Abdominal Pain Treatment in New Braunfels, TX
What Is Abdominal Pain?
Abdominal pain is a mild, moderate, or severe pain or aches you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. Recurring, chronic, or severe abdominal pain can indicate an underlying health condition, illness, or injury. You should never ignore abdominal pain or symptoms that occur alongside abdominal pain. At Lonestar 24-Hour Emergency Room, our experienced physicians and staff can quickly run diagnostic tests to determine the underlying causes of abdominal pain. We will then find the fastest, safest, and most effective treatment for abdominal pain and other symptoms. Visit us today if you or your child suffers from abdominal pain in New Braunfels, TX.
Chronic & Severe Abdominal Pain Causes
Almost everyone has abdominal pain at some point in their lives. Mild or temporary abdominal pain causes can include menstrual cramps, indigestion, constipation, food allergies or sensitivities, food poisoning, diarrhea, trapped gas, the flu, or a stomach virus. This pain is called generalized pain and occurs in more than half of the stomach. It may travel or radiate due to the movement of gas or waste through your intestines. Generalized pain that is severe or chronic may be caused by an intestinal blockage. Mild or moderate abdominal pain when coughing may indicate a muscle sprain or strain.
Acute abdominal pain or extreme abdominal pain is typically localized pain that is felt in one area of the stomach. This type of abdominal pain can be caused by an infection, illness, or injury to an organ like the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach. Acute abdominal pain that lasts longer than 24 hours or is accompanied by other symptoms like a fever can indicate a serious injury, illness, or infection. Recurring acute abdominal pain that comes in waves or starts and ends suddenly can be caused by kidney stones, gallstones, or cholesterol stones. Our emergency room physicians can assess the severity of your abdominal pain, run tests, and discuss your additional symptoms to determine the cause of your pain.
How Is Abdominal Pain Diagnosed?
We will diagnose abdominal pain by first asking for your medical history and any symptoms you’re experiencing along with abdominal pain. We will want to know what type of pain you’re experiencing, where it is located, how long you have had it, how often it occurs, if it is getting worse if it is localized or moves from one place to another, and if anything makes the pain better or worse. We will then run blood and urine tests. We may also recommend diagnostic imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or MRI.
Can You Prevent Extreme Abdominal Pain?
You can prevent some types of abdominal pain. You can be careful about what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat to avoid abdominal pain caused by food sensitivities and allergies, indigestion, and food poisoning. You can prevent abdominal pain associated with menstrual cramps by taking over-the-counter pain medication at the start of your cycle. You can reduce your risk of flu and stomach viruses by washing your hands frequently, getting necessary vaccinations, and avoiding people who are sick. You can’t prevent abdominal pain caused by injury, illness, or infection of your stomach, small or large intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, or pancreas.
What Is the Treatment for Abdominal Pain?
The abdominal pain treatment we recommend will depend on the cause of your abdominal pain, your age, your symptoms, any additional symptoms you have, your medical history, and any illnesses or injuries you have. Common treatments for abdominal pain include:
- Bowel Rest – Bowl rest can ease abdominal pain caused by indigestion, food sensitivities and allergies, indigestion, diarrhea, food poisoning, and menstrual cramps.
- Hydration – Hydration can reduce risks or complications associated with the cause of your abdominal pain.
- Heat Therapy – Heat therapy can reduce abdominal pain caused by food poisoning, indigestion, diarrhea, and menstrual cramps.
- Home Remedies – Certain home remedies like ginger, peppermint, or licorice can alleviate abdominal pain caused by indigestion, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, stomach viruses, food poisoning, and the flu.
- Medication – Medication can relieve pain and treat symptoms of the flu, stomach viruses, infection, and menstrual cramps.
- Surgery – Surgery may be necessary to treat abdominal pain caused by gallstones or a gallbladder infection, kidney infection or kidney stones, appendicitis, pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, ovarian cysts, cancer, hernia, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peritonitis, pericarditis, pleurisy, pulmonary embolism, stomach ulcers, or other acute or serious health issues or injuries.
Visit or Call Us for Chronic or Severe Abdominal Pain Treatment
Visit or call us today if you have recurring, chronic, or severe abdominal pain in New Braunfels, TX. We will run diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause of your abdominal pain. We can then find the fastest, safest, and most effective treatment method available.