Abdominal Pain Treatment in Lehigh Acres FL

Abdominal pain is any discomfort, tenderness, or general pain that is felt anywhere between the chest and the pelvis.

There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of unique causes for abdominal pain, which can make it difficult to narrow down the potential culprits. Because there are so many possibilities, abdominal pain is often categorized into three distinct groups: acute, chronic, and progressive. Potential causes may include:

Acute abdominal pain is by far the most common and includes many benign causes such as overeating, cramps, or minor illnesses. Causes of acute abdominal pain include:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Appendicitis
• Cholangitis (bile duct inflammation)
• Cholecystitis
• Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Diverticulitis
• Duodenitis (inflammation in the first part of the small intestine, also known as the duodenum)
• Ectopic pregnancy (implantation and growth of a fertilized egg outside of the uterus, such as in a fallopian tube)
• Fecal impaction (hardened stool that is difficult to pass)
• Heart attack
• Injury
• Intestinal obstruction
• Intussusception (in children)
• Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
• Kidney stones
• Liver abscess (a pus-filled pocket in the liver)
• Mesenteric ischemia (decreased blood flow to intestines)
• Mesenteric lymphadenitis (swollen lymph nodes in the mesenteries, which are folds of the membrane that hold the abdominal organs in place)
• Mesenteric thrombosis (blood clot in an intestinal vein)
• Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
• Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
• Peritonitis (infection of the abdominal lining)
• Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs)
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary infarction (obstruction of blood flow to lungs)
• Ruptured spleen
• Salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes)
• Sclerosing mesenteritis
• Shingles
• Spleen infection
• Splenic abscess (a pus-filled pocket in spleen)
• Torn colon
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

Chronic pain is often described as intermittent, episodic, or constant. Chronic abdominal pain can be difficult to determine, especially when it is intermittent or episodic. Causes of chronic abdominal pain may include:

• 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
• Strained or pulled abdominal muscle
• Ulcerative colitis

Progressive abdominal pain is defined as pain that gradually becomes worse over time and is often accompanied by the development of other symptoms, which can be serious. Causes of progressive abdominal pain include:

• Cancer
• 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 (pus-filled pocket in an ovary and a fallopian tube)
• Uremia (buildup of waste products in the blood)

Seek immediate medical help if abdominal pain does not improve or if it is accompanied by:

• Severe pain
• Fever
• Bloody stools
• Persistent nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss
• Skin that appears yellow
• Severe tenderness when the abdomen is touched
• Swelling of the abdomen

At Dr. Pedro Ylisastigui, MD, we care about your health. Our kind and compassionate professionals are experienced in treating abdominal pain and can help you figure out the underlying cause for effective relief. Call us today to book an appointment for abdominal pain treatment, or visit one of our two primary care locations: we have one in Lehigh Acres, FL, and one in Fort Myers, FL. We look forward to serving you! We serve patients from Lehigh Acres FL, Fort Myers FL, Buckingham FL, Cypress Lake FL, Gateway FL, Cape Coral FL, Palmona Park FL, and Alva FL.