Therapy
Most causes of abdominal pain do not require any form of therapy. Especially contractions at the beginning of a pregnancy are not well treatable, as this is an adaptation of the body to the new circumstances. Premature contractions, on the other hand, must be taken very seriously and may have to be treated in hospital.
In most cases, the affected mothers have to keep a strict bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy and are treated with contraceptive drugs. If the cervix has already opened too early, it can be closed again by means of a so-called cerclage on an experimental basis to prevent an ascending infection of the child and a too early birth. Lower abdominal pain after eating is often an indication of various food intolerances.
If children or infants complain of abdominal pain after eating, this can have various causes. First and foremost, food intolerance, especially lactose intolerance, must be considered in older children. This is an intolerance to milk sugar, which is caused by a lactase deficiency.
This enzyme normally serves to split the milk sugar into galactose and glucose. If there is an enzyme deficiency, osmotically effective amounts of lactose enter the colon and bind water there. The first symptom is diarrhea.
In addition, the water leads to an overall higher filling level of the intestine and thus to abdominal pain. As the process continues, the lactase is broken down by the bacteria in the intestine, producing gases and flatulence. Diagnostically, an attempt can first be made to drain foods containing lactose.
In many cases this leads to a spontaneous cessation of symptoms. If the diagnosis cannot yet be made certain in this way, an H2 breath test can be performed. The best therapy for confirmed and symptomatic lactose intolerance is to avoid or reduce the daily intake of lactose.
Lactase tablets containing the enzyme can help before travelling or when taking lactose. In addition to lactose intolerance, other foods such as fish, nuts, shellfish or hen’s eggs can also cause gastrointestinal complaints, especially pain, diarrhoea and flatulence. In terms of differential diagnosis, the 3-month colic must be considered, especially in infants with abdominal pain and flatulence.
These lead to persistent crying attacks of the infants after meals, which peak around the 6th week of life. Usually the symptoms subside at the end of the 3rd month of life. An exact cause for this is not yet known.
It is suspected that too large drinking quantities, swallowing a lot of air during the meal (aerophagy) and an increased gas formation in the intestine leads to painful peristalsis (intestinal movement) and flatulence. A therapy is not necessary in this case. Symptomatically, warming blankets on the stomach or a circular abdominal massage in the direction of the bowel outlet (clockwise) can help.
Celiac disease only leads to symptoms when the children start to eat cereals. In this case, abdominal pain and diarrhea can also occur, often accompanied by bad mood of the child and failure to thrive.The reason for this is a sensitivity of the small intestinal mucosa to gluten. Since the intolerance leads to atrophy of the small intestinal mucosa, it is important to make the diagnosis as early as possible.
By following a strict lifelong diet, the symptoms quickly subside and the intestinal mucosa can regenerate. In some patients, coeliac disease can be asymptomatic for years and in these cases it only becomes noticeable in adulthood. The symptoms correspond as far as possible to the symptoms in childhood.
However, failure to thrive and bad mood do not occur. Some causes, among other possible diseases, can be specifically responsible for lower abdominal pain in men. Diseases of the male sexual organs are particularly noteworthy here.
Urological diseases such as testicular torsion can lead to severe pain in the lower abdomen. In this case the testicle rotates around its own axis until there is a lack of blood supply to the testicle. A genetic predisposition as well as accidents with testicular involvement can lead to the occurrence of torsion.
Sexually transmitted infections can also be responsible for the symptoms. If there is chronic inflammation, enlargement or a tumor of the prostate, this can also be accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. Finally, men should always remember that the symptoms can also be a hernia.
These occur more frequently in men than in women and can lead to severe pain in the lower abdomen, especially if parts of the intestine are pinched off in the hernia sac. In some cases, back pain can radiate into the lower abdomen due to nerve irritation. This possibility should be considered, especially if back pain exists at the same time.
Sometimes the lower abdominal pain also originates from a certain section of the intestine or an intestinal loop. The causes are manifold and can also occur in women. Lower abdominal pain during pregnancy can have numerous causes.
Also during pregnancy all other causes, independent of the pregnancy, can be responsible for the abdominal pain. During pregnancy, most complaints are caused by simple adjustment processes of the body to the new situation. Due to the strong changes of the entire body that occur during pregnancy, the muscles and ligaments are put under great strain.
In addition, due to its growth, the uterus increasingly takes up space in the abdomen, which can cause discomfort and abdominal cramps. Abdominal pain often has a pulling character in the lower abdomen and is similar to menstrual cramps. Bleeding, fever or other symptoms do not occur.
The therapy consists of relaxing measures, stress reduction and heat applications. Besides the harmless causes due to the adaptation processes in the body, the cause can also have other origins. If the pain occurs together with bleeding at the beginning of pregnancy, a doctor should be consulted, as in some cases the symptoms are accompanied by an abortion.
With the help of an ultrasound, this diagnosis can often be easily made. Abdominal pain during pregnancy is a common symptom that often causes great concern. However, in most cases this is unfounded, as mild abdominal pain in the lower abdomen is not unusual.
The causes of the pain are very different and still require clarification by a doctor. Abdominal pain during pregnancy is a common and often harmless symptom, as a sign of the body’s adaptation to the new situation. Depending on the week of pregnancy, the causes of abdominal pain can be numerous and are sometimes completely harmless. However, in order to avoid any serious danger for mother or child, a medical presentation is usually useful. Using simple methods such as ultrasound, CTG and laboratory tests, the doctor can easily determine whether or not the pain is in need of treatment.
