Abdominal discomfort and abdominal pain
Do you suffer from stomach problems? There can be various causes for this, but fortunately they are usually harmless. As specialists in internal medicine and gastrointestinal diseases, we get to the bottom of your symptoms and take care of their relief. We are happy to help you with a wide range of modern and reliable examination and treatment options.
Complaints and symptoms
Cramp-like pain, rumbling in the stomach or a pressing feeling: abdominal discomfort can manifest itself in many different ways. They can occur suddenly or develop over a longer period of time. Sometimes the pain occurs in the form of attacks, other times it is constant. There can be various triggers for the discomfort – but often factors such as eating, certain movements or tight clothing can further influence the pain. The following symptoms are often associated with abdominal discomfort:
- Pain in the abdominal area (upper, middle or lower abdomen)
- Digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Flatulence
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Fever
Abdominal pain – what could be the cause?
Abdominal discomfort can have many different causes . Among the most common are
- Acute illnesses such as inflammation of the gallbladder, pancreas or appendix
- Urinary retention, kidney stones, dilatation of the aorta, cystitis
- Chronic diseases such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), constipation, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome or adhesions in the abdominal cavity
- Intolerance to certain foods such as milk sugar (lactose), fruit sugar (fructose), sorbitol or gluten
- Mental stress
Less common causes are diseases of the internal reproductive organs in women (uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes) or in men (prostate, seminal vesicles and vas deferens). Inflammation or overloading of the muscles, tendons or abdominal wall can also trigger abdominal pain.
Abdominal complaints: How we can help you
As a specialist practice for stomach and intestinal diseases, we get to the bottom of the cause of your complaints quickly and reliably. Our experienced specialists take the time for a detailed consultation and a comprehensive physical examination. It is helpful if the trigger, location and type of pain can be described as precisely as possible: Is it cramping, stabbing, cutting, drilling or dull? Are there other symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation?
Based on your information and an initial suspected diagnosis, further investigation steps can be initiated as necessary:
- Analysis of blood values
- Analysis of a stool sample
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity (e.g. to assess the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, prostate and colon)
- Breath tests (e.g. to detect food intolerances or bacterial colonization of the small intestine)
The cause of the symptoms can often be determined in this way. However, if your doctor considers further examinations such as a gastroscopy or colonoscopy to be useful, we will carry these out promptly in our practice.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
ATTENTION
Acute abdominal pain
Acute abdominal pain can be an indication of a serious illness. Significant pain accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms may be an emergency:
In these cases, you should immediately go to the nearest hospital or call 112!
