Everyone can suffer from pain in the stomach, at one time or the other and we usually ignore it. But when the pain is sudden and severe abdominal pain then it is termed as acute pain and this should not be ignored.

Often the following can be expected with acute pain:

Acute abdomen pain is usually synonymous with rapid onset of the symptoms which might indicate life threatening intra-abdominal pathology.
Pain is just a feature and not necessary that it is present at all times. An acute abdomen which is pain free usually occurs in children and women who are in their third trimester of pregnancy.
The differential diagnosis is difficult and wide especially in primary care. This is because the different organs within their peritoneal cavity might have different areas of referred pains.
Abdominal pain usually happens to be in the top three symptoms when patients present their state in the emergency and accident departments. But only few of these have acute abdominal pain.
Management of the abdominal pain should be the primary focus and an assessment should be done to reach the differential diagnosis so that care can be given accordingly.
The clinical evaluation regarding abdomen pain can change quickly. Any diagnosis which had been made can change and both doctor and patient should not be hesitant and seek other treatment.
Conditions which might cause acute abdomen pain are:

Meckel's diverticulitis or Acute appendicitis
Acute cholecystitis
Ectopic pregnancy
Acute pancreatitis.
Peptic ulcer disease
Diverticulitis.
Intestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus (adynamic obstruction)
Pelvic inflammatory disease.
Gastrointestinal (GI) haemorrhage
Gastroenteritis.
Acute intestinal ischaemia/infarction or vasculitis.
Acute urinary retention
Renal colic or renal tract pain
Testicular torsion
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Non surgical diseases like pericarditis, sickle cell crisis, acute intermittent porphyria, HIV-associated lymphadenopathy, bowel disease, typhoid, opiate withdrawal, enteritis, pneumonia, myocardial infarction and hepatitis.
Rare causes might include thromboemboli, phytobezoar, and phytobezoar
Diagnosis of abdominal pains:

Patients can be ordered to get their blood tests done. Also if need be then imaging can also be referred to them.
Following tests can be done to rule out the condition causing the abdominal pain:
Blood Tests: these include FBC, LFTs, glucose, amylase, clotting, calcium and arterial blood gas for pancreatitis
Crossmatch or group and save
Pregnancy test in women of childbearing age
Blood cultures
Peritoneal lavage in case of an abdominal trauma
Urine analysis
X ray of the abdomen, ultrasound, CT scan
ECG and cardiac enzymes
Laparoscopy should be a routine procedure

Don't Ignore the Acute Abdominal Pain

We face different types of chronic diseases and health problems because of the way we live and lead our lifestyle. However one of the most important factors that influence our health and body is our food habit. We need to keep in mind regardless how busy we are, that 'our stomach is not a trash can'. We cannot continue eating junk and unhealthy food regardless how time saving and tasty they are. The more junk we eat the more harm our stomach and digestive system faces. So in this article, we will discuss how to not make your stomach a trash can and fall ill.

Here are some tips which will help you to keep your stomach healthy and away from potential harms. Follow these tips and improve the metabolism of not only your stomach but also your whole metabolic structure and live a healthy long life.

First of all, try to make a chart of the things which you eat regularly. This will help you to look into the things which you are eating and plan the diet accordingly for the next day. Thus maintaining a balance between different kinds of food. Try to substitute one of the heavy meals i.e. breakfast, lunch or dinner with a big glass of fresh fruit juice or shake.
Usually, a big glass of fruit shake includes all the essential vitamins and proteins that will keep you going through the day and it is completely healthy as well.
Drinking plenty of water is the key. Water is one of the, if not the, most important ingredient which keeps our body healthy and going. Water not only rehydrates our cells, vessels, organs etc. but it also helps the digestive tract to flush out unnecessary waste in the digestive system. It helps your stomach to digest better and also helps to prevent constipation. Therefore drink a minimum of 13 cups of water throughout the day if you are a full grown adult.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These two elements help your body to gain back the minerals and vitamins it had lost when you worked so hard throughout the day. Just like we need replenishment, our body needs it in a similar way. It keeps our digestive system and the brain clear and packed with the necessary ingredients.
Avoid eating junk food as much as you can. It was never said completely stop eating junk food, we all know that they are tasty and thus hard to resist. But do not make it a habit. Eat junk and oily food once or twice a month.

