CHANCES are you will feel abdominal pain at least once in your life. The nature of the pain will vary; sometimes it can be brief, lasting for just a few minutes, while other times it can be so sharp and intense that it leaves you restless and in need of a safe haven and pain relievers.

Abdominal pain can be a major symptom of some fairly common health problems, which doctors should be able to pinpoint once they have certain information such as the type and location of the pain. While the cause of certain abdominal pain is very obvious, like when a woman is menstruating, others will take a medical professional to decipher the real reason behind it, especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. Here are some of the most common ones.

1. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease This is caused by an infection of the female genital tract as a result of organisms passing from the vagina or cervix. Lower abdominal pain is usually one of the main symptoms, resulting in the stomach becoming sensitive to touch in severe cases. According to gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Sharmaine Mitchell, In some cases, there is very little in terms of any symptoms or signs, and the infection stays in the cervix and eventually causes excessive damage to the fallopian tubes resulting in blockage of the tubes. This then causes the inability to become pregnant.

2. Ectopic pregnancy This is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the uterus. If this abnormality isnt recognised and treated early, the embryo will grow until the fallopian tube ruptures, resulting in severe abdominal pain. Abdominal pain during the first three months of pregnancy could signal an ectopic pregnancy. The pain, which is usually on one side of the lower abdomen, gets worse without treatment.

3. Fibroids These are especially common in women of African descent and who are over 35. They result in either mild or severe abdominal pain. Sometimes fibroids grow so large that they take up the entire abdominal area. As they get larger, they may become twisted, causing even more abdominal pain.

4.Urinary tract infection This is another common problem in women that causes abdominal pain and occurs when bacteria enters the urethra and then the bladder. Cramping and pressure is usually felt in the middle of the lower abdomen along with other symptoms.

5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome This is characterised by bouts of cramps and abdominal pains along with bloating, gas and diarrhoea. The abdominal pain experienced may be as a result of intestinal contractions, during which time, the colon contracts to remove stool.

6. Endometriosis This condition results in extreme pain during menstruation, and is very common in women. Endometriosis is a condition in which the similar tissues to that which normally line the inside of the uterus is present outside of the lining of the uterus, explains Dr Mitchell, before adding, These tissues bleed each month since they respond to the hormones produced by the ovaries and shed in a similar fashion to the lining of the uterus.

7. Miscarriages Painful cramps in the lower pelvic region accompanied by vaginal bleeding is a possible indicator of a miscarriage. Failure to visit the doctor immediately could be life-threatening.

Source;http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/The-many-causes-of-abdominal-pain-in-women