One of my neighbors came to complain about feeling intense pain in her lower abdomen, it was affecting her so much that she found it difficult to walk, she came to ask me if I had ever had a similar experience, and since I haven't, I promptly said so.
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She explained further that the pain always comes up during her monthly flow and I encouraged her to visit the hospital if the pain fails to subside. Menstrual cramps are the most common cause of abdominal pain in women. When a woman's menstrual cycle is accompanied by painful cramps, the condition is called DYSMENORRHEA.
When I was a little younger, I used to experience severe menstrual pain, my dad would lay me down on his lap, using his strong hands to gently rub my back while I rolled in pain. It stopped after a while though but that is not the case for most women.
Most women experience menstrual cramps that go away at some point in their lives, it is most likely also nothing to worry about except the situation is so severe that it begins to tamper with your daily activities.
Primary dysmenorrhea happens with only menstruation, but secondary dysmenorrhea is a period of pain that is attached to a medical situation like uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and endometriosis.
Other associated symptoms of menstrual pain are; constipation, headaches, bloating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and pain in the lower back and thighs.
Ovarian cysts are another reason why women may experience pain in their lower abdominal region. An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac found inside an ovary. Although most cases of ovarian cysts will not cause any symptoms, when the ovarian cyst is large, it can cause frequent urination and abdominal pain when the bladder is compressed.
Most cases of ovarian cysts would go away without any form of treatment within a few months as it cause little to no form of discomfort. However, when an ovarian cyst ruptures, it can cause serious pain and internal bleeding. Medical help needs to be sought if there is a case of vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, lightheadedness, or any sign of shock.
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Some types of cysts are not related to menstrual cycles; dermoid cyst, endometrioma, and cystadenoma. Dermoid cysts and cystadenomas can become large and move the ovary out of the position, this would increase the chances of having a painful twisting of the ovary, called ovarian torsion. Ovarian torsion may stop or reduce the flow of blood into the ovary.
There is a higher chance of having an ovarian cyst during; pregnancy, serious pelvic infection, hormonal problems, or previous ovarian cysts.
Endometriosis is another reason why a woman may experience lower abdominal pain. It happens when the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus grows on the outside instead. During menstruation, the tissue gets thick and then bleeds but gets trapped in the body, which would go ahead to cause abdominal pain, especially during the menstrual cycle.
Endometriosis is one common condition that can impact daily living, it can cause long-term pain, fertility problems, and disruptions to menstrual flow. The symptoms associated with endometriosis can provide an option for manageable treatment.
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The condition is mostly common among people between the ages of 25 and 40. It can also affect teenagers, even if people find relief from the symptoms of endometriosis after menopause, it can still come with pain and discomfort afterward.
Ectopic Pregnancy happens when a fertilized ovum implants in other places different from the uterus. It usually occurs in the fallopian tube, and the function of the fallopian tube is to connect ovaries to the uterus with symptoms including; abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding or watery discharge, discomfort urine bowel movement, and urination, there is also missed period and other pregnancy signs.
Ectopic pregnancies can rarely happen in the ovary, the abdominal cavity, or the cervix When a pregnancy is ectopic, it means it cannot continue as it is only the uterus that is supposed to carry a pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancies can become a life-threatening situation, especially if there is a rupture of the fallopian tube.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an infection of the female genital tract, which is mostly often caused by sexually transmitted infections, like gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Symptoms include; fever, vaginal discharge, abdominal pain, bleeding between periods, and a burning sensation during urination.
Aside from these issues that affect mostly women, there are also conditions that affect both men and women alike, we have situations like;
Constipation which causes abdominal cramps, flatulence, and bloating. Other symptoms include; nausea and heartburn.
Gastritis can produce forms of abdominal discomfort also, it is usually caused by overeating, smoking, lack of vitamin B12, and so on.
Kidney stones can also cause pain in the lower abdominal region, it is caused by recurrent urinary infections, dehydration, or a genetic tendency to develop stones. Other attached symptoms are; painful urination, fever, and chills, pink, red, cloudy, or brown-colored smelly urine.
Hernia has to do with the protrusion of an internal organ through the surrounding tissue that could cause a bulge or a lump to appear in the abdominal region. Hernia also comes with other associated symptoms like fullness, movement of the bulge on coughing, sensation, dull aching, and pain when lifting.
Diverticulitis are small pouches in the intestine, created as a result of pressure over weak spots in the colon.
So, I do not want to bore you with an extremely lengthy post, so I will quickly list out some other possible causes of left abdominal pain;
Food intolerance or allergy.
Appendicitis.
Stomach or colon cancer.
Gastroesophageal reflux.
Urinary tract infections.
Gastric or duodenal ulcers.
Conclusion.
Knowing that there are chances of having a serious medical condition causing this pain, I will remind my neighbor again to go for a check-up, as we cannot simply assume that it is a simple menstrual cramp without an appropriate check-up.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-cysts/symptoms-causes/syc-20353405
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10857-endometriosis
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_causes_lower_left_abdominal_pain_in_women/article.htm
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9687-ectopic-pregnancy
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/dysmenorrhea
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157333#home-remedies
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
