Abdominal Pain

• Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in GP practices and results in 7 to 10% of all Emergency admissions annually.
• Abdominal pain, sometimes called tummy pain, sore stomach, stomach pain, stomach ache, stomach cramps, indigestion or belly ache, can be felt anywhere between the bottom of the rib cage and the pelvis, and most people will experience abdominal pain at some stage in their life.
• The good news is that most abdominal pain gets better without treatment, however, abdominal pain that is intermittent, severe, or persists should never be ignored as it may indicate a serious underlying illness.

Abdominal pain can have many causes including

• Acid Reflux 
• Appendicitis
• Crohn’s Disease
• Gas and bloating
• Gastroenteritis
• Gastric ulcers
• Gallstones
• Hernias
• Indigestion or heartburn
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Kidney stones
• Menstrual Cramps
• Ovarian Cysts
• Stress and anxiety
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Other acute causes of tummy pain include abdominal aortic aneurysm, stomach obstruction, heart attack, ruptured spleen, diverticulitis, shingles, pericarditis (inflammation of the heart), pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs), ectopic pregnancy.
• Any sudden stomach pain, particularly if severe or worsening over 24 hours, should be seen by a doctor.
• Other common chronic causes of tummy pain include angina (chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart), Coeliac disease, endometriosis, pulled abdominal muscles and pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Progressive tummy pain steadily worsens with time is usually serious and can lead to other symptoms.
• Other Causes of progressive abdominal pain include cancer of the stomach, liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder or intestines, Crohn’s disease, lead poisoning, hepatitis and enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), ovarian abscesses, uraemia (build up of waste products in the blood), and Lymphoma.