Abdominal pain can be triggered by a number of factors. Sometimes, it's mild enough to be overlooked while at others, the pain can be debilitating. Most abdominal problems start with the same symptoms and hence the cause of this pain can be a little difficult to pin point. In many cases, the location of the pain can help understand the factors that are triggering it.

Generalized pain can be simply be triggered by indigestion. On the other hand, it could also be a symptom of a number of illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome, appendicitis, viral gastroenteritis and intestinal obstructions etc. However, the former are more common. This type of pain resolves itself without medical intervention.

In other cases, abdominal pain can be localized to the upper or lower abdomen on the right or left side or in the centre of the abdomen. This sort of pain is usually sporadic and comes and goes with great intensity. In most cases, this sort of pain is a symptom of a serious problem and should not be ignored. One of the most common examples of localized abdominal pain is the pain caused by appendicitis in its later stages. Severe pain that is located just above the centre of the belly button could be a sign of pancreatitis. A burning sensation and severe cramps in the center of the stomach could point towards stomach ulcers that could cause perforations if left untreated. Other causes for this type of pain include endometriosis, ovarian cysts, angina, kidney infections and a spleen infection.

Mild stomach pain whether localized or general can be relieved using home remedies and does not often require medication. However, if the pain is severe or if it comes on suddenly, you must immediately consult a doctor. Another reason to consult a doctor is if the pain persists for more than 24 hours. If the pain is accompanied by black or bloody stools or vomiting and nausea, do not ignore it. Black stools are often an indicator of the presence of blood in the digestive tract. Abdominal pain that worsens with movement or is tender to touch is also something that should be shown to a doctor. Other reasons to consult a doctor are abdominal pain with persistent vomiting following meals and unexplained weight loss and a loss of appetite.

The bottom line is, that when it comes to abdominal pain, it's better to consult a doctor and be told that there's nothing to worry about rather than self medicate and wait for it to worsen.

Abdominal Pain & When To Consult A Doctor

The outcome and the procedure of an abdominal laparoscopic surgery vary among patients. The extent of the surgery, the length of the procedure, the surgeon, the hospital nursing staff, and a number of other factors vary with each patient.

Moreover, the recovery or the healing time also varies among patients. What applies to one patient may not apply to another. Generally speaking, surgeons will tell you that it takes only a few days to recover from a laparoscopic surgery, but this is not true to specific cases as in many cases, the recovery time has been longer than expected. So, a laparoscopic surgery is subjective to the health of the patient and the extent of the procedure; however, there are some tips that may prove to be helpful for you to deal with a laparoscopic surgery and to improve your healing process.

Here are some useful tips that you can follow before the surgical procedure.

After you have consulted your doctor and made up your mind on the procedure, then it will be useful to watch some surgery videos and read about the procedure to prepare yourself mentally. The videos can be gory and hence discretion must be maintained.
You can read blogs by patients who have undergone laparoscopic surgery to get a better understanding of the procedure and its implications.
Eight hours prior to the procedure, do not drink or eat anything.
Ask someone to accompany you on the day of the procedure.
Make sure that you fix a pre-op appointment with the surgeon to clear any doubts about the surgery, anesthesia or any such concern.
You can shave the part of your body where the surgery will be performed by yourself or be prepared for someone else to do the same at the hospital.
Prepare your hospital bag with the necessary items and inform the person accompanying you about the items in your bag.
Here are some useful tips that you can follow after the surgery.

Keep yourself active after the procedure to enhance the healing process and to relieve any flatulence.
Stick to comfortable clothing and preferably loose clothes.
Avoid taking a bath for a week or as advised by your surgeon.
To avoid constipation and to stay hydrated drink at least 2-3 liters of water a day.
Hold a pillow against your stomach to lessen the pain while sneezing or coughing.
Don t get up straight from your bed. Roll sideways and use the support of your arm to stand up.
Avoid driving for at least 2 weeks.
Go for regular check-ups with your surgeon or doctor to ensure that the incisions are healing properly.

Tips To Deal With Abdominal Laparoscopy!

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the intestine and the rectum. It is located just above the anus. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis tend to have small ulcers in their rectum and the colon. These eventually flare up leading to diarrhea, bloody stools, anemia and abdominal pain. The inflammation starts from the rectum and eventually, spreads to the colon. Ulcerative Colitis tends to flare up and remit in an alternate phase. The remission can last from few weeks to few years.

