Unfortunately, for many women, pain in the lower abdomen is a feeling that never feels too far away, whether it is blunt pain in an intense period or an uncomfortable swelling sensation.
In most cases, it is usually caused by menstruation, a diet with too many nuts and beans (which results in constipation), or a disturbing urinary tract infection (UTI), and can be cured with some paracetamol tablets. on the toilet or doctor-specific antibiotics.
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However, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose the right location, cause and cure pain in the lower abdomen, when there are many reasons why it might occur.
As a result, we have spoken with the best medical professionals in the UK who specialize in gastroenterology, urology and sexual health to find out how to distinguish causes of pain in the lower abdomen, an indication that you may need more medical care and how to deal with problems. .
Abdominal pain: digestive system
According to NHS statistics, it is believed that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects "one in five people" at some point in their lives and usually shows signs for people between the ages of 20-30.
Surprisingly, about twice as many women are affected than men, which might explain why women who complain of abdominal cramps and abdominal distension are more likely to be heard.
However, abdominal pain is not always associated with IBS, as explained by Dr. John O'Malley, former secretary of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology.
Causes of lower abdominal pain
"The main cause of abdominal pain is usually IBS, which causes stomach cramps, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea," Dr. O'Malley.
'However, not everything that sounds like IBS is IBS. What is diagnosed more and more now is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), due to increased awareness and methods to detect it, which can cause symptoms such as bloody diarrhea.
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There is also irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-M), which can cause symptoms of diarrhea and constipation.
Where you will feel digestive pain
'Of course, no route is determined for the cause of lower abdominal pain, but you can find your intestine by placing your hand on your right and left hip. The intestine can be found online from the navel to the genitals.
"The pain on the left might indicate a large intestine problem, while the pain on the right might indicate a problem in or around the intestine."
How ordinary pain is felt
'Pain often varies from mild to unbearable pain, depending on the problem.
'Swelling: when the spasm causes air to expand in the intestine, it usually causes mild pain, whereas severe pain may be caused by colonic spasms (spontaneous spasms of the large intestine) and even appendicitis when acute (inflamed).
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Will it help reduce certain types of food?
"There are more and more people entering surgery recognizing that they have removed certain foods from their diets to determine whether they are allergic. Let's be clear, you should never eliminate the main food group without asking for advice from a dietitian.
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"For example, if you have celiac disease (gluten sensitivity), you might have difficulty absorbing calcium, which can cause osteoporosis, so it's important to cut food if necessary, with medical help."
How do you overcome this problem?
"A doctor will first ask for a patient's medical history, mention past digestive problems, travel history (because some problems can come from post-infection bowel syndrome), family diseases, sex, drugs and smoking.
'The examination will confirm or help develop the knowledge learned by listening to the patient's medical history. If there are concerns about the possibility of inflammation in the intestine, several blood, urine and vaginal samples can be taken, as well as tests to detect celiac disease.
Let's be clear, you should never eliminate the main food group without asking for advice from a dietitian
'The most important thing to remember is that no one has to bear pain. "If you have symptoms that make you worry, seek medical advice and understand what is happening in your body," he added.
Abdominal pain: reproductive organs
menstrual pain (when the muscular wall of the matrix shrinks) is a common occurrence in women's menstruation from puberty to menopause, but can sometimes be triggered by an underlying medical condition, often known as secondary dysmenorrhea, as a result of diseases such as endometriosis, fibroids and inflammatory diseases pelvis.
Therefore, it is important to monitor any changes in menstrual pain or periods that might indicate that something more serious can occur internally.
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Professor Claudia Estcourt of the British Sexual and HIV Health Association (BASHH) said: 'The key to assessing pain associated with the reproductive system, both in the ovaries, uterus or fallopian tubes. Fallopii, must be aware of changes.
"For example, if you have never experienced menstrual pain and suddenly feel that your period is uncomfortable or causing unusual pain for several months or a cycle, it's a good idea to act."
Causes of lower abdominal pain
'Depending on the woman's age, we may have to exclude pregnancy by taking a pregnancy test. Pregnancy itself should not hurt, but we must think of different causes if the woman is pregnant and, sometimes, treat it with a different drug that will not endanger her pregnancy.
After that, the doctor's next action is to determine whether the pain originates in the intestine, reproductive tract or kidneys and bladder.
Symptoms to be monitored include:
If you feel sick, lose weight, experience constipation and diarrhea during menstruation that are not normal for you
Medium bleeding, after or during sexual acts.
Changes in vaginal discharge.
Pain with sex, often experienced as "deep pain", which if severe means sex with penetration is too uncomfortable or painful
Acute pain in the ovary.
