In this Article

• What is abdominal pain?
• What causes abdominal pain?
• How is the cause of abdominal pain diagnosed?
• Characteristics of the abdominal pain
• Physical examination
• Exams and tests
• Special problem in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) of diagnosing the cause of abdominal pain
• Why can diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain be difficult?
• How can I help my doctor to determine the cause of my abdominal pain?
• Abdominal Pain At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Abdominal Pain - Length Symptoms Lasted
• Abdominal Pain Glossary
• Abdominal Pain Index

Abdominal Pain At A Glance

• Abdominal pain is pain that is felt in the abdomen.

• Abdominal pain comes from organs within the abdomen or organs adjacent to the abdomen.

• Abdominal pain is caused by inflammation, distention of an organ, or by loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain in IBS may be caused by contraction of the intestinal muscles or hyper-sensitivity.

• The cause of abdominal pain is diagnosed on the basis of the characteristics of the pain, physical examination, and testing. Occasionally, surgery is necessary for diagnosis.

• The diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain is challenging because characteristics of the pain may be atypical, tests are not always abnormal, diseases causing pain may mimic each other, and the characteristics of the pain may change over time

Abdominal Pain - Length Symptoms Lasted

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How long did the symptoms of your abdominal pain last? Was there anything in particular that helped with pain/symptom relief?

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