I just recovered from a pretty sharp pain in my abdomen! I usually have these pains frequently and they last from 2 to 12 days. I decided to do some research on this topic to figure out the origin of this pain. After looking through some news websites and peer-reviewed journal articles, I found a great deal of information regarding abdominal pains.
Abdominal Pain, is a very common pain that occurs between the chest and pelvic regions of the human body. As you can see from the image to the right, the pain comes from organs within the abdomen such as the small intestine, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, colon and gallbladder. It can be mild or severe, ranging from crampy to sharp.Some of the symptoms of the abdominal pain are chest pain, heartburn and indigestion. Infection, inflammation, and intestinal disorders can cause these symptoms.
One of the main root causes that I want to focus on is the bacterial infection. The infection in the stomach originates from bacterial gastroenteritis, which causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines. The term gastroenteritis is also known as stomach flu with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Bacterial infection results from coming in contact with contaminated water, food, and animals, as well as having poor hygiene.
Abdominal main affects mainly children, elderly persons, and pregnancy women. However, it also affects the general human population, even students like myself! Abdominal pain in children eases faster than in pregnant women and other adults.
The pain is a serious problem in elderly people. A study states that abdominal pain is a growing concern since the population of elderly persons is increasing, and people are living to an older age. Among the elderly persons who consult the doctor for abdominal pain, at least 50% are hospitalized and 40% have surgery because of the severe pain. Similarly, many diseases can causes abdominal pain during pregnancy, which can be threatening to both the mother and the baby.
What’s the solution to this problem? You can prevent or reduce abdominal pain by reducing your per meal intake (eat more meals but less amount of food in each meal), exercising frequently, avoiding excess amount of alcohol consumption, and avoiding smoking. Good hygiene also reduces the chances of abdominal pain due to bacterial infection.
As you can see, abdominal pain is a very serious concern that affects a range of individuals.It is important to consult a doctor to avoid long term complications, and to avoid turning an acute condition into a chronic one. It is unfortunate that the public dismiss abdominal pain as they do not view it as a serious health concern. When the pain is long-term and severe, it is important to diagnose the cause as soon as possible to avoid further complications.