Abdominal Pain

Pain in your belly due to overeating or other causes of indigestion is usually treatable at home, but some kinds of abdominal pain need expert medical care. The Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team can help if you have abdominal pain that’s worsening or recurring. At their offices in Cookeville, Gainesboro, Crossville, and Sparta, Tennessee, you can benefit from onsite diagnostics and high-quality treatment for the causes of abdominal pain. For fast, effective relief, call Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC today, book an appointment online, or call the urgent care clinic.

What is abdominal pain?

Abdominal pain affects the abdomen — the area from the bottom of your ribs down to your groin. It can cover the entire abdomen and penetrate your back, or it might affect a specific part of the abdomen.

Abdominal pain can be sharp, stabbing, dull, shock-like, or burning. You might have extreme tenderness and problems like bloating. The pain might start suddenly or develop over time, which could be constant or recurring.

What causes abdominal pain?

Many conditions can cause abdominal pain. Some are passing problems that don’t require medical intervention, but others could be serious or even life-threatening. Common causes of abdominal pain that the Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team sees most often include:

• Constipation
• Gastroenteritis (bacterial or viral infection)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Food poisoning
• Appendicitis
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Gallbladder disease
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis
• Colorectal cancer
• Peptic ulcers
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Gynecology conditions can also cause abdominal pain. Dysmenorrhea (painful periods), endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ruptured ovarian cysts are just a few potential causes.

Should I seek medical help for abdominal pain?

If you know you’ve had a large, rich, or spicy meal and you get acid reflux (heartburn) afterward, taking some antacids to soak up the excess stomach acid and eating bland foods for a few days should resolve the problem.

Indigestion doesn’t just affect the stomach. You could get severe pain from trapped gas in your abdomen and tenderness in your bowels. If these problems happen infrequently, they aren’t too concerning. However, recurring episodes of acid reflux, diarrhea, or constipation require a visit to Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC for a proper diagnosis.

It’s also best to make an appointment or visit the urgent care clinic if you have abdominal pain that won’t go away or worsens. Other mild abdominal pain symptoms, like rectal bleeding, also require medical attention.

If abdominal pain is so severe it leaves you breathless and doubled over, it’s best to go to the emergency room in case you have appendicitis or another potentially life-threatening condition.

How is abdominal pain treated?

The Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC team provides a range of treatments for abdominal pain that vary according to the cause.

You might need antibiotics for bacterial infections or medicines to stop stomach acid. Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (an umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) benefit from chronic disease management.

To get expert care for your abdominal pain, call Cookeville Medical Clinic RHC today or book an appointment online.