Abdominal pain

What you need to know about abdominal pain

Abdominal pain is a collective term for all pain complaints that occur in the abdomen. The pain usually originates in the intestine, but can also be the result of stress, an inappropriate diet, gallstones, inflammation of the stomach, a bladder infection or, in women, a gynaecological problem.
Abdominal pain presents in different ways and the body’s response to the pain can also vary. The pain may always be present or occur in attacks, and sometimes the pain is felt in one fixed location while at other times the location keeps changing. With peritonitis you prefer to lie as still as possible, while during a gallstone attack you may want to move as much as possible to relieve the pain.

Causes of abdominal pain

• Infection of the stomach with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori
• Pain on the right below the rib cage and sticky stools after a fatty meal indicate gallbladder complaints
• Abdominal pain below the ribs on the left can be caused by a pancreatic disorder
• Chronic inflammation:
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
• Abdominal pain around the navel is often associated with a disorder of the small intestine:
  • Bacterial infection: A sudden attack of abdominal pain combined with nausea and diarrhoea may indicate an intestinal infection with bacteria, for example Salmonella or Campylobacter
  • Parasitic infection with Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium spp.
  • Gluten intolerance: In children who have abdominal pain every day and are tired – and adults who had abdominal pain at a young age – coeliac disease should be considered
  • Allergy: Abdominal pain around the navel can also result from eating food to which you are allergic (e.g. wheat, nuts or soy products) and the pain can last for hours
  • Lactose intolerance: In the Netherlands, 15% of people cannot break down milk sugar (lactose) and develop diarrhoea and abdominal pain when they drink a glass of milk
  • Relationship with diet: Pain in the stomach or small intestine can occur when you eat heavy foods such as nuts, bread or pasta with cheese and meat, when you consume too many caffeinated drinks, or when foods sweetened with fructose or sorbitol are consumed; diarrhoea, a bloated abdomen and cramps can occur
• Large intestine:
  • Parasitic infection with Dientamoeba fragilis and/or Blastocystis hominis
  • Inflamed appendix
  • Intestinal cancer
  • Reduced blood flow
• Inflammation of the ovaries in women
• Inflammation of the prostate in men
• Medicines such as antibiotics, blood-pressure-lowering medicines or metformin can cause abdominal pain
• Antidepressants and morphine can cause constipation and, as a result, abdominal pain.

More information about the tests

• Dientamoeba fragilis – Large-intestinal parasite – read more…
• Blastocystis hominis – Large-intestinal parasite – read more…
• Giardia lamblia – Small-intestinal parasite – read more…
• Cryptosporidium spp. – Small-intestinal parasite – read more…
• Helicobacter pylori – Bacterium that causes stomach ulcers – read more…
• Bacterial infection with Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Yersinia and Clostridioides diffile – read more…
• Antigliadin and anti-ht-Transglutaminase – Markers for gluten intolerance – read more…
• Secretory IgA – Protection against infections – read more…
• Digestive parameters pH, fat, starch, colour and consistency of the stool – Read more…
• Calprotectin – Inflammation marker for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – read more…
• Bile acids – Digestion of fat – read more…
• Pancreatic elastase – Breakdown of fat, starch and proteins – read more…
• Lactose intolerance – Genotyping – read more…

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