Cramps in the lower abdomen

Introduction

Cramps in the lower abdomen are very stressful for those affected. Especially during work or other everyday activities, they lead to considerable restrictions depending on their duration and strength. When cramps occur in the lower abdomen, the muscles of the respective hollow organs contract (contract) and thus cause the perception of pain.

The causes of such cramps can be found in various diseases. On the one hand, they can be of bacterial origin, such as diarrhea caused by coli bacteria. On the other hand, there are also chronic diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Stress in connection with irritable bowel syndrome is also often a cause for cramps in the lower abdomen, especially in women. For general information about abdominal cramps, see: Abdominal crampsIn the following you can read about how abdominal cramps behave when accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhea and nausea. Different localizations of the cramps also point to different diseases.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a very common disease that occurs worldwide. It is usually a symptom of a sometimes more serious disease that is the cause of diarrhoea. Normally, a healthy person has stool three times a day to three times a week (approx.

90 to 200g per day) and this is of soft to very solid consistency. If one suffers from diarrhoea, one has much more frequent bowel movements, which are of liquid consistency. The amount of stool per day also increases noticeably.

Usually the diarrhea disappears by itself after a few days. If this is not the case, a doctor should always be consulted, especially if other symptoms such as fever are present. Diarrhea can be extremely dangerous for the patient, as the body can dry out (dehydrate) very easily due to the enormous loss of fluids and electrolytes.

Particularly with children and old people, extreme caution is required. Very often diarrhea is accompanied by nausea, abdominal cramps and abdominal pain, and in some cases also fever.

  • Symptoms

There are numerous causes for diarrhea.

Most often it is caused by a gastrointestinal infection, which in industrialized countries is more likely to be caused by Norovirus, Rotavirus or Salmonella. In developing countries, however, cholera (Vibrio cholerae) is the most common cause of severe diarrhea, which often leads to death in children and the elderly due to lack of medical care. Another frequent cause is food intolerances.

Here the affected persons often get severe abdominal cramps in addition to diarrhea. In addition, there are also food poisoning, other poisonings, incompatibilities of medicines, hormonal diseases and psychological triggers. An important means of diagnosing diarrhea or underlying diseases is to take a detailed anamnesis.

It is important to find out how often the patient has bowel movements, what the consistency and color is and whether there are any other additional symptoms. In addition, it is always important to include any recently completed stay abroad. Furthermore, the treating physician should find out exactly what medication the patient is taking.

After the anamnesis an orienting physical examination is important. The doctor palpates (palpates) the entire abdomen and listens to it (auscultates). In addition, especially in children and old people and if the diarrhea has been persisting for a long time, one should pay attention to the typical signs of dehydration.

You can easily test this on the skin on the back of the hand. If you make a wrinkle with your skin and leave it standing, your body will lack water. In addition, the stool can then be examined accordingly.

If the diarrhea has been going on for a long time and/or one wants to exclude serious basic diseases such as tumors, a colonoscopy (endoscopy) can be performed. The most important thing is to return the lost fluid to the body where the affected person drinks enough. Since just as many electrolytes are lost through diarrhoea, electrolyte-containing drinks are extremely suitable for fluid intake.

If the diarrhea lasts longer and is more serious, then it is of course always necessary to recognize an underlying disease and to treat it specifically. In the rarest cases the use of antibiotics is necessary.

  • Causes
  • Diagnosis
  • Therapy

To protect yourself from diarrheal diseases, it is primarily advisable to maintain a certain level of hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly. This is especially important when you are travelling, especially in countries where cholera is still a common disease.

You should never eat raw foods and never drink tap water. Only boiled or specially cleaned water should be drunk. Usually the normal diarrhea subsides by itself within a few days without the need to take medication.

  • Prophylaxis
  • Prognosis