Abdominal Pain

How long does abdominal pain last?

An abdominal pain treatment specialist is a medical professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal pain. These specialists are usually board-certified in their respective fields, and many of them have additional training in pain treatment. An abdominal pain treatment specialist will perform several tests to better understand the source of the abdominal pain and recommend a treatment plan. They also assist in the management of pain and focus on helping patients return to their regular, everyday activities.

What is the cause of abdominal pain?

The abdomen is a large region of the body that houses many internal organs, such as the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine, as well as the reproductive organs in females. Because of this, many conditions that affect these organs can also cause abdominal pain. Common causes of abdominal pain include:

Acute conditions:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Appendicitis
• Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
• Cholecystitis
• Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Diverticulitis
• Duodenitis (inflammation in the small intestine)
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Fecal impaction (stool that cannot be eliminated)
• Heart attack
• Injury
• Intestinal obstruction
• Intussusception (in children)
• Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
• Kidney stones
• A liver abscess (a pus-filled pocket in the liver)
• Mesenteric ischemia (decreased blood flow to intestines)
• Mesenteric lymphadenitis
• Mesenteric thrombosis
• Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
• Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
• Peritonitis (infection of the abdominal lining)
• Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding lungs)
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary infarction
• Ruptured spleen
• Salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes)
• Sclerosing mesenteritis
• Shingles
• Spleen infection
• A splenic abscess (a pus-filled pocket in the spleen)
• Torn colon
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

Chronic (intermittent, or episodic):

• Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
• Celiac disease
• Endometriosis
• Functional dyspepsia
• Gallstones
• Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hiatal hernia
• Inguinal hernia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Mittelschmerz (ovulation pain)
• Ovarian cysts
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Peptic ulcer
• Sickle cell anemia

Progressive conditions, such as:

• Crohn’s disease (type of inflammatory bowel disease)
• Enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)
• Gallbladder cancer
• Hepatitis
• Kidney cancer
• Lead poisoning
• Liver cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Tubo-ovarian abscess
• Uremia (buildup of waste products in the blood)

How do you know when abdominal pain is serious?

Some signs and symptoms that may indicate that abdominal pain is serious and should be treated immediately include:

• Constant or severe abdominal pain
• Pain associated with a high fever
• Changes in pain intensity or location
• Pain accompanied by other unusual symptoms
• Pain localized to one particular area:
• The right lower quadrant could indicate appendicitis
• The right upper quadrant could indicate cholecystitis
• Left lower quadrant could indicate diverticulitis

How long does abdominal pain last?

The length of time that abdominal pain lasts can vary depending on several factors, such as:

• The cause of the pain
• The severity of the pain
• How long the pain has been present
• The patient’s overall health
• The presence of any underlying conditions
• Lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise

In mild cases that are not caused by a chronic condition, abdominal pain typically lasts a few hours or days. However, moderate to severe cases, especially those caused by an underlying health condition, can last for several weeks or even months.

If you are experiencing abdominal pain, visit Ramos Center today. Our interventional pain physicians specialize in treating abdominal pain and can provide effective relief, even if other treatments have not worked. Call us today or visit one of our seven convenient Florida locations in Bradenton, Dunedin, Englewood, Port Charlotte, St. Petersburg FL, Sarasota, and Venice. We are here to serve patients from Bradenton FL, Sarasota FL, Palmetto FL, Laurel FL, Venice FL, St. Petersburg FL, Englewood FL, Cortez FL, Memphis FL, Port Charlotte FL, and Dunedin FL.