Abdominal cramps

Definition

Most people suffer from abdominal cramps at least once in their lives. In many cases they are harmless, but they can also be caused by serious diseases. The muscles in the abdomen, either the smooth muscles of the organs or the striped skeletal muscles, contract strongly and thus cause pain.

The contraction of the musculature can either be directly controlled by nerves or it is a reaction to a previously set pain stimulus. In biliary colic, the muscles contract in order to actively remove a stone, for example. In pancreatitis, on the other hand, the muscles contract involuntarily due to the pain.

Abdominal cramps are caused by a convulsive contraction of the muscles in the digestive organs or the abdominal muscles. The causes of abdominal cramps are manifold. Basically, any organ in the abdomen can be the trigger for abdominal cramps.

An increasingly common cause of abdominal cramps is various intolerances, such as lactose intolerance. Lactase, an enzyme needed to break down milk products, is missing. Lactose-containing foods can no longer be broken down properly and the lactose gets into the large intestine.

There it is broken down by bacteria and gases are produced, which in turn cause flatulence, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Since the residual activity of lactase is different in each person, the symptoms are different in their severity and intensity. Diseases affecting the kidneys can also lead to cramps.

Examples are kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) and inflammation of the renal pelvis (pyelonephritis). Similar to gallstones, the body also tries to remove kidney stones by contractions. The violent contractions are perceived by the patients as cramps in the upper abdomen. If a conservative therapy fails, the stones are removed surgically. Inflammation of the renal pelvis can cause a variety of other symptoms in addition to pain on the respective side and cramps, including fever, chills, fatigue and weight loss.

Abdominal cramps on the right

The gallbladder is located on the right side of the upper abdomen near the liver and can be the cause of a number of diseases. These include inflammation of the gallbladder, known in specialist circles as cholecystitis, and gallstones, choledocholithiasis. When the bile ducts become blocked, the body reacts by trying to clear the way by violent contractions of the bile ducts.

Patients report colicky cramps, increased pain in the right upper abdomen and improvement through movement. Fever and jaundice can also occur. If a gallstone does not come loose on its own, it must be removed surgically.

An inflamed liver, known as hepatitis, can also cause abdominal cramps, water retention and jaundice. Another important cause of abdominal cramps can be inflammation of the appendix, often mistakenly called appendicitis. In general, appendicitis is associated with pain in the right lower abdomen.

Often, however, the pain is not localised in the right lower abdomen at all at the beginning, but can even be felt in the left upper abdomen at the beginning. In the course of time, however, they then migrate towards the right lower abdomen, where they finally concentrate. Typical signs of appendicitis are a pressure pain in the right lower abdomen, pain when moving the right leg and a mutual pain of release.