Pain during or after sex
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"If a woman reveals that she has never had painful intercourse, but now feels uncomfortable, she may have an infection in the uterus or fallopian tubes.
Pain during sex can occur when the uterus or ovary is inflamed, and causes pain when the penis touches the cervix. If a woman feels sick during or after sex or has bleeding, she must visit a general practitioner.
How ordinary pain is felt
"Showing the origin of pain may be a good indication of the cause, but not always. In terms of the reproductive organs, if a woman experiences dull, sharp or constant pain due to sex or changes in pain (which is worse) at that time, it will be a red flag.
"It is always appropriate to take an STI test to rule out infection that might occur if pelvic inflammatory disease is not treated, ectopic pregnancy and long-term lower abdominal pain. Easy and fast to do this at a sexual health clinic.
How to overcome this problem
"When a woman visits a doctor, she should be asked questions to identify possible causes of pain, including questions about the reproductive system, urine and digestion. Doctors can also check whether your mood is okay, because some psychological problems can manifest in physical symptoms of lower abdominal pain in some women.
"After the pregnancy is ruled out, we can ask you to examine the woman's abdomen, which will involve the feeling of a woman's stomach for sensitivity, swelling or pain." A doctor will press the lower part of her abdomen to feel if additional pressure illuminates the pain or if there are lumps and abnormal lumps.
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Showing the origin of pain may be a good indication of the cause, but not always
"In some cases, we will ask you to do a gentle internal examination with a speculum to look inside the vagina and cervix and to take STI samples and bimanual exams where a doctor inserts the index finger and middle finger in the vagina (with gloves) and then pressing the upper part of the pelvis with the other hand to feel the organs.
'This gently presses the organs between the upper and lower hands to make it easier to find potential causes of pain.
"Depending on the results of STIs, urine samples, and tests, it may be necessary to continue investigating and this could include ultrasonography," he said.
Abdominal pain: urinary problems
Anyone who suffers from cystitis (caused by a bacterial infection) will get used to the feeling of pain and burning when the water flows or the desire to need a toilet.
Unfortunately, cystitis is more common in women than men for several reasons, one of which is that our urethra is much shorter and closer to the back channel.
Causes of lower abdominal pain
Miss Mary Garthwaite, Consultant Urological Surgeon at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, revealed that the most common causes of cystitis risk factors in women include sexual activity, hormonal changes during pregnancy and secondary pregnancy. Menopause, intestinal problems cause constipation and / or diarrhea and generally decrease (the immune system decreases).
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"However, some women seem to be more susceptible to urinary tract infections than we can currently explain, without clear risk factors," he added.
'When bacteria accumulate in the bladder or in the urethra, they cause the bladder to become inflamed and become more sensitive, resulting in symptoms of cystitis.
Bladder pain syndrome, a chronic bladder condition, is rare, but can occur in some patients without infection, and makes patients with urethra and bladder sensitive to waterways with chronic pain.
"It's often difficult to diagnose pain in bladder pain syndrome, so it's usually about excluding what isn't."
Where will you feel urination?
The pain associated with cystitis can be found very low in the center of the abdomen under the public bone. To find the bladder area, press in the center of the bikini line.
"If this is a serious infection, you may feel pain in your back, which can lead to the side of your lower back, you may feel your kidney is sick.
Should you go to a doctor with ITU?
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f your systemic is good systemically (you do not have fever, eat and drink normally) but have symptoms of a bladder that you think might be caused by an infection, first increase the amount of fluid you drink. By doing so, you thin the urine, which can help relieve pain and eliminate insects that try to stick to the bladder wall.
'Taking some simple pain killers like acetaminophen can also help with discomfort. The pain must be controlled for 24 hours to see if the pain improves or worsens.
'If the symptoms worsen in 24 hours, talk to the pharmacist. If it's still systematically fine, a pharmacist can recommend free, water-soluble treatments, which is why they encourage you to drink more, which can help treat symptoms by changing your acidic balance of urine.
Some women appear to be more susceptible to urinary tract infections than we can explain at this time, without clear risk factors
'If you start feeling sick or because of flu and burning pain too much, make an appointment with a doctor and be prepared to take urine samples with you. You may need antibiotics for a while. '
'You should also consult your doctor if you see blood appearing bright red in the urine. The error that causes cystitis sometimes causes the bladder lining to become inflamed and blood (hemorrhagic cystitis), but it is important to tell your general practitioner and make sure there are no more serious problems. "
"A good rule of thumb is that if you have more than two urine infections within six months that really affect you, visit a doctor."
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