Methods adopted to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis-
Ulcerative Colitis is very similar to an inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn s disease. The only differentiating factor is the fact that, ulcerative colitis affects the colon whereas, Crohn s disease affects the digestive system and the small intestine. A doctor might prescribe certain tests such as the colonoscopy, blood tests, CT scan, pill camera, stool sample tests etc.

Why is surgery necessary to treat Ulcerative Colitis?
An estimated 40 percent of all Ulcerative Colitis patients need to undergo surgery to recover completely. The reason surgery becomes necessary to treat ulcerative colitis are the following:

Drug therapy and medication become ineffective.
Without undergoing surgery, the condition might increase the risk of developing cancer.
The colon has the risk of getting ruptured if surgery is not performed on time.
There could be excessive bleeding.
Toxic megacolon might set in.
Types of surgery available to treat Ulcerative Colitis
A procedure where the entire colon is removed is known as the colectomy. In case both the colons are removed, the procedure is termed as proctocolectomy. In this procedure, an external pouch needed to be attached to the stoma that collects the stools. There is another method known as pouch surgery. 

Pelvic pouch or ileal pouch is also termed as IPAA. This procedure doesn t involve permanent stoma. In this procedure, both the colon and the rectum are eradicated from the body. The small intestine is then used to form a J-shaped pouch, that serves as the new rectum. The pouch is then connected to the anus. The whole procedure is done via two surgeries.

What are the surgical complications of this procedure?

There could be an excessive bowel movement.
There are instances where an inflammation of the pouch is observed. This condition is known as pouchitis.
There could be a situation of intestinal blockage from adhesion due to surgery.
There could be pouch failure that can happen inside within 5 few years. This is observed in 4 out of 100 patients who are treated. In this case, the patient should go for a permanent ileectomy.

Ulcerative Colitis - What You Need To Know?

As soon as one is released from hospital after going through an abdominal surgery, the patient must make a checklist and an early recovery strategy before leaving home. Do follow the following tips and recover soon.

    Do make prior arrangements for a safe and comfortable journey back to home. Ensure that you have made transportation arrangements to go home safely. Use your own car or book any cab or take any friend s help. Place a cushion over your abdomen to keep it safe from jerks.
    Do go for post-surgery checkup. Book an appointment with your surgeon post-surgery. This would ensure that surgery did not cause any side-effect.
    Understand the schedule for taking medicines. Usually the patients are given painkillers. If you think you are not getting relief from it then ask your surgeon to prescribe you an alternative. Patients are likely to suffer from constipation post an abdominal surgery. If that happens, intake more fibrous food, fluids and indulge in light physical activities. Patients can also ask for cheaper alternative medicines.
    Check for certain signs and symptoms and take adequate steps:
        Take adequate sleep. There are chances that you may feel dizzy and fatigue, therefore one must observe change in sleep patterns. Have patience. Things will become normal in due course of time.
        You will also be subjected to little pain from the incision. Take your medicines as directed in order to get an early relief from pain.
        Draining of yellow color liquid from the incision in little quantities post the surgery is normal. If the drainage continues even after 7 to 14 days with redness around incision, it is a clear symptom of infection. Consult your surgeon immediately for the cure.
        Removal of urinary catheter from the bladder may cause minor difficulties during urination. Situation will become normal in few days. If discomfort persists, consult your surgeon.
    Identify the following dangerous symptoms and call your doctor right away.
        Persistent vomiting or nausea
        Incapability to digest food or fluids
        Swelling in leg
        Abnormal body temperature
        Infection at the surgical site
    Maintain a healthy and supervised lifestyle post surgery.
        It will take few days to return to your normal routine life. So have patience until then.
        Go for morning and evening walks. Avoid heavy exercises as such activities may cause physical strain.
    Take care of your surgical incision
        Surgical incision should be regularly cleaned or washed gently. Try to keep the surgical site dry until the stitches are removed.
        After 5-7 days of surgery, the stitches would be removed by the surgeon. Avoid putting ointment on the stitches until then. It will take few weeks for the scars to fade.

Under proper care and supervision, the patient will soon recover post an abdominal surgery and will be able to get their life back on track.

