You have chronic abdominal pain or discomfort for more than 3 months

You have chronic abdominal pain or discomfort for more than 3 months

What could be the cause of chronic abdominal pain?

The diagnosis is chronic abdominal pain if you experience discomfort for more than 3 months. The pain may be constant or go away and then come back.

The causes are:

  • Lactose intolerance;
  • Bloating;
  • Irritable bowel syndrome;
  • Peptic ulcer;
  • Menopause and others.

Functional chronic abdominal pain

It is real, true pain that has been present for more than 6 months and the patient has difficulty talking about a specific cause, for example, the discomfort is not related to food, stomach movements, menstruation, toxins, or medication.

Functional pain is so severe that it reduces a person's quality of life. As a rule, in such cases, the exact cause is unknown.

Symptoms characteristic of chronic abdominal pain are individual - symptoms change with each attack, even during an episode.

However, common signs are:

  • Piercing or dull pain;
  • You sweat, cry or bend forward due to acute pain;
  • Pain that lasts for several minutes or hours;
  • You may complain of pain both in the navel area and in any part of the abdomen;
  • Pain may or may not be related to food, diet;
  • Pain at any part of the day or at night;
  • Abdominal pain is accompanied by headache, vomiting, pain in limbs;
  • You are not bothered by the feeling of hunger.

Consult a doctor immediately in case of the following symptoms:

  • High fever;
  • Loss of appetite;
  • Weight loss;
  • Pain wakes you up;
  • Blood in the urine or stool;
  • Jaundice;
  • Strong nausea and vomiting;
  • Difficulty swallowing;
  • Swelling in the legs or abdomen.

 

 

Source:

https://weillcornell.org/chronic-abdominal-pain