Are You Making Your Stomach A Trash Can?

Stomach aches and pains are common in babies, infants and parents are always in search of quick fixer to help their little ones get a relief instantly. Though instant reliefs do not come always, and there are colicky infants and babies with common stomach problems, yet some remedies and treatments always help.

Stomach pain in older kids
The common home remedies in not so serious pains are as follows:
- let the child rest and lie down. This may help to ease the pain in 20-30 minutes.
- give the child some liquid to drink, which is soothing, like light tea, soup, water or diluted fruit juice.
- let the child go to the toilet and encourage him or her to pass stool. This may help ease off the pain sooner.
- avoid any bulk food intake in one meal and divide it into smaller meals through the day until symptoms go away.
- don't give oily and fried food. Give easy to digest food, mostly boiled or light fried.
- avoid giving a medicine without medical advice.

These steps generally help and the pain goes away without going to a doctor immediately. If the pain is severe and is persistent in any one part of the abdomen, then it may require immediate medical attention. Common causes may be appendicitis or gall stone problem or may be a case of acute jaundice, diarrhoea, food poison, etc. Pain on pressing one part of the belly, or high body temperature with pain, and serious vomiting are serious symptoms which you must not ignore and take the kid immediately to a medical centre or doctor.

Stomach pain in infants
Stomach pains in infants are caused due to extra air entering the stomach while feeding. This can be avoided by burping the baby manually. There are a few burping techniques which your paediatrician and baby care giver will show you.

If you are with a colicky baby, then you would try administering the baby's nursing bottle first. There are new age nursing bottle designs, which keep off extra air from entering the stomach. The extra air mainly causes the stomach pain, and therefore, the bottle which prevents mixing of air with milk or water keeps the baby safe from colicky pains. Keep baby colic pain syrups at home ready, and give the baby a dose as and when required. It will eventually give the pain a relief.

Treating Stomach Aches and Pains in Kids

When is your pain chronic?

Your pain is chronic if it last for more than a period of six months. Chronic pain is a long-term pain whose nature can vary from mild to excruciating, and it may trouble you either continuously or at short and regular intervals. Chronic pain is so dangerous that it does not only cause discomfort and inconvenience but also robs you entirely of your capacity to work for a long time.

Chronic pain can occur in a number of organs of the human body like head, joints, back, shoulders, neck etc. In fact, pain in any part of your body can turn into chronic pain. Here are a few symptoms that can help you identify if what you are going through is, in fact, chronic pain:

- persistent and severe body pain

- burning sensation accompanied by the body pain

- fatigue and sleeplessness

- weak immune system

- stiff and sore joints

The 4 types of chronic pain disorders that you should be aware of are:

1. Nociceptive pain

The pain that affects the soft tissues of the body such as the skin and the muscles or the organs that have sensory nerves present in them is called nociceptive pain. The sensory nerves, known as nociceptors can detect the stimuli of pain and send information to the brain and the spinal cord for interpretation. The pain could be either somatic (originating in the outer body) or visceral (originating in the internal organs).

2. Neuropathic pain

This pain is caused when the nerves stop functioning normally. It is caused due to nerve disturbances that result in pain stimuli being spontaneously transmitted to the brain and spinal cord. If you are suffering from this type of chronic pain disorder, you will feel a sharp, shooting and stabbing pain. Neuropathic pain can also be caused due to the formation of neuroma (abnormal growth of the nerve tissue).

3. Psychogenic pain

The pain that is caused by psychological disorders like depression and anxiety is known as psychogenic pain. Sometimes this pain can be accompanied by physical complications like fatigue, body pain and muscle weakness.

4. Idiopathic pain

The pain that exists even though there is no physical or psychological cause for it is known as idiopathic pain. This pain is more common in people who have suffered from a pre-existing painful disorder. Some common examples of idiopathic pain are fibromyalgia (intense pain all over the body) and tmj disorders (pain in the jaw area).

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Your Pain is Chronic if it Falls Under These 4 Types of Chronic Pain Disorders!

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) refers to a health condition wherein the stomach acids tend to leak backwards from your stomach into the oesophagus, causing the latter to experience a good amount of irritation, thereby triggering a number of other problems. GERD has a way of affecting people irrespective of their age or gender. Patients who suffer from asthma are at greater risks of encountering the problem of GERD, and some asthma medicines tend to worsen reflux symptoms. However, the effects are indeed two-way in this regard. Acid reflux worsens asthma symptoms by deeply affecting the lungs and airways. Allergic reactions might also be brought about as a result of such a condition.

Symptoms 

GERD is a condition that everyone has experienced at one point or the other in their lives. It generally happens when on burping you are left with a bit of an acid taste that lingers in your mouth, followed simultaneously by a case of heartburn. A sure way to ascertain this condition is to check for the following symptoms: 

Sudden and excessive rise in saliva
Acid regurgitation
Gums show inflammation
Sore throat that is chronic
Bad breath
Cavities
Encountering pain or difficulty while swallowing
Hoarseness or laryngitis
Chest pain
How can it be treated?

The prime treatment measure for GERD is to adopt necessary lifestyle changes so that you may nurture better health. In case you happen to be overweight, it is important that you look into the matter of weight loss. 

Medicines must be taken along with a lot of water, and doctors must ensure that prescribed medications do not actually worsen your heartburn.
Over-the-counter medications and antacids can be used every once in a while after meals, but it does one good to remember that the effects don t last for long. Side effects of excessive dosage of antacids include constipation or diarrhoea. 
Proton pump inhibitors might also be recommended in acute cases of GERD to reduce the total amount of acid that is manufactured in your stomach. H2 blocker is another antidote that aims at reducing the level of acid that is released in your stomach.
Anti-reflux surgery is also prescribed for those people whose symptoms persist despite a change in medications and lifestyle patterns. An endoscopic surgery is another important procedure that may be opted for in order to correct GERD.


GERD - 4 Different Ways It Can Be Treated!

Do you know not all foods can be consumed on an empty stomach? So, it is imperative that you should be aware of such foods and restructure your breakfast menu accordingly. Here is a list of foods to avoid on an empty stomach. 

Stay away from the following foods when you eat after a considerable gap

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits contain fruit acids. When these acids enter an empty stomach, they can lead to heartburn. Hence, if eaten after a prolonged period post meal, a person is at risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Soda: Consuming cold soda drinks on an empty stomach may cause damage to the mucosal membrane while reducing blood flow to the stomach. This may lead to a slow digestive process and difficulty in the abdomen.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods are known to cause irritation and damage to the digestive tract, and are especially not recommended for people who suffer from acid reflux issues since very spicy food leads to consequences such as acid reflux in the food pipe.
Cucumber and other green vegetables: Green vegetables and cucumber are rich in amino acids. If consumed on an empty stomach it may very well lead to pain and bitterness in the upper abdomen.
Tomato: Tomato is a fruit containing high levels of tannin. Tannin causes acidity in an empty stomach and leads to consequences and appearance of gastritis if frequently consumed in such a manner.
Fermented milk products: Fermented milk products such as yogurt typically come with loads of health benefits being full of probiotics. But if consumed on an empty stomach it can interfere with the balance of healthy bacteria as the hydrochloric acid produced tends to be destructive.
Sweets: Items such as candy or sweetmeats contain high levels of sugar and cause a sudden and sharp surge of insulin levels in the blood. Over a long period, this has a bad effect on the pancreas.
Products containing yeast: Edible items such as biscuits, puff pastry, vinegar and beverages such as beer and wine contain yeast which can significantly irritate the stomach and cause bloating.
So, be a little conscious and avoid consuming these items on an empty stomach since a little effort goes a long way. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Empty Stomach - 8 Food Types That You Must Avoid!

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