Abdominal pain

Everyone experiences abdominal pain from time to time. Other terms used to describe abdominal pain are stomachache, tummy ache, gut ache and bellyache. Abdominal pain can be mild or severe. It may be continuous or come and go. Abdominal pain can be short-lived (acute) or occur over weeks and months (chronic).

Call your doctor right away if you have abdominal pain so severe that you can't move without causing more pain, or you can't sit still or find a comfortable position. Also, seek immediate medical help if pain is accompanied by other worrisome signs and symptoms, such as fever, bloody diarrhea or severe tenderness in your abdomen.

Abdominal pain has many potential causes. Many causes, such as gas pains or a pulled muscle, aren't serious, while other conditions require timely medical attention.

Often, the location of the abdominal pain can provide an important clue as to its cause. At other times, abdominal pain may occur in unexpected patterns, and its cause is less obvious. Nonetheless, it is helpful to think about abdominal pain in terms of its location.

The following conditions may cause generalized abdominal pain, which is abdominal pain that isn't focused in one specific area:

1. Appendicitis
2. Crohn's disease
3. Diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of ketones in the blood)
4. Diverticulitis
5. Injury
6. Intestinal obstruction
7. Intussusception (in children)
8. Irritable bowel syndrome
9. Lead poisoning
10. Mesenteric lymphadenitis (swollen lymph nodes in the folds of membrane that hold the abdominal organs in place)
11. Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
12. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (infection of the female reproductive organs)
13. Peritonitis (infection of the abdominal lining)
14. Sickle cell anemia
15. Strained or pulled abdominal muscle
16. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
17. Ulcerative colitis
18. Uremia (buildup of waste products in your blood)
19. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
20. Viral gastroenteritis (stomach inflammation)

The following conditions often cause lower abdominal pain, sometimes described as pelvic pain:

1. Appendicitis
2. Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
3. Diverticulitis
4. Problems with the cervix, such as a cervical infection, inflamed cervix or growths on the cervix
5. Endometriosis
6. Intestinal obstruction
7. Mittelschmerz (pain associated with ovulation)
8. Ovarian cysts
9. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (infection of the female reproductive organs)
10. Salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes)

The following conditions often cause upper abdominal pain:

1. Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
2. Appendicitis
3. Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
4. Cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation)
5. Duodenitis (inflammation of the initial portion of the small intestine)
6. Hepatitis
7. GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
8. Heart attack
9. Hepatitis (liver inflammation)
10. Intestinal obstruction
11. Mesenteric ischemia (decreased blood flow to the intestines)
12. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
13. Nonulcer stomach pain
14. Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
15. Peptic ulcer
16. Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
17. Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs)
18. Pneumonia
19. Pneumothorax (lung collapse caused by air that leaks inside chest wall)
20. Pyloric stenosis (in infants)
21. Thoracic aortic aneurysm

The following conditions often cause pain in the center of the abdomen:

1. Appendicitis
2. Diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of ketones in the blood)
3. Injury
4. Intestinal obstruction
5. Mesenteric thrombosis (blood clot in a vein carrying blood away from your intestines)
6. Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
7. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
8. Uremia (buildup of waste products in your blood)

The following conditions often cause lower left abdominal pain:

1. Appendicitis
2. Cancer
3. Crohn's disease
4. Diverticulitis
5. Problems with the cervix, such as a cervical infection, inflamed cervix or growths on the cervix
6. Endometriosis
7. Inguinal hernia
8. Injury
9. Intestinal obstruction
10. Kidney infection
11. Kidney stones
12. Mittelschmerz (pain associated with ovulation)
13. Ovarian cysts
14. Seminal vesiculitis (inflammation of the seminal vesicles)
15. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
16. Torn colon
17. Tuboovarian abscess (pus-filled pocket involving a fallopian tube and an ovary)
18. Ulcerative colitis

The following conditions often cause upper left abdominal pain:

1. Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
2. Cancer
3. Diverticulitis
4. Empyema (infection of the lining around the lungs)
5. Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
6. Fecal impaction (hardened stool that can't be eliminated)
7. Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
8. Heart attack
9. Hiatal hernia
10. Injury
11. Kidney infection
12. Kidney stones
13. Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
14. Pneumonia
15. Pulmonary infarction (loss of blood flow to the lungs)
16. Pyloric stenosis (in infants)
17. Ruptured spleen
18. Shingles
19. Spleen infection
20. Splenic abscess (pus-filled pocket in the spleen)
21. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
22. Torn colon

The following conditions often cause lower right abdominal pain:

1. Appendicitis
2. Cancer
3. Cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation)
4. Diverticulitis
5. Problems with the cervix, such as a cervical infection, inflamed cervix or growths on the cervix
6. Endometriosis
7. Inguinal hernia
8. Injury
9. Intestinal obstruction
10. Kidney infection
11. Kidney stones
12. Mittelschmerz (pain associated with ovulation)
13. Ovarian cysts
14. Salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes)
15. Seminal vesiculitis (inflammation of the seminal vesicles)
16. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
17. Tuboovarian abscess (pus-filled pocket involving a fallopian tube and an ovary)
18. Viral gastroenteritis (stomach inflammation)

The following conditions often cause upper right abdominal pain:

1. Appendicitis
2. Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
3. Diverticulitis
4. Fecal impaction (hardened stool that can't be eliminated)
5. Gallbladder cancer
6. Hepatitis
7. Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
8. Hepatitis (liver inflammation)
9. Hiatal hernia
10. Injury
11. Intestinal obstruction
12. Kidney cancer
13. Kidney infection
14. Kidney stones
15. Liver abscess (pus-filled pocket in the liver)
16. Liver cancer
17. Liver hemangioma
18. Pancreatic cancer
19. Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
20. Peptic ulcer
21. Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
22. Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding your lungs)
23. Pneumonia
24. Pulmonary infarction (loss of blood flow to the lungs)
25. Pyloric stenosis (in infants)
26. Shingles
27. Stomach cancer