laxatives usage should be done with caution.over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications, such as Imodium or Kaopectate, lowest dose should be used. Imodium may be helpful if taken 20 to 30 minutes before eating..In the long run, these medications can cause problems if not used correctly. The same is true of laxatives.