Introduction
Abdominal pain is a symptom that can occur for a variety of different reasons. In addition to the type and extent of the symptoms, the exact localisation and the body position where the pain is most severe are also important for the diagnosis of the underlying disease. Abdominal pain, which varies in intensity in different body positions, can in most cases be attributed to flatulence.
When there is a large amount of intestinal gases or when intestinal passage is difficult, these can cause severe pain in the intestine. Depending on the position of the body, the pain can be more or less severe. If the pain is particularly strong when lying down, for example, a change in body position can often help to facilitate the passage of the intestinal gases and thus improve the symptoms.
In some cases, serious illnesses can also be behind the symptoms. However, it is typical for abdominal pain, which can be traced back to serious illness, that the body position usually has no influence on the intensity and occurrence of the pain. In order to be able to determine the cause behind the complaints, a doctor should be consulted, especially if the symptoms persist and if the pain is severe.
With the help of the anamnesis as well as further diagnostics, the doctor is usually able to find out the cause behind the complaints and initiate a suitable therapy. Even if flatulence is the cause of the complaints, a therapy can help to reduce the symptoms. In cases of acute flatulence, a change in body position can help to reduce the symptoms.
Abdominal massages and thus a massage of the intestines can also provide relief. These measures allow the air to pass further through the intestine and thus often improve the pain. Through an exact analysis for incompatibilities and an adjustment of the eating habits, a permanent improvement of the symptoms can be achieved in many cases and abdominal pain occurring in the future can be prevented.
These can be the possible causes
Abdominal pain is one of the most common symptoms and complaints of everyday life. Abdominal pain is also a frequently described problem in hospitals and by doctors in private practice. It can occur in a wide range of intensities and can be the cause of numerous underlying diseases.
The numerous causes can be harmless or life-threatening. In most cases, harmless and temporary complaints are behind the abdominal pain when lying down. – Constipation, flatulence, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal infections or food intolerances can be frequent but often harmless causes of the problem.
- Furthermore, severe infections or inflammations of other causes can also affect the intestines and lead to the abdominal pain. An example of this is the chronic inflammatory bowel disease “Crohn’s disease“. – Also intestinal blockages, intestinal infarctions or tumour diseases of the intestine can in rare cases be behind abdominal pain when lying down.
- Apart from the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of various organs of the chest or abdominal cavity can also manifest themselves as abdominal pain when lying down. For example, diseases of the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, ovaries, reproductive organs or the heart may first become noticeable as abdominal pain. – In many cases, the musculoskeletal system can also project its pain onto the abdomen and conceal diseases of the muscles, bones and musculoskeletal system. In particular, complaints of the spinal column, which occur frequently, can feel like abdominal pain when lying down.
