Mild, moderate or severe pain in the lower abdomen in women, the causes of which can be different, is a very common complaint received from numerous patients - both very young and elderly. In some cases, although these are unpleasant, they are normal variants that do not indicate any pathologies. But, often they are one of the symptoms of a large list of diseases. First of all, gynecological health is under suspicion, although pain can also arise for other reasons. In any case, you need the help of specialists who will identify the source of the painful condition.
Types of lower abdominal pain
The nature of the pain may vary:
- pulling;
- pricking;
- aching;
- cramping;
- bursting;
- blunt;
- cutting;
- encircling;
- burning, as if burning from the inside.
Unpleasant sensations can begin abruptly and intensely, increase gradually, disturb the right, left or middle, radiate to the lower back and other areas. It can last for several minutes or days, stop intermittently or be constant.
The causes of lower abdominal pain in women can be divided into several main categories:
- physiological, caused by changes in the body;
- gynecological diseases;
- problems in the urinary system;
- disorders of the functioning of the intestines and diseases of the digestive system;
- other pathologies and conditions.
In choosing specific research methods and making the correct diagnosis, clarifying the nature, duration, and intensity of pain is of great importance. By studying the symptoms, doctors can assume a certain disease and outline the necessary direction in examining the patient.
Diagnosis
First of all, patients turn to a therapist, who conducts a full examination of the whole body and prescribes laboratory tests. If the patient exhibits symptoms characteristic of gynecological, degenerative or oncological pathologies, the doctor makes an appointment with a highly specialized doctor. This could be a vertebrologist, gynecologist, rheumatologist or oncologist.
These specialists check the patient using instrumental analysis methods. A gynecologist can use ultrasound to study the condition of a pregnant woman and a patient with gynecological diseases. This is a safe diagnostic method that uses ultrasound waves to obtain an informative clinical picture. Polyps, cysts and endometriosis are clearly visible on the monitor, so a specialist can easily determine their location and prescribe surgical treatment.
In the case of cancerous tumors or injuries of the lower back, the doctor prescribes a CT or MRI of the spine. Computed tomography is well suited for older people, when the effect of radioactive substances on the body is much less. Magnetic resonance imaging allows you to examine the body of a young woman or teenager using electromagnetic waves.
MRI is performed in open-type machines, which allows patients with fear of claustrophobia to be diagnosed. During the scan, the patient must lie still for about 15–20 minutes.
Lower abdominal pain in women: physiological causes
In this case, pain is associated with physiological changes occurring in the body. They can occur at different stages of the menstrual cycle, early pregnancy, and be observed during hormonal changes (including during menopause).
Soon after fertilization, a woman may feel a nagging pain. This is due to the introduction of the egg into the endometrium of the uterus, the integrity of which is disrupted. As the fetus grows, the internal organs shift, which sometimes provokes severe discomfort.
Many girls experience severe pain during ovulation in the lower abdomen, the causes of which are hidden in changes in hormonal levels resulting from the rupture of the follicle and the release of the egg. They are often accompanied by other symptoms:
Before menstruation, pain is also a frequent companion for many women. If the patient has been examined, no pathologies have been identified, and unpleasant sensations do not interfere with her normal lifestyle, then such manifestations fit within the boundaries of the norm. When the pain is intense and provokes a serious deterioration in the general condition, dysmenorrhea (algomenorrhea) is usually diagnosed.
How to cure lower back pain: basic treatment methods
Treatment for the lower back depends on the cause of the pain. What helps in one case may not be effective in another. Let's look at the main types of therapy and ways to relieve pain at home.
Conservative treatment
Conservative therapy is rarely prescribed independently. Usually it complements medication.
Conservative methods primarily include physiotherapy. This can be manual therapy, classical or therapeutic massage, acupuncture. To relieve muscle spasms and restore blood flow, cupping massage with bloodletting at certain trigger points is often prescribed.
Sometimes doctors prescribe herbal treatment that improves blood circulation in the spine where spasms occur.
Kinesitherapy is becoming more and more popular. This is a special gymnastics that needs to be done on decompression machines. Such devices allow you to relieve overstrained muscles and form correct motor stereotypes in a person.
Medications
In most cases, back pain is not health threatening and can be overcome by taking certain medications and using ointments.
First of all, patients are shown non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets - Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, Piroxicam, Nimesulide, Diclofenac. These are good pain relievers that also relieve inflammation.
You can also give injections for pain. One of the effective drugs for pain relief is Baralgin. This is a proven and good remedy to quickly relieve pain caused by spasms. The drug is available in ampoules, is a non-narcotic pain reliever and can relieve even very severe pain.
Where is Baralgin injected?
In a hospital setting, the drug can be administered intravenously. This is how it works faster and more efficiently.
At home you can inject it intramuscularly - into the buttock. Visually divide the buttock into four segments by drawing two lines - horizontally and vertically in the middle. The injection should be given in the upper right part (for the right buttock). With one confident movement, you need to insert the needle to its entire length and then inject the drug by pressing the syringe. The medicine should be administered moderately quickly. Before the injection, be sure to disinfect the skin, and afterward, apply a cotton swab soaked in antiseptic for about 5 minutes.
Important!
We do not recommend self-medication. Before using any medications, be sure to consult your doctor!
Let's return to drug treatment methods. In some cases, hormonal medications are prescribed to reduce swelling and pain. They act faster than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are administered under medical supervision or strictly according to the prescribed regimen. At home, you can give intramuscular injections or take the prescribed drug in tablets. In the hospital, IVs are usually placed.
