Abdominal Pain (Lower Abdomen)

What Is Abdominal Pain (Lower Abdominal Pain)

Lower abdominal pain (or lower stomach pain) is discomfort felt below the belly button and above the groin. It may present in a number of ways, including as a cramping sensation, sharp pain, dull pain, or bloated. The pain may come and go or stay consistent.

The pain may have many possible causes, as the area includes parts of the bowel, bladder, urinary tract, abdominal wall, and, in women, the reproductive organs.

The causes may be bowel-related if the pain occurs together with other symptoms such as constipation,diarrhoea, bloating, rectal bleeding, or a change in bowel habits.

Causes of Abdominal Pain (Lower Abdomen)

There are several possible causes of lower abdominal pain, ranging from constipation to diverticular disease.

Constipation or Trapped Stool and Gas

Constipation or trapped gas can be a common cause of lower abdominal cramps, pressure, bloating, and discomfort in the lower abdomen, especially when stool is hard to pass.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS typically causes repeated abdominal pain linked to bowel movements. It may also appear together with diarrhoea, constipation, or both.

Diverticular Disease

Diverticula are pockets that form in the colon wall. They may cause lower abdominal pain, often with fever, nausea, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.

Learn more about diverticular disease (diverticulitis).

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

The colon may sometimes become inflamed from infections, ischemia, ulcerative colitis, or Crohnʼs disease. This can cause abdominal pain, chronic diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, fatigue, urgency, and weight loss.

Learn more about IBD.

Appendicitis

If the pain starts near the belly button and then moves to the lower right abdomen, it may be due to appendicitis. This may also occur together with nausea, fever, and loss of appetite.

Colorectal Cancer or Large Polyps

Both large polyps (benign growths) and colon or rectal cancers may sometimes cause pain in lower abdomen. The pain may occur together with blood in the stool, altered bowel habits, fatigue, anaemia, or unexplained weight loss.

Learn more about colorectal cancer.

Bowel Obstruction

This is a more urgent cause that can lead to severe ,sharp, or wave-like lower abdominal pain. It may be accompanied by obvious bloating, vomiting, and an inability to pass stool or gas.

Bladder Infection or Other Urinary Causes

Lower abdominal discomfort may occur together with a burning sensation when passing urine, urinary urgency, frequent urination, or cloud or bloody urine. When this happens, it may be related to urinary causes such as a bladder infection.

Hernia

Lower abdominal or groin pain may be related to a hernia, particularly if there is a lump or pain that worsens with coughing, straining, or movement.

Other Causes

Specifically for women, lower abdominal pain can also come from issues with the reproductive system. This includes menstrual cramps, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, and ectopic pregnancy.

How to Tell If You Have Abdominal Pain (Lower Abdomen)

The following are the details to watch and track when you feel abdominal pain. All of them can help your doctor narrow down the cause:

Where the pain is located, for example, at the lower left, lower right, middle, one side only, both sides, or pain that spreads to the groin, back, or pelvis
What the pain feels like, for example, crampy, sharp, burning, pressure-like, constant, or pain that comes in waves
When it started and its progression, for example, if it came on suddenly or gradually, or is worsening
Whether it is linked to other symptoms, for example, bowel movements, trapped gas, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, urgency, or a feeling of incomplete emptying
Whether there is blood or mucus in the stool, rectal bleeding, or black sticky stools
Whether the pain is accompanied by systemic symptoms, for example, fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness, or weight loss
Whether there are urinary symptoms, for example, painful urination, frequent urination, or blood in the urine
For women, whether the pain is linked to female-specific concerns, for example, painful urination, frequent urination, or blood in the urine

See a Specialist about Abdominal Pain

If you are experiencing lower abdominal pain, book an appointment with us for a medical evaluation. Following the consultation, our colorectal specialist can recommend a suitable treatment plan based on your condition.

Schedule an appointment

What to Be Concerned about with Abdominal Pain

You should seek a doctor’s assessment or urgent care if you experience any of the following:

Severe or sudden lower stomach pain, or abdominal pain that rapidly worsens
A swollen, rigid, or very tender abdomen, especially if touching the belly worsens the pain
Fever, persistent vomiting, or inability to keep fluids down
Blood in the stool, black sticky stools, or vomiting blood
Inability to pass stool or gas, especially paired bloating or vomiting
Unexplained weight loss, ongoing fatigue, lasting change in bowel habits, or recurrent dull abdominal pain that does not settle
Pain with a groin lump or hernia that suddenly becomes firm, tender, or cannot be pushed back in
In women, one-sided lower abdominal pain with a missed period, vaginal bleeding, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness, or fainting

These could be signs of a serious underlying condition like appendicitis, complicated diverticulitis, bowel obstruction, a strangulated hernia, severe infection, or colorectal cancer, and would be best assessed by a doctor.

How Abdominal Pain Is Diagnosed

During the consultation, your doctor may request a detailed medical history and discuss your symptoms, asking questions like these:

The characteristics of the pain, for example, whether it is persistent or comes and goes, sharp or dull, etc.
How long you have had the pain and if it has changed since it began
If anything seems to trigger the pain
Whether the pain occurs together with other symptoms

The doctor may also perform a physical examination. This may involve the following:

Checking for distension, swelling, or visible lumps
Pressing gently on the abdomen to locate tenderness, masses, guarding, or rebound pain
Listening to bowel sounds with a stethoscope
Performing a rectal exam if there is concern about bleeding, blockage, or a distal colorectal problem
Examining the groin if a hernia is suspected

Depending on your symptoms and condition, your doctor may also recommend certain tests to help find the cause of stomach pain in the lower abdomen:

Blood tests for infection, inflammation, or anaemia
Urine tests for urinary causes
Stool tests for blood, infection, or inflammation
Imaging may include ultrasound, CT, or MRI
Blood tests to check for anaemia or signs of infection
Endoscopy (colonoscopy) for other concerns like rectal bleeding, IBD, and cancer

Possible Treatments for Abdominal Pain

The treatment for abdominal pain depends on its severity and causes.

Self-care for Mild Abdominal Discomfort

Stay hydrated with water
Avoid solid food briefly
Avoid coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, fried foods, fatty foods, and carbonated drinks if they worsen symptoms
Increase fibre and fluid intake as well as bowel movements if experiencing constipation
Try laxatives if experiencing constipation

Non-Surgical Medical Treatments for Common Causes of Abdominal Pain

IBS may be managed with dietary changes
Bladder infection and infectious gastroenteritis are often treated with hydration and targeted medication, such as antibiotics
Diverticulitis may require rest, dietary adjustment, antibiotics, or hospital care if serious
IBD is often controlled with medication and lifestyle adjustment (but may need surgery in serious cases)

Surgical Options for More Serious Cases

Appendicitis is commonly treated with an appendectomy, often paired with antibiotics
A bowel obstruction and strangulated hernia need urgent hospital assessment and may need emergency treatment or surgery
Advanced colorectal disease may require a colonoscopy with biopsy or polyp removal, colorectal surgery, and laparoscopic colectomy