Abdominal pain: Don't ignore the warning signs
Every one of us has experienced abdominal pain or "stomachache" at one time or another. Not a pleasant experience without a doubt, but it can be a blessing in disguise as it prompts patients to see a doctor for an early diagnosis. Some of us might associate abdominal pain or "stomachache" with overeating or indigestion - an inconsequential experience. But the truth is that acute and severe abdominal pain is almost always a sign of intra-abdominal disease and it should not be ignored.
Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic and caused by anything from abdominal organs to other parts in our body. Different aching patterns, degree and locality are contributing factors in identifying the different types of disease or problem. Abdominal pain can be separated into three main categories: visceral, somatic and referred.
Visceral pain
Visceral pain, also known as organ pain, can be described as generalized aching caused by contraction in and around the organs, or by stretching of the abdominal cavity. Sometimes visceral pain may radiate to other areas in the body, making it even harder to identify its exact location.
When the pain is caused by the abdominal organs, it might be associated with various diseases. These could be a stomach ulcer; malfunctions in the bile duct system such as bile duct stones; liver-related diseases, such as liver abscess or tumor; pancreas-related diseases, such as pancreatitis; intestine-related diseases, such as gastroenteritis which may also includes excretory system malfunctions, appendicitis and colonic tumor; and urinary tract-related diseases. For a woman, pain in the reproductive system is another big problem.
Somatic pain
Somatic pain is the term for pain sensed by nociceptors - nerves that detect pain and sensations related to temperature, vibration and swelling that are located in the skin and deep tissues, which include joints, tendons and muscles. Somatic pain is sharp and well localized. Most somatic pain responds well to over-the-counter medications and usually fades once the injury heals; however, somatic pain lasting longer than expected can become chronic pain.
Referred pain
Referred pain is pain that is caused in one area of the body but felt in another. Although the pain is felt away from its site of origin (the trigger point), there's a relationship between the two. Common examples of referred pain are scapular pain due to biliary colic, groin pain due to renal colic, and shoulder pain due to blood or infection irritating the diaphragm.
Identifying abdominal pain
If you're experiencing pain that's been caused by the abdominal organs, it might be associated with various diseases. Abdominal pain that is not caused by abdominal organs also suggests a need to take a closer look at several important organs. In many cases, abdominal pain is a starting symptom of heart disease and bronchitis. Sometimes, such pain is caused by insect bites, although they bite you on other parts of your body.
As abdominal pain can suggest many diseases, you will need to consult your doctor for the correct diagnosis. To help your doctor identify the real cause of pain, you should provide precise information about where the pain starts, how frequent, what time it occurs, what the pain is like, as well as your health history and diseases.
If it is clear that the pain is caused by the digestive system, doctor will also use a tool called an endoscope to see what is wrong and where and how serious it is. This tool will help your doctor see what's wrong in your digestive system no matter how small the cause.
Unfortunately, that many people simply ignore this symptom because they think it is not serious or that they can stand it. Some feel that it is OK because the pain goes away after they take medicine.
This perception can sometimes be detrimental. A person could lose a great opportunity to identify a severe or even deadly disease at the early stages. This can give them more time to cure the disease, and could even save their life.
Note that more than one-third of all cancer cases occur in the digestive system. Unfortunately, most of them are found at the late stages because there are no clear symptoms of early-stage cancer in the digestive system.
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