Hormonal drugs are also used for therapeutic blockades, that is, they are injected directly into the source of pain. The main drugs in this group are Prednisolone and Dexamethasone.
Many commercials position ointments and gels as the most effective means of combating pain. However, in fact, this method of introducing the active substance into the body is considered the most ineffective, because most of the drug does not even pass through the skin.
Pathologies of the reproductive system
There are many causes of pain associated with gynecological problems. Among the most common:
- Endometritis. It is characterized by inflammation of the endometrium, which can occur acutely or chronically. Often accompanied by menstrual irregularities, spotting, uterine bleeding, and nagging pain.
- Adnexitis. Inflammation of the uterine appendages is one of the most common diseases in gynecological practice. In addition to painful sensations (can be in one side or spread to the entire lower abdomen), patients are faced with signs of intoxication and fever. The disease is caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
- Endometriosis. In this disease, the cells of the uterus grow and end up outside the uterus. Accompanied by pain during urination, defecation, sexual intercourse and simply with sudden movements, heavy bleeding during menstruation. Regardless of the cycle, brownish discharge is observed.
- Uterine fibroids, which are usually characterized by dull pain in the pelvic area. Cysts and other benign, as well as malignant formations can cause discomfort of varying intensity and spasms.
- Spikes. They may be the result of inflammation in the genital organs, varicose veins and other diseases. Complications during pregnancy. This may include spontaneous abortion, placental abruption and other pathologies. In such cases, the pain is sudden and sharp, accompanied by bleeding from the genitals.
Separately, it is worth focusing on sexually transmitted infections - mycoplasmosis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis and other diseases. They affect the reproductive organs, causing pain, profuse vaginal discharge of a pathogenic nature, burning, itching and are fraught with complications if left untreated.
What to do in case of acute pain
When the lower abdomen and lower back hurt, we often start looking for reviews from other people who have already encountered such a situation in order to understand the reason and determine the course of action for ourselves. It is worth understanding that it is unlikely that you will be able to make an accurate diagnosis for yourself; here you need to immediately seek qualified help from specialists. If the pain is acute and sharp, it is best not to hesitate and call ambulance workers so that you can be examined and brought to the clinic as soon as possible for diagnosis and diagnosis. After this, you will be prescribed treatment, and you can expect an improvement in your condition.
Pain on the right and left
In some cases, patients complain of pain in a specific location. Pain in the lower abdomen may occur in a woman on the right due to right-sided inflammatory lesions of the uterine appendages (adnexitis, salpingoophoritis), ileal spasm, tumor formations. Also in this place is the cecum, which has a vermiform appendix - the appendix. If it becomes inflamed, appendicitis develops and the patient needs emergency care.
The most common causes of pain in the left lower abdomen in women are secondary inflammation of the appendages, spasm of the sigmoid colon, tumor process, and ulcerative colitis. Sometimes the problem may be associated with disorders in the joints of the spine and their tissues, a herniated disc, or radiculitis.
Disturbances in the functioning of the urinary system
Cystitis is one of the most common causes of aching pain in women. The bladder can become inflamed after simple hypothermia. Pain when urinating, false and frequent urges are characteristic symptoms of this disease. Other frequently diagnosed pathologies of the urinary system include pyelonephritis and urethritis, in which case discomfort occurs not only in the lower abdomen, but also in the back (especially in the lumbar region).
If pain is dull in nature and occurs in the area above the pubis, bladder polyps can be assumed.
Digestive problems
Pain in the lower abdomen may also occur due to problems with the intestines or existing diseases of different parts of the digestive system:
- Poisoning from low-quality food contaminated with bacteria. For example, with shigellosis, eschirichiosis and other infections, the pain is paroxysmal and pronounced.
- Hernias of inguinal, Spigelian and white lines. When they are pinched, acute painful sensations occur in the abdominal cavity.
- Pancreatitis. When the pancreas is inflamed, the left side of the lower abdomen and chest hurts, and jaundice may occur.
- Intestinal colic. Characterized by spasm of the large or small intestine. It can be the result of helminthic infestation, food poisoning, or severe stress.
- Cholecystitis. When the flow of bile is disrupted, the risk of developing gallbladder inflammation is high. In this case, the pain spreads to the right side, shoulder or shoulder blade.
If pain occurs accompanied by diarrhea or constipation, changes in the color of stool, the appearance of blood or mucus in the stool, bloating, nausea, vomiting, frequent bowel movements, chills or fever, the cause of such symptoms may be a disorder of the digestive function, organ diseases Gastrointestinal tract.
Other causes of pain
There are many other problems that can cause lower abdominal pain. These include:
- injuries to the abdominal cavity and genital organs;
- prolapse of the vagina and uterus;
- varicose veins of the pelvis;
- torsion of the tumor stalk, etc.
Also, women who tend to overreact to stressful situations, often worry and experience anxiety, suffer from psychogenic pain much more often than others.
The multidisciplinary medical center of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences has experienced and highly qualified specialists who regularly undergo training in the world's leading clinics, modern diagnostic and treatment resources, and equipment from well-known manufacturers. All this makes it possible to provide comprehensive medical care to patients with problems of varying degrees of complexity.
Diagnostics
If girdling pain occurs under the ribs and in the back , an immediate consultation with a gastroenterologist is recommended to conduct a differential diagnosis and identify the cause of the ailment. A general examination is prescribed, including the following activities:
- esophagogastroduodenoscopy;
- ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs;
- general blood analysis;
- biochemical blood test;
- general urine analysis;
- analysis for Helicobacter pylori infection.