Tips to Recover from an Abdominal Surgery

Any type of surgery is stressful for your body and you will need to take extra care of yourself in order to heal well. Any procedure that is performed on the stomach, liver, gallbladder, intestines, appendix, pancreas or spleen can be categorised as an abdominal surgery. 

Here are ten tips to speed up the healing process after such a surgery.

Be prepared: While preparing yourself for surgery, also prepare your home for your return after surgery. Stock up your fridge with soft foods and keep loose, comfortable clothes easily accessible. Ideally, finish your laundry and house cleaning before the surgery and move away furniture and other things that could trip you.
Understand your medication: After the surgery, you are likely to be prescribed medication to relieve the pain and help with the healing process. Understand the dosage of these medications as well as any possible side effects that you should watch out for.
Get out of bed: The more you move around, the faster your incision will heal. Moving about also aids in the digestive process and helps the bowel work efficiently.
Avoid lifting heavy weights: Do not lift anything heavier than 500 grammes without your doctor s consent. This includes your pets, laundry baskets, grocery bags etc. also, avoid vacuuming for a while.
Get some light exercise: It may be a few months before you can get back to your regular workout routine but ensure that you get a little light exercise every day. Walking is a great way to start.
Keep plenty of pillows at hand: Holding a pillow between your knees or against your stomach can help relieve abdominal pain and discomfort. You may also feel better by propping yourself up on a few pillows when sitting on a chair.
Drink plenty of water: Keeping your body hydrated is crucial to the healing process. Water aids in circulation and ensures that adequate nutrients reach all parts of your body. Ideally, one should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
Care for your incision: Keep your incision clean and dry by washing it with soap and water daily and thoroughly drying it afterwards. Do not apply any ointment or cream on the area unless advised so by the doctor.
Take a close look at your diet: For the first few days, it is advisable to eat only soft or semi-soft foods that are easy to digest. You may gradually change to normal food as your body s tolerance levels increase.
Get plenty of sunshine: Exposing yourself to a little sunshine on a daily basis can make the recovery process less painful and make you more cheerful.

10 Quick Tips To Help You Recover Post Abdominal Surgery!

Measures to be taken before surgery for fast recovery from Abdominal Surgery.

Ancillary measures

Take regular walks several times daily to prevent blood clots and help the bowels moving.
Avoid climbing the stairs every day, at least for the first ten days. 
Avoid strenuous exercise such as lifting, carrying, pulling, or moving heavy objects (more than 5 pounds) until your surgeon advises as it may open the sutures due to pressure. Avoid lifting anything over a certain weight for at least six weeks after your operation.
Maintaining a good posture will help your wound heal correctly. Use a comfortable pillow while sitting to give rest to the operated site.
Take good sleep and proper rest for a quick recovery as most of the repair and healing occurs during sleep.
Avoid straining with bowel movements by eating a high-fiber diet or taking stool softeners to avoid constipation.
An abdominal binder can also help with the recovery process. These help keep everything in place and can decrease the possibility of a hernia.
A gradual return to work may be advised because sudden resume to work may cause opening of sutures and delay the process of healing.
Use table that easily wheels away from the bed but can also straddle the bed. This will allow you to read, use the computer, and eat without putting any pressure on your stomach or twisting around.
Cough and sneeze carefully by applying pressure to the incision with your hands or a pillow to avoid reopening of the surgical incision.
Improper dressing or not maintaining hygiene during dressing and keeping dressing unchanged for a longer period of time may lead to infection which may cause delayed healing. Thus, in order to prevent this a gentle wash with soap and water is required to avoid infection.
Dietary measures

A protein-rich diet should be consumed in order to hasten wound healing.
Have a liquid diet with lots of vitamins as vitamin C and zinc help with healing. Also, include B12 and Iron   as both aid bone marrow in forming new blood cells.
Intake of Fiber and probiotics help boost the immune system and also keeps your digestive tract moving along.
Have plenty of water-this will help the recovery process and removal of toxins from the body.
Try sitting in the sunlight as it will help with getting some extra Vitamin D.
Keep control over sugar levels if you are diabetic as increased levels of sugar in the blood helps bacteria to grow rapidly. This will further lead to infection and delay the process of healing.

Abdominal Surgery - Recovery Tips!

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