Your stomach area may experience abdominal aches and you frequently refer to them as 'stomach pain' or 'stomachache'. But the pain in the abdomen can result from conditions other than the stomach. For instance, chest pain brought on by myocardial infarction, ischemia, or lung infections may also be accompanied by abdominal pain. To know if your abdominal pain is serious, we spoke to Dr M Manisegaran, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist-Minimal Access Surgery, Bariatric, Metabolic, and Robotic Surgery, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad.
"The abdomen is a cavity surrounded by muscles and skin that houses vital organs for digestion, excretion, and reproduction. It also contains major blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the lower limbs and abdominal organs as well as vessels that return deoxygenated blood to the heart," said Dr Manisegaran.
He added that the disease of these organs can cause abdominal pain of varying intensity as well as symptoms specific to the affected organ. "Because of this, the abdomen is Pandora's box, and precise clinical diagnosis is vital to distinguish between pains that require at-home treatment and those that require hospitalisation and appropriate intervention to alleviate the pain," he added.
The pain can range from minor annoyance to intense agony; it can be dull or sharp, burning, achy, crampy, persistent, or intermittent. "One of the nine abdominal quadrants may feel pain specifically, or there may be generalised pain," said the doctor.
Also Read: Abdominal Pain: All You Need To Know
Causes of Abdominal Discomfort
Abdominal discomfort can be caused by a variety of health conditions. "To determine the proper care for medical or surgical intervention, a proper diagnosis requires a good patient history, an acceptable clinical examination, and necessary laboratory investigation and imaging," said Dr Manisegaran.
"Both diagnosis and treatment of patients with stomach pain are challenging. Life-threatening illnesses should not be overlooked in an emergency, and high-risk patients should be admitted with a low threshold," said he added. According to a study published by the Annals of Translational Medicine, emergency department visits see approximately 7-10% of cases attributed to acute abdominal pain.
Signs To Know If Your Abdominal Pain Is Serious
"Any pain that is severe, persistent, and progressive is of serious concern and needs proper evaluation," said Dr Manisegaran.
Pain Associated with Nausea
He said that pain associated with nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, pain with altered bowel habits, constipation alternating with diarrhoea, and bleeding in stool or blood in vomitus is red flag signs which need admission and evaluation.
Pain Associated with Blood
"Pain associated with burning or blood in urine, and pain associated with discharge or bleeding in vagina needs evaluation particularly in pregnancy and in postpartum women," said Dr Manisegaran.
Also Read: A Burning Stomach Pain Can Be A Sign Of Stomach Ulcer: Here Are Its Triggers
Pain Associated with Fever
Dr Manisegaran said that pain associated with fever, breathlessness, and palpitations needs hospital evaluation.
Patients with Pre-Existing Medical Ailments
"Patients with pre-existing medical ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney dysfunction, chronic liver disease, HIV, and tuberculosis need to be hospitalised and evaluated if they suffer from abdominal pain," stated the doctor.
"Abdominal pain can be serious, even though it's mild in conditions, such as food poisoning, gastroenteritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), peptic ulcer, Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), menstruation or mid-ovulation," he added.
Patients on Medications
"Similarly, patients on medications for other ailments like anti-platelet, anticoagulants, steroids, those receiving chemotherapy, and immunomodulators for cancers also need hospitalisation if they suffer abdominal pain," he said.
Pain in Patients with Abdominal Surgeries
"Pain in patients who had previous abdominal surgeries and women who have either amenorrhea or bleeding vagina need to be hospitalised," said Dr Manisegaran.
"If the pain is caused by conditions, such as pancreatitis, hepatitis, and mesenteric ischemia needs intensive medical management," he added.
He said that pain due to acute appendicitis, gall stones, duodenal ulcer perforation, typhoid, and obstructed or strangulated hernias needs emergency surgical interventions.
"Pain due to cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary, or reproductive system will need planned or emergency treatment depending on clinical presentation," suggested the doctor.
Also Read: Common Causes Of Stomach Pain In Women
Conclusion
Dr Manisegaran asked to not neglect the pain and seek proper medical advice and avail proper evaluation to know the cause of the pain. "Self-misguided treatments are hazardous and you may waste valuable time in diagnosing and may be late for appropriate treatment, which will determine the outcome between life and death," he concluded.
[Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Consult your healthcare provider to get a thorough diagnosis and treatment as per your health needs.]
Image Credits: freepik