Abdominal Pain: What Causes It and How to Eliminate It
Abdominal pain is very common simply due to the large number of organs and tissues in that area of the body. Depending on the location and severity of the pain, it could indicate a serious illness or something as simple as gas. If you’ve ever experienced abdominal pain, you know how distracting and discomforting it can be. Getting to the bottom of what is causing your abdominal pain is the first step in relief.
Your abdomen is the region of your body from your chest to your pelvis. This area is filled with the majority of your organs and a tangled maze of tissue, blood, muscles, and fat. Within all of these things is a non-stop flow of activity. Your heart continually pumps; your lungs breath, your stomach and intestines process food, and your kidneys continually filter blood. In this constant hum of activity there is the potential for many problems. Abdominal pain can be caused by any large number of things and it is not a symptom that should be ignored.
An Indication of Serious Illness
Some abdominal pain is a symptom of a serious illness and should not be neglected. While the intensity and type of pain experienced by people may differ, if you experience pain that is unbearable or prevents you from sleeping or eating regularly, you should consider consulting with your physician.
Although abdominal pain is rarely caused by a serious illness, it can be a symptom of many things like appendicitis or pelvic inflammatory disease in the lower abdomen, for instance. In the upper regions of the abdomen, serious abdominal pain could be an indication of heart problems, gallstones, pancreatitis, pneumonia, a ruptured spleen, or even cancer to name a few.
More Common Causes
More than likely your abdominal pain can be attributed to a problem in the digestive system. Everything we eat and drink affects our body in some way. Some people seem to be more sensitive to different types of foods or at different times of the month. Food sensitivities can develop with age and general changes in lifestyle. The human digestive system is a tricky and complex machine, sometimes running smoothly but occasionally causing discomfort, embarrassing symptoms and even pain at other times.
Common causes for upper abdominal pain related to the digestive system include gas, constipation, fecal impaction, diverticulitis, gastritis, and duodenitis. Some very big words and a few serious conditions, the digestive system can cause a variety of problems in your upper abdomen. Even feelings that we typically associate with the lower abdomen, like gas and constipation, can cause pain as high as the chest in extreme cases.
Your lower abdomen is where your intestines are as well as your bowel and colon. Because of this, much abdominal pain commonly associated with your digestive system occurs within the lower abdomen. Things like constipation and gas are typically felt first here. Bowel and intestinal obstructions, somewhat less common, are also felt the most in the lower abdomen. Symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) are experienced here as well. Types of IBD include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which both involve inflammation of different regions of the intestines. Both of these conditions can be quite serious and even life-threatening if complications arise.
Relief for Abdominal Pain
Because of the sheer number of reasons for abdominal pain, it may be wise to see a physician if you are plagued by constant or reoccurring abdominal pain that you can’t explain. However, the majority of the time, abdominal pain is due to some digestive distress and can be treated at home with changes in your diet and simple treatments like a colon cleanse.
Monitoring your abdominal pain and learning what triggers it is vital. You may be sensitive to dairy products or certain vegetables. Perhaps you only experience discomfort when you drink caffeinated beverages or eat wheat products. Track your symptoms and analyze your triggers. Try altering your diet and see if your symptoms decrease with changes.
Often what happens is toxins build up in our intestines. Because we send food through our bodies on a daily basis, there are bound to be some less than desirable products going through our system. While the body expels most waste, pain and intestinal distress can sometimes be explained by a polluted or toxic colon.
Along with changing your diet, a colon cleanse allows you to flush your system of the toxins that have built up over the years. This gives your system a “clean start” so to speak and gives you an opportunity to really pay attention to what triggers your symptoms. Keeping things running smoothly with a range of supplements made especially for digestive health can seriously impact and dramatically decrease any abdominal pain you experience due to your digestive system.
You’d be amazed what a complete internal cleanse can do for your symptoms. What do you have to lose, besides your